TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Northeastern State made a spirited push in the second half, but a late-game dagger three from Chris Harris sealed the RiverHawks' fate in an 84–71 loss to Emporia State on Thursday night at the NSU Event Center.

The RiverHawks (10–7, 3–5 MIAA) trimmed a 13-point deficit down to five with under two minutes remaining. But with the shot clock winding down, Harris drained a backbreaking three-pointer from the wing with 1:34 to go, extending the Hornets' lead to double digits and putting the game out of reach.

Xavier Glenn paced NSU with 18 points, while Blackmon added 16 points and five rebounds. Weber chipped in 11 points, and AJ Reed Jr. contributed four assists. The RiverHawks shot 46.6 percent from the floor but struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 4-of-17 attempts.

Emporia State (7–11, 3–6 MIAA) shot 49.2 percent overall and was led by Treyvon Taylor with 21 points and Chris Harris with 18, including four made threes. The Hornets' efficient offensive night was bolstered by 16 assists and a 43–33 rebounding edge.

Despite the loss, NSU held a 40–38 advantage in points in the paint and forced 14 turnovers, capitalizing for 11 points. The game featured four ties and 11 lead changes, mostly in the first half, before Emporia State pulled away late.

Northeastern State will aim to bounce back Friday night when it hosts Newman in another MIAA matchup. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the NSU Event Center.