by TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State closed out the year with a bang on Sunday afternoon with a 126-41 throttling of Bacone inside the NSU Event Center. The RiverHawks matched a 37-year-old record for the most points in a game and set a MIAA record with 75 points at the half.
Cenia Hayes (Cherokee) put up a career high 24 points on the Warriors with 19 of those coming in the first half. Bailee Eldred recorded her second double-double of the season with 23 points and 14 rebounds, both were career marks for the senior.
Eldred, Hayes, and Morgan Lee all had five steals apiece as the RiverHawks forced 35 Bacone turnovers.
Sunday’s contest opened with a 12-0 run for the RiverHawks and they never looked back. In the second quarter, NSU lit up Bacone for 45 points, which shattered the MIAA record in that period by ten, and was the second most points scored in a quarter in NCAA Division II history.
Northeastern State’s 75 points at the half broke the MIAA record by eight and is tied for 11th most in the NCAA Division II record book.
Cielo McClain went 7-for-9 off the bench for a career high 17 points, Maegan Lee had 13, and her twin sister Morgan Lee added 12 points for the RiverHawks. Maddie Morrow was NSU’s sixth player in double-digits with ten off the bench.
Northeastern State shot a season best 56-percent from the field on 51-for-91 shooting. In the rebounding battle, NSU controlled the glass over the Warriors, 47-to-26.
The RiverHawks snapped a four game skid to move their record up to 3-8 overall, Sunday’s contest counted as an exhibition for Bacone.
