TAHLEQUAH -- Northeastern State reaches the conclusion of a three-game MIAA homestand with a clash against in-state rival Rogers State on Saturday at 2 p.m. The game will be a "Green Out" so all attendees wearing green will receive free admission.

The RiverHawks took both of last week's matchups in the NSU Event Center, with wins against Emporia State (81-61) and Washburn (66-62).

The Setup
- Keith Ferguson in his first season leading the program after spending the previous seven at the NAIA level with Bethany College (Kan.).
- The RiverHawks are in their 12th season as members of the MIAA and 27th season as an NCAA Division II program.  
- NSU only has two more home games after this week, with Newman (Feb. 22) and Central Oklahoma (Feb. 24) stepping in The Nest to conclude NSU's home slate.

Storylines
- Rematch season trended in a positive direction for the RiverHawks, as they claimed two more wins to reach 11 on the 2023-24 season, their most since the 2014-15 team won 12.
- Grace Abercrombie was the team's top performer possessing the ball, as she went into double figures twice last week, with 20 points against Emporia State and 15 against Washburn. She struck 14-of-23 (60.9%) from the floor and 6-of-11 (54.5%) from three-point range, while adding nine rebounds and four assists over two games.
- Courtney Lee recorded her second double-double of the season with 13 points and ten rebounds against ESU on Thursday, while she provided the go-ahead basket against Washburn last Saturday to play a leading role in two winning performances for the team.
- Tor'e Alford finished second on the team in scoring last week with 28 points over two games, led by a 17-point performance against the Ichabods, a team-best in the Saturday matchup.
- Halie Jones continued to be an impactful presence on the defensive side, getting a pair of steals in both of last week's games. With 43 on the season, the fifth year senior is sixth in the conference. She has had multiple takeaways in seven of her last eight games.
- A win on Saturday would be NSU's tenth at home, their most since the 2012-13 team went a perfect 11-0 at Jack Dobbins Field House.
- The RiverHawks will seek a more powerful offensive display against a Hillcat defense that limited them to 44 on Dec. 13 in Claremore, tied for a season low. 
- At 7-8 in MIAA action, NSU enters the week tied for eighth place in the league and three games above the postseason bracket cut-line, where Rogers State and Central Oklahoma sit directly under with 4-11 conference marks. 

Northeastern State vs. Rogers State // February 10 at 2 p.m. // Live Coverage

About Rogers State (9-12, 4-11 MIAA)
- RSU took a much-needed victory over Washburn (65-54) last Thursday before taking a narrow setback to Emporia State (79-77).
- Heather Davis is in her first season as head women's basketball coach at RSU. Before coming to Claremore, she spent time as an assistant at Southwestern Oklahoma State and Central Oklahoma. 
-Alayzha Knapp is one of the conference's top offensive threats, averaging 16.7 points per game. She had a double-double against the RiverHawks in December, with 12 points and 11 boards.
- Saturday marks RSU's lone contest for the week.

Last Time They Met
Rogers State 58, Northeastern State 44 | Dec. 13, 2023 | Claremore, Okla.

- RSU took a tied game at the half (27-27) and flipped the result in their favor with a +14 second half behind a strong defensive performance, where they limited NSU to just 7-of-31 (22.6%) shooting in the closing two quarters.
- The RiverHawks took an 0-for-11 night at the three-point line.
- Tor'e Alford was the only player from the RiverHawks to reach double figures, scoring 11 amid the team's offensive struggles. 

Series Notes
- The series is even at seven games apiece. 
- Northeastern State has split the last four with Rogers State, with both of NSU's wins in that span happening in Claremore. 
- The RiverHawks have not beaten the Hillcats at the NSU Event Center since Dec. 20, 2019.

Coming Up
Northeastern State travels to battle Missouri Western (Feb. 15) and Northwest Missouri (Feb. 17).