RiverHawks Battle Arch-Rival UCO Monday night in Edmond

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. - Northeastern State goes on the road to battle arch-rival University of Central Oklahoma in a crucial Lone Star Conference North Division battle Monday night at Hamilton Field House in Edmond. Tip-off is 8 p.m.

The RiverHawks are unbeaten in the LSC North Division standings with a 4-0 record and are 13-6 overall heading into the UCO clash. The Bronchos are also unbeaten in the LSC North with a 5-0 mark and are 16-4 for the season.

Northeastern State will be seeking to rebound from a heartbreaking 78-76 loss to 11^th -ranked Midwestern State last Monday night in a LSC crossover game at Wichita Falls, Texas. The loss snapped a seven-game winning streak for the RiverHawks. Northeastern State, however, has won 11 of its last 14 games.

The Bronchos are coming off a 103-91 win over Texas A&M-Commerce last Wednesday night on the Lions home floor. UCO's Shane Carroll and DauntaeWilliams combined for 37 second-half points and fueled a 3-point shooting barrage that carried the Bronchos to the win.

The Bronchos made 11 long range shots in the second half to overcome an eight-point deficit, with Carroll hitting five treys in scoring 15 of his 21 points and Williams scored three 3-pointers in scoring 22 of his career high 37 points.

It was the 12^th straight victory for UCO, which matched the third longest winning streak in UCO history.

Monday night's game will be the 15th meeting between Northeastern State head coach Larry Gipson and UCO's head coach Terry Evans. The two coaches are dead even at seven wins each. In the long time series between the two schools UCO leads the series 79-48. Over the past four years, each school has split the two-game series.

Central Oklahoma enters the NSU game as the No. 2 offensive team in the North with an 89.9 scoring average. The Bronchos will go against the No. 1 defensive unit in the North in the RiverHawks, who are allowing the opposition just 57.2 points a game.

The Bronchos are No. 2 in the LSC in 3-point shooting percentage at 36.5 percent and No. 1 in field goal shooting percentage at 48.6 percent. On the other hand, the RiverHawks are No. 1 in the North in field goal percentage defense, holding the opposition to 35.9 percent and No. 2 in 3-point field goal percentage at .29.0.

Williams, 6-4 junior guard, leads the Bronchos' scoring with a 19.3 scoring average, with a field goal shooting percentage of 61.0 on 130-of-213 attempts. Chris Rhymes, 6-4 senior guard, follows in the scoring with a 12.7 scoring average. Eric Cazenave, 6-2 senior guard, is scoring 12.5 points, with Tyler Phillips, 6-5 sophomore guard, averaging 11.7 points and Shane, 6-4 sophomore guard, scoring 11.5 points a game.

Northeastern State is averaging 67.6 points on offense and is led in scoring by Dominique Gaines, 6-2 junior guard from Muskogee, who is averaging 18.8 points a game, shooting 45.3 percent from the field.

Jason Jones, 6-7 post from Cahors, France, a Division II Preseason All-American selection, is scoring 15.7 points an outing and is the RiverHawks leading rebounder, pulling down 9.1 boards a game, to lead the North Division.

Marlon Burnett, 6-2 senior guard, is averaging 12.5 points a game and is shooting 46.3 percent from the field. Antoine Branch, 5-11 junior guard, a transfer from Coffeyville Junior College, is scoring 10.5 points and is the RiverHawks top 3-point shooter at 38.5 percent (42-of-109) and leads the RiverHawks in steals with 18.

Following the UCO game, the RiverHawks return home for a Wednesday night LSC North Division game with Texas A&M-Commerce at Jack Dobbins Field House. Tip-off is 8 p.m.