TOPEKA, Kan. -- Northeastern State kept its undefeated surge alive Saturday, pulling away late to beat Southwest Baptist 76–61 at Lee Arena and move to 5-0 and it is just the fifth time since 1982 the RiverHawks have opened a season with five straight wins. They're also among the first teams in NCAA Division II to reach 5-0.

Deyanna Douglas led the way with a career-high 24 points, attacking the paint early and often while anchoring an offense that saved its best for the second half. Douglas shot 8-of-15 from the field and added eight free throws, providing the RiverHawks a consistent scoring engine inside.

The game was knotted 33-33 at halftime, but NSU came out of the locker room with intensity. Northeastern State unleashed a pivotal 16–6 run spanning the late third quarter into the early fourth, transforming a tight contest into a double-digit lead they never surrendered. 

Annaston Brown added 14 points off the bench, drilling a pair of threes, while McKenzie Smith contributed 11 points and six rebounds. Reese Shirey filled the stat sheet with 10 points, six assists, and four steals as NSU turned 18 Bearcat turnovers into 22 points.

Southwest Baptist (1-3) was paced by Tinu Fakunle's 18 points and Reagan Wells' 12, but the Bearcats couldn't keep up once NSU's tempo kicked into high gear. The RiverHawks owned the glass 42–37 and limited SBU to just 13 points in the third quarter.

With one of its hottest starts in the past decade, Northeastern State now turns its attention to Tuesday evening's road test at Henderson State.