by TAHLEQUAH – A mid-game scoring drought sent the RiverHawks to an 84-59 defeat to interstate rivals Central Oklahoma on Saturday afternoon inside the NSU Event Center.
Northeastern State went through 1-11 shooting lull for nearly ten minutes with Central outscoring them 28-to-13.
Cenia Hayes (Cherokee) recorded her second career double-double with 22 points and ten rebounds. The scoring outburst by the junior was the fifth 20-point game this season and tenth overall.
Shae Sanchez was NSU’s second scorer in double-digits with 14 points. Tree Brooks added seven, and Zaria Collins scored six.
Northeastern State led the Bronchos in the first period with the score neck-and-neck at 14 each through the first ten minutes of play. However, turnovers plagued the RiverHawks and 13 through the first half allowed Central to score 16 of their 30 points at the intermission. The Bronchos finished the half on a 9-2 run and led the RiverHawks by eight. Hayes led NSU with eight points and six rebounds; Brooks already matched her season-high at with seven points.
Central continued to pull away in the third quarter and opened on an 11-4 run on the RiverHawks and never could pull get inside single digits the rest of the way.
Northeastern State shot 16-for-44 from the field and was out-rebounded by Central 45-to-22. On the offensive glass, the RiverHawks trailed 20-to-2 with the Bronchos outscoring them 33-to-5 on second-chance points.
