by TAHLEQUAH – The RiverHawks got 20-point efforts from Cenia Hayes and Shae Sanchez as they blew past UA-Fort Smith 73-57 Saturday evening inside the NSU Event Center.
Hayes {Cherokee Nation) toped her personal best for the second connective evening with 27 points on 8-for-12 shooting. The NSU junior is averaging 26 points in the last two contests. Sanchez scored 20, a high for the junior while at NSU, and she added six assists.
Saturday’s win moved the RiverHawks back to .500 with a 2-2 record and opened an eight-game homestand with two straight wins.
“Great overall win for the team, we’re certainly excited about what we did tonight,” said head coach Fala Bullock. “I think our team played as a unit again, in the second half we were able to kind of come back and surge a little bit, but certainly excited about what we’re doing.”
“Like I said we’re still trying to figure out our identity, and I think that little by little it’s starting to show up, and we’re feeling some confidence.”
Aided by nine points by Sanchez in the opening quarter, the RiverHawks opened the game with an 8-2 run on the Lady Lions. However, UAFS finished the final seven minutes on a 17-10 on the RiverHawks and had a 19-16 edge.
Both teams continued to shoot a hot hand in the second quarter but shooting fouls aided the RiverHawks where they made nine from the free-throw line. Hayes led NSU with seven points in the period as they took a 38-36 edge into the intermission.
Northeastern State continued to pull away in the third quarter and out-scored the Lady Lions 18-to-8.
NSU’s largest lead of the night came at 19 with just over three minutes left in regulation.
The RiverHawks shot 46.8-percent (22-47) and were 23-for-29 at the line, which was a Fala Bullock era high. On the glass, the Lady Lions held a 28-to-24 advantage. Maegan Lee had a career-high seven boards to lead NSU.
Saturday’s loss sends UA-Fort Smith to 2-2 overall.
NSU will be back in action on Wednesday where they will host Texas Woman’s in a non-conference tilt at 7 p.m.
