RiverHawks Sweep Southeastern
DURANT, Okla. - Northeastern State behind the double-digit scoring of Cristy Nitz, Megan Fraley and Jessica White grabbed an impressive 67-57Lone Star Conference North Division victory at Bloomer Sullivan Arena Wednesday night.
The RiverHawks' victory kept NSU deadlocked with Central Oklahoma for the North Division lead with identical 8-1 records. Central Oklahoma defeated Southwestern State 74-65. It was Northeastern State's second win of the season over Southeastern State defeating the Savage Storm 77-43 on Jan. 20th.
The NSU victory snapped the Savage Storm's five-game winning streak and have now won 15 of its last 18 games and three in a row.
Northeastern State is now 19-5 for the year asNortheastern State head coach Randy Gipson snared his 200th victory as head coach of the RiverHawks. Southeastern State is now 16-6 and 6-3 in LSC North.
Nitz, Fraley and White all scored 14 points each for the RiverHawks as Northeastern State shot 45 percent from the floor (24-of-53) including 7-of-17 from behind the arc. The RiverHawks were 12-of-14 at the free throw line.
The RiverHawks held a 17-point lead three times in the second half, its largest of the game, the last coming with 12:02 left in the game 52-35. The Savage Storm then made a 7-0 run at the RiverHawks, slicing the NSU lead to 10 points 52-42 with 10:21 left. The RiverHawks responded with a trey by Sarah Millar, her second of the game, and 8th point of the contest for a14-point advantage 55-42 with 8:37 remaining.
Northeastern State then stretched its lead to 16 points behind Jasmine Webb, as she scored all 7 of her points in the second half, giving the RiverHawks a 63-47 advantage with 4:11 left.
Southeastern State came no closer than 10 points the remainder of the game 64-54 with 1:10 left.
Christin Nichols led Southeastern's scoring with 12 points while Nikki Nestor and Kacey Russell added 11 points each.
The RiverHawks' defense held the Savage Storm to just 36 percent from the field (16-of-44) including 4-of-14 from behind the arc.
Northeastern State behind the hot inside shooting of Nitz, who scored 14 points and Fraley directing the fast pace offense of NSU, that gave the RiverHawks a 34-25 lead at the half.
Northeastern shot 42 percent in the first half (11-of-26) and converted 9-of-10 free throws. The NSU defense held the Savage Storm to just 32 percent for the floor (8-of-25) and including 3-of-9 from behind the arc.
While Nitz was scoring big points for the RiverHawks she was holding the LSC North Division'
It was Nitz sensational play inside with a pin-point scoring that powered Northeastern to a 15-point advantage 31-16 with 5:53 left in the half. The Savage Storm then went on a 7-0 run to slice the RiverHawks lead to 8-points making it 31-23 with 3:30 left. Fraley, who scored 7 first half points, converted two free throws pushing the RiverHawks lead back to double digits, 33-23.
Following a foul b y Southeastern State, Nitz converted 1-of-2 at the free throw line for an 11-point Northeastern State bulge 34-23 with 2:11 remaining in the half. Southeastern then made it a 9-point margin at the half when Ashley Hobbs scored at the 139 mark.
The RiverHawks will return to Jack Dobbins Field House on Saturday afternoon to play East Central University at 4 p.m. in a LSC North Division clash.
