TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State concludes the regular season with in-state rivalry contests at Rogers State (Wednesday, 5:30 p.m.) and Central Oklahoma (Saturday, 1:30 p.m.).

A live broadcast feed will be available for both games on The MIAA Network (PPV). The games can also be listened to live on Lakes Country 102.1 with Orry Phillips on the call. 

A quick look back 

The RiverHawks (10-16, 6-11 MIAA) saw their losing skid extended to six with losses to Northwest Missouri (53-45) and Missouri Western (96-74) last week at the NSU Event Center. Deyanna Douglas paced all NSU individuals with 33 points, including 19 against the Bearcats. Alex Hill logged a career-high 27 points in the MWSU contest on Senior Day.

With two regular season games remaining, NSU holds the last spot in the top ten on the MIAA's most recent KPI standings release. With a score of -.063, they sit narrowly ahead of 11th-place Emporia State (-.071) and 12th-place Central Oklahoma (-.076). The RiverHawks on the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage on ESU, which would go into effect if the difference between the two teams fell within the range of .002 points. 

Inside of league play, NSU ranks fourth in the MIAA in turnover margin (1.2) and are tied for second as a team in steals per game (8.8). Individually, Deyanna Douglas is tied for ninth in free throw percentage (74.0%) across the season. Annaston Brown is seventh among individuals with 32 made three-point baskets across conference play.

About Rogers State (7-19, 1-16 MIAA)

The Hillcats enter the week with 13 straight losses, while their lone MIAA win occurred on Jan. 2 against Newman (51-39) in Claremore. They rank 14th in the MIAA on KPI (-.233).

RSU is 13th in scoring (54.9 PPG) during conference play, while the defense sits in sixth (67.3 PPG). The Hillcats shoot at the second-lowest clip in the conference from the field (36.4%), while opponents have landed on 41.0% of attempts, the eighth-lowest total in the MIAA. The offense is 14th in three-point efficiency (24.2%) during league play and allow makes from beyond the arc at the fifth-highest rate against league opponents at 32.3%. Similar struggles for the team have been present on the glass during conference play, as the Hillcats are 13th in rebounding margin (-5.1). The team blocks shots at the sixth-highest rate per game during MIAA play (2.9 BPG) and is fourth in steals per game (8.1) against league foes.

Ella Hafer leads the team in scoring (12.7 PPG), while she is ninth in rebounds per game (7.2) on the season in the MIAA. Jaiana Wiggins (1.5 BPG, fourth in MIAA) and Alyza Aikins (1.8 SPG, eighth in MIAA) highlight defensive contributions individually for the Hillcats.

The Series

The RiverHawks are 9-7 in the all-time series against the Hillcats, earning wins in three of the last four. NSU took down RSU in the first game of the regular season series on Jan. 11 in a 68-57 decision.

About Central Oklahoma (7-19, 6-11 MIAA)

Central Oklahoma enters with losses in two straight. They host Arkansas-Fort Smith earlier in the week before welcoming NSU to Edmond on Saturday. UCO ranks 12th in KPI less than two-hundreths of a point back from NSU for the last spot inside the league's top ten.

Inside of conference action, UCO holds the 11th-ranked scoring offense (63.6 PPG) and the seventh-ranked scoring defense (67.9 PPG) across the association. The Bronchos have shot at a 39.0% clip, tenth in the MIAA, while opponents have landed on 40.7% of attempts, tied for the sixth-lowest rate in the conference. The Bronchos hold the fifth-lowest rebounding margin (-3.3) inside of league play, while they rank seventh in turnover margin (-0.3). 

Individually, Korie Allensworth (13.0 PPG) paces the team in scoring. Jordyn Turner is second in the MIAA in rebounding (9.4 RPG) and LaKysia Johnson is fourth in the conference in field goal percentage (51.8%) and tied for eighth in steals (44). Talia Pogi is eighth in three-point field goals made across the season with 44. 

The Series

The RiverHawks hold a 35-32 lead in the series, winning the last three and four of the last five. NSU earned an 80-59 win in Tahlequah on Jan. 9 earlier in the season.

Up Next

The bracket for the 2025 MIAA Women's Basketball Championship Tournament is due to release on Saturday, dictated by the top ten teams in KPI score across the league. The tournament takes place at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. from Mar. 5-9.