TAHLEQUAH – The Northeastern State men's basketball team wraps their final road trip of the regular season by traveling for matchups at Northwest Missouri (Thursday, 7:30 p.m.) and Missouri Western (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.). The RiverHawks are 12-12 overall and 5-10 in MIAA contests. They are tied with Northwest Missouri for 11th in the MIAA standings, a half-game back from tenth-place Nebraska Kearney.

Through 24 games, Northeastern State ranks third in the MIAA in scoring (82.9 points per game) and second in field goal percentage (49%). The RiverHawks rank fourth in rebounding (37.3 RPG) and third in assists per game (15.96). Individually, Xavier Glenn is fourth in the MIAA in scoring (18.7 PPG). Ethan Blackmon is second in rebounding (8 RPG) and eighth in field goal percentage (54.8%).Additionally, AJ Reed Jr. is tenth in assists per game (3.6).

A Quick Look Back
The RiverHawks were handed a pair of defeats by Central Missouri (92-65) and No. 3 Washburn (78-54) away from Tahlequah last week. NSU started on a 15-5 scoring run across the first 4:45 against the Mules, but were outscored 87-50 the rest of the way. The RiverHawks connected on eight less three-point tries than the Mules, accounting for a sizable 24-point swing. The Washburn game saw the Ichabods benefit from 24 NSU turnovers, their most in a single game since 2021.

Absent Ethan Blackmon in both games last week and Xavier Glenn on Saturday, AJ Reed Jr. would be the one to pace the offense last weekend with 15 points against the Ichabods. The absence of Blackmon saw expanded playing time for Harry Neilson, who recorded at least 20 minutes played in both games for the first time since November. Glenn's absence last weekend also led to the second start of the season for Dylan Tea.

About Northwest Missouri
The Bearcats (12-14, 5-10 MIAA) enter the week with the league's lowest scoring offensive attack (70.8 PPG). They are tied for 13th in field goal percentage (43.4%) and are tied for ninth in efficiency from beyond the arc (33.3%).

Royce Williams and Aiden Gair pack a powerful punch as the leading scorers of the Bearcat offense. The duo combine for 54.4% of the team's three-point attempts for the season and 52.4% of the team's makes from outside.

The Series: NSU won the first meeting in the series on Mar. 9, 2000, but NWMSU has won the other 18. The RiverHawks aim for their first win in program history over the Bearcats in Maryville, Mo.

About Missouri Western
The Griffons (17-9, 9-6 MIAA) are firmly in the MIAA tournament picture in season one under former Upper Iowa head coach Brooks McKowen. They host Arkansas-Fort Smith Thursday before NSU steps into St. Joseph.

As an offense, the Griffons are tied for fifth in the MIAA in scoring (81.1 PPG) and sit in third for field goal percentage (46.1%). The McKowen-led bunch has excelled at winning the turnover battle, ranking second in the league in average turnover margin (2.9). They are ninth in opposing scoring (76.3 PPG) and surrender makes at the second-highest rate from the field (47.3%) and the third-highest rate from outside (34.3%). 

The Series: Missouri Western leads the series, 13-6. The Griffons have won three of the last four and seven of ten in St. Joseph, Mo.

Up Next
The RiverHawks close their regular season with matchups at the NSU Event Center against Rogers State (Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m.) and Central Oklahoma (Feb. 28 at 3:30 p.m.).