TAHLEQUAH --
Deyanna Douglas finished one rebound shy of a double-double as Northeastern State defeated Oklahoma Baptist 67-59 on Saturday at the NSU Event Center.
Douglas led the RiverHawks with 16 points and nine rebounds, including six offensive boards. She also recorded two blocks and a steal in 24 minutes.
Northeastern State (3-1) overcame an 18-12 first-quarter deficit and took a 28-26 lead into halftime. Oklahoma Baptist briefly regained the lead in the third quarter, moving ahead 35-33 with 5:24 remaining.
The RiverHawks answered with a key stretch.
Emily O'Brien tied the game with a layup, and
Laykin Moore followed with a 3-pointer to put NSU ahead 38-35. Northeastern State carried a 44-42 advantage into the fourth quarter.
NSU pulled away in the final period, scoring 23 points.
McKenzie Smith's jumper and another layup by O'Brien helped extend the lead to 54-45 with 7:22 remaining. The RiverHawks also capitalized on Oklahoma Baptist's turnovers, scoring 26 points off turnovers while committing 10 turnovers of their own.
Gabrielle Tilley added 12 points, making three of four shots from 3-point range, and handed out four assists. Smith scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds, while O'Brien contributed 10 points in 13 minutes.
Reese Shirey added eight points, six assists and six rebounds.
Oklahoma Baptist (2-1) was led by Reese Hoadley with 18 points. Katelyn Davis scored 13, and Aaliyah Young finished with 11 points and seven rebounds.
Northeastern State returns to action Wednesday, Nov. 18, when it visits Ouachita Baptist.
