TAHLEQUAH -- Northeastern State concludes the 2023 side of the campaign with a non-conference contest against Ecclesia (Ark.) on Saturday, Dec. 30 inside Jack Dobbins Field House.

The RiverHawks will look for a win against their NCCAA foe after losing three straight on the road in conference play. 

The Setup
- Keith Ferguson is in his first season as head women's basketball coach at Northeastern State after spending the previous seven at Bethany College (Kan.). 
- The RiverHawks are in their 12th season as members of the MIAA and 27th season as an NCAA Division II program.  
- Ecclesia is the sixth and final non-conference opponent of the 2023-24 season for NSU, as well as their second from outside of the NCAA ranks. 

Storylines
- For the first time since 2013, Northeastern State women's basketball plays an official game inside their old stomping grounds at Jack Dobbins Field House. The program called JDF home on a full-time basis from 1979-2013 and the facility is still used today as a secondary practice court. 
- A win against the Royals would be their fifth home triumph of the season, matching their 2022-23 total and marking the first time that the team has scored five home victories before New Year's since the 2011-12 season. 
- NSU will look to regain their rhythm on the offensive end after being held to 57 points or less across all three games in their recent MIAA road trip. Assisted makes have been particularly hard to come by of late, as the team has combined for just eight over their last two contests. 
- Courtney Lee led the charge for the RiverHawks with a five-of-seven shooting night against Washburn on Dec. 19 to tally 14 points. Lee also grabbed six rebounds in 24 minutes of work. The junior has entered double figures in five of her last seven games and has corralled at least five boards in her last four. 
- Halie Jones got back into double figures with a ten point showing against Washburn. Jones is set to enter 2024 as the team's scoring leader with 13.6 points per game, while she paces all NSU players with 1.7 steals per game, as well. 
- Tess Talo Tomokino returned to the starting lineup after a game away from the floor and led the team in rebounding (seven) and was the only NSU player to log multiple steals against the Ichabods. She tied for third in scoring with an eight point night at Lee Arena.
- A strong afternoon in the rebounding department could be in store for NSU, as they accumulated a season-high 44 boards the last time they faced a non-NCAA opponent (Haskell, Nov. 15). 
- Ecclesia is the third team from the Natural state to do battle with the RiverHawks on the season. NSU claimed a 74-57 win over Arkansas-Fort Smith on Nov. 18 in Tahlequah before being handed a 69-56 setback on Nov. 20 against Henderson State in Arkadelphia. 

Northeastern State vs. Ecclesia // December 30 at 1:30 p.m. // Live Coverage

About Ecclesia
- The Royals round out the calendar year with their trip to the NSU campus after three weeks away from the court, most recently battling Arlington Baptist on Dec. 9. 
- The team is led by Greg Gaffney, who came to Ecclesia with experience across the college, international and high school levels, totaling nearly 500 wins across his head coaching career.
- Offensively, the Royals have struggled to 43.1 PPG, the second-lowest total in NCCAA Division I women's basketball. 
- The RiverHawks are Ecclesia's last NCAA opponent of the season after the team had previous meetings with East Central and McNeese State. 

Series Notes
- This is the first meeting between the teams. 

Coming Up
Northeastern State continues MIAA play in 2024 with a home date against Northwest Missouri at the NSU Event Center on Thursday, Jan. 4 at 5:30 p.m.