MARYVILLE, Mo. -- Northeastern State dropped a 68-56 decision at Northwest Missouri State on Thursday night inside Bearcat Arena .

The RiverHawks (16-9, 8-8 MIAA) led 15-12 after the opening quarter before the Bearcats used a strong second period to seize control. Northwest Missouri State outscored NSU 23-11 in the second quarter, shooting 56.3 percent from the field and 5-of-9 from 3-point range to take a 35-26 halftime advantage .

Annaston Brown paced the RiverHawks with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including four 3-pointers. Kori Rainwater added 10 points and six rebounds, while McKenzie Smith finished with six points and seven boards. NSU shot 34.6 percent (18-of-52) from the floor and 5-of-18 from beyond the arc .

The game swung during a decisive stretch that spanned more than 11 minutes bridging the second and third quarters. During that run, NSU was outscored 18-3 and connected on just 1-of-16 field goal attempts, allowing the Bearcats to push the lead to double digits.

Northwest Missouri State extended its advantage to as many as 22 points in the fourth quarter . The RiverHawks responded with 22 points in the final frame but could not overcome the deficit.

NSU held a 36-11 edge in bench scoring but was outscored 32-20 in the paint .

Northeastern State will wrap up its regular-season road schedule Saturday with a 1:30 p.m. tipoff at Missouri Western.