RiverHawks Overcome Slow Start to Bounce UCO in South Central Regional

CANYON, Texas – It was a game of survival and Northeastern State survived in the opening round of NCAAA Division II South Central Regional at the First United Bank Center at West Texas A&M University on Friday.

The RiverHawks rallied in the final seven minutes to overtake Central Oklahoma 54-52 to advance to the semifinals to play No. 2 seed and No. 7 nationally ranked Washburn University at 5 p.m. on Saturday. The Lady Blues defeated Central Missouri University 72-61 to reach the semifinals.

“The game was an ugly game, low scoring, turnovers and a lot of missed shots,” said Northeastern State head coach Randy Gipson. “It just demonstrates that these two teams have played twice this year. Both teams had good defensive plans and were able to disrupt the offensive rhythm of the other team.

“I was really pleased with our team. As bad as we were struggling with our offense we continued to compete and keep ourselves in the game with defense. Finally we got a good run offensively in the last five minutes of the game,” said Gipson.

Northeastern State (27-6) shooting only 25 percent (8-of-31) in the opening 20 minutes of play and 0-of-12 from behind the arc, forced the Bronchos (22-8)into 14 first half turnovers, to trail only by two points at the half 21-19.

The RiverHawks shot only 30 percent for the game (19-of-62) which included just 3-of-28 on 3-point attempts. Defensively NSU forced UCO into 27 turnovers in which the RiverHawks scored 19 points. The RiverHawks held the Bronchos to 40 percent from the field (20-of-49), including 4-of-21 from behind the arc.

“We haven’t played on this floor in two years and I haven’t played on it since I was freshman and it just takes time to adjust,” said Jessica White. “We didn’t shoot as well in the first round at Bartlesville (Lone Star Conference Tournament) as we did the next two rounds.

“They (UCO) threw us a little out of our, give them credit. They played good defense and I think that got to us also. We just persevered and we able to get it done somehow. We hit the shots when it counted,” said White.

Trailing 28-24 with 14:41 remaining in the contest, White broke a 0-16 RiverHawk 3-point drought with 14:03 left by draining a trey from the right of the key to slice the UCO lead to a point 28-27.

“We just just had to keep on focusing and keep on shooing,” said Fraley. “We were getting the looks, we just had to keep on shooting and keep on attacking.”

Gipson said, “Megan and Jessica made a lot of big shots for us. “All season long they have stepped up and made big plays for us.”

UCO’s Ashley Beckley, who led the Bronchos scoring with 16 points, put UCO up by two points when she converted 1-of-2 free throws. Northeastern regained the lead on Megan Fraley’s first trey and the RiverHawks’ second of the game for a 30-29 lead with 13:35 left.

Neither team scored over the next 2 ½ minutes before UCO’s Jordan Stark put the Bronchos back on top 31-30 on a layup. The Bronchos increased its lead to six points, 38-32 with 7:05 remaining as the RiverHawks managed only a pair of free throws by Alix Perkins.

That’s when Northeastern began its surge behind White, who led the RiverHawks’ scoring with 15 points, Jasmine Webb, Fraley, Cristy Nitz and Alix Perkins.

White rebounded her own missed shot for a put back, followed by a missed 3-point attempt by UCO’s Brianne Grisham; then made a steal and was fouled by the Bronchos’ Stark. White converted both attempts at the stripe slicing the UCO margin to two points, 38-36 at the 6:22 mark.

NSU force a UCO turnover and White deadlocked the game when she once again followed her own missed shot for a put-back and a 38-all tie with 5:50 remaining.

However, the Bronchos regained the lead 41-38 on an old-fashion 3-point play by Beckley, who was fouled by Nitz with 5:21 remaining.

It was the Bronchos last lead, however, as Northeastern State took the lead for good on a Nitz jumper and a layup with 5:01 remaining to give the RiverHawks a 42-41 advantage. Fraley then nailed her second trey to put the RiverHawks up by four, 45-41 at the 4:22 mark.

UCO managed to come within just two points the rest of the way, as the RiverHawks held a six-point lead 49-43 with 2:51 left. UCO cut it to 3-points on a trey by Rose Anderson. But a free throw by Webb put NSU up by five, before Bronchos’ Cristina Yarbrough drained a trey moving to within two points of NSU 51-49 with 41 seconds left.

Northeastern then drained 5-of-6 free throws in the final 20 seconds, one by White and four by Perkins to hold a 5-point lead with two seconds remaining 54-49.

UCO’s Yarbrough then sank meaningless trey 5-feet beyond the midcourt line at the buzzer for the final count.