TAHLEQUAH – A dramatic finish saw Northeastern State narrowly fall to Rogers State, 82-80, on Saturday night at the NSU Event Center in Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association play.

The Hillcats (13-5, 4-2 MIAA) led for under five minutes and overtook the RiverHawks (10-5, 4-2 MIAA) who held a one-point lead in the closing seconds.  A steal from RSU's Benard Omooria provided the go-ahead bucket for the Hillcats with ten seconds to go.  NSU was given a second opportunity to at least tie the contest at the line but they missed the front end of a one-and-one and saw a five-game winning streak snapped by the Hillcats.  

Saturday's loss overshadowed stellar performances from Northeastern's key contributors. Trey Phipps finished with a game-high 23 points, hitting three from beyond the arc, while Ethan Blackmon's double-double anchored the RiverHawks in the post with 14 rebounds and 23 points. Bryson Smith chipped in 15 points, and Keon Edwards added 10. 

Northeastern State shot 50 percent from the field and led the game for over 33 minutes.  The Hillcats had a 36-to-35 rebounding edge with Anthony Marshall Jr. tallying 17 points and 11 assists, while Kofi Hamilton added 17 points.

The RiverHawks will look to regroup as they continue MIAA play, hosting UA-Fort Smith on Thursday.