TAHLEQUAH – The Northeastern State men's basketball team ends the month of January by traveling for encounters at Pittsburg State (Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.) and Missouri Southern (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.). The RiverHawks are 11-7 overall and 4-5 in MIAA play.

Through 18 games, Northeastern State ranks second in the MIAA in scoring (87.8 points per game), field goal percentage (49.7%) and three-point percentage (36.9%).  The RiverHawks are third in rebounding (39.3 RPG) and assists per game (17.1).

Individually, Xavier Glenn is tied for fourth in points per game (19.6) across the MIAA and is sixth in field goal percentage (53.5%). Ethan Blackmon is second in per-game rebounding (8.3) and 10th in field goal percentage (52.4%). AJ Reed Jr. is eighth in assists per game (3.9). 

A Quick Look Back
Northeastern State opened a two-day, two-game homestand with an 84-71 defeat against Emporia State last Thursday. The RiverHawks struggled to contain the three-point shots of the Hornets early, who knocked down seven first half tries. On Friday night, NSU claimed a 104-62 victory over Newman, their largest conference win of the program's MIAA era and their most lopsided league win overall since Jan. 11, 2003. NSU opened on a 44-15 run across the first 13:32 and led by as much as 47 in the second half. Xavier Glenn (21 points) and Nehemiah Weber (20) combined for 41 points and 17-of-22 (77.3%) shooting.

The win over the Jets marked the 200th in the head coaching career of Ja Havens, while Ethan Blackmon crossed 1,000 career points at NSU in his 72nd game with the program.

About Pittsburg State
The Gorillas (11-7, 5-3 MIAA) enter the week on a two-game losing streak. They are 7-2 in true home games this season. On Jan. 3, the Gorillas escaped the RiverHawks in an overtime duel at the NSU Event Center, earning a 98-95 victory.

Pittsburg State owns the eighth-ranked scoring offense (78.3 PPG) in the MIAA. Connor Rogers paces the offense (20.2 PPG) and ranks third in scoring across the conference. Mason English joins Rogers as a top-level scorer on the roster, entering off a 31-point showing against NSU earlier in the month. PSU also owns a top-five scoring defense (70 PPG) that additionally sits in fourth in steals (8.1 SPG) and is tied fifth in blocks (3.2) across the association.

The Series: PSU leads the series, 56-25, though the RiverHawks have won five of the last seven. The RiverHawks aim to collect their seventh true road win in program history over the Gorillas.

About Missouri Southern
The Lions (9-8, 3-5 MIAA) enter off a 68-55 defeat to Rogers State on Jan. 17. They are 7-3 in home matchups and suffered a narrow 119-117 loss to Northeastern in Tahlequah last month.

Jaden Taylor is tied for fourth in the league in scoring (19.6 PPG), while the team is third (86.8 PPG). The Lions are also strong on the glass, sitting fifth in the MIAA in rebounds per game (37.8) and third in offensive boards (11.9). Individually, Tyrone Wright is 10th in the conference (6.0 RPG) on the glass. The duo of Taylor (32 points) and Wright (22) combined for 54 points against the RiverHawks in December, with Wright's total marking a career high with the program.

The Series: MSSU leads the series, 29-23, though Northeastern enters with wins in four straight. The last three have been decided by a combined five points.

Up Next
The RiverHawks open February in The Nest against Fort Hays State (Feb. 5, 7:30 p.m.) and Nebraska Kearney (Feb. 7, 3:30 p.m.).