CLAREMORE -- Northeastern State pushed Rogers State to the brink Wednesday night, but a second-half surge from the Hillcats proved too much to overcome as the RiverHawks fell 81-74 in a Mid-America Intercollegiate contest at the Claremore Expo Center.

Keon Edwards led the RiverHawks with a career-high 26 points on 9-of-11 shooting, including four three-pointers, while Ethan Blackmon contributed 18 points and a team-high nine rebounds.

Northeastern State started strong, matching Rogers State shot for shot throughout the first half. The RiverHawks scored consistently in the paint and limited turnovers, keeping the game tight at halftime, trailing 39-37.

Rogers State pulled away from Northeastern State in the middle of the second half with a 21-12 run, shooting 9-of-13 from the field to build a 70-56 lead with 8:38 remaining. However, the Hillcats struggled to close out the game, allowing the RiverHawks to mount a late rally.

Jaxon Jones capped an 11-3 Northeastern State run with the team's sixth three-pointer of the night, cutting the deficit to three. But after a foul on the next possession, Rogers State sank two critical free throws to push its lead to 79-74 with 12 seconds left.

On the ensuing possession, Northeastern State, which had committed just six turnovers all game, saw its comeback hopes end with its seventh. Rogers State held on to secure its fifth consecutive win over the RiverHawks.

The RiverHawks finished the night shooting 46.7% from the field but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just six three-pointers compared to Rogers State's 12. They also managed just seven assists as a team while being outrebounded 29-28.

With the loss, Northeastern State dropped to 14-13 overall and 8-10 in conference play. The RiverHawks will look to regroup in their next matchup Saturday where they will close the regular season at Central Oklahoma.