RiverHawks Travel to Ada to Play East Central
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. -Northeastern State will be going after its fifth consecutive victory Saturday when the RiverHawks travel to Ada to battle East Central University for a 2 p.m. Lone Star Conference North Division women's game at the Kerr's Activities Center.
"We have a big game with East Central and we got beat down there last year," said Northeastern State head coach Randy Gipson. "Its been a hard place to play and we will just have to be focused on East Central and be ready to play."
The RiverHawks, winners of its last 11-of-13 games will take a 14-4 record into the Tigers' den after an impressive 77-43 victory over Southeastern State University last Wednesday night at Jack Dobbins Field House.
East Central enters the game with a 9-7 record and 1-2 LSC North Division mark after defeating Texas A&M-Commerce on Wednesday 77-72. However the win may have been costly for the Tigers.
Three ECU players were injured in the Commerce game, Laura Harris, Angela Kalanoska. and Kelcie Nunley. Harris and Kalanoska come off the bench for the Tigers while Nunley is a 6-foot sophomore center, who starts for the Tigers
Nunley sustained a dislocated thumb in the first half against Commerce on her shooting hand, while Kalanoska suffered a possible broken rib. It's not known if either will play against the RiverHawks on Saturday.
Harris is in all probability out for the season after sustaining a knee injury. The three injuries mean that the Tigers may face the RiverHawks on Saturday with just seven players available for Saturday.
The Tigers win over Commerce snapped a four-game losing streak enters the NSU game with a 72.2 scoring average seventh in the LSC. Defensively the Tigers are giving up 70 points a game to rank 10th in the conference.
The Tigers are led in scoring by Casi Rawls, 5-4 junior guard, who scored 21 against Commerce, with a 15.1 scoring average, fifth on the LSC scoring chart. Danielle Cox, 6-foot senior forward, who also scored 21 in the Commerce game, follows in the scoring for the Tigers with a 12.4 scoring average. The third double-digit scorer for ECU is Jourdan Clark, 5-5 freshman guard, who is averaging 10.4 points.
Northeastern State which had its best offensive and defensive performance of the season against Southeastern State will take an offense that averages 64.4 points a game, but is holding opponents to just 53.5 points, second in the Lone Star Conference.
Jasmine Webb, who led NSU'scoring against the Savage Storm on Wednesday night with 16 points and just missed a double-double with 9 rebounds, enters the East Central contest with a 10.6 scoring average. Alix Perkins who scored 13 points against the Savage Storm is averaging 8.8 points followed by Cristy Nitz's 8.4 scoring average. Jessica White who scored 10 points in the Southeastern game, is averaging 7.1 points a game.
Webb said following the Southeastern game that she was looking forward to the East Central game. "They beat us at their place last year and right now I am focused on them," said Webb. "Its no let up, no let up."
The RiverHawks will next face Texas Woman's on Wednesday night at Jack Dobbins Field House for a 6 p.m. encounter. If both Northeastern State and Texas Woman's win Saturday games against East Central and Southwestern State, the Wednesday clash would be for first place in the Lone Star North Division.
