by CLAREMORE, Okla. – The Northeastern State women’s basketball team earned a 64-56 victory over Rogers State Saturday afternoon inside the Claremore Expo Center.
The RiverHawks (6-3) ended their non-conference schedule by winning their fourth-straight contest, while the Hillcats dropped to 1-6 on the year. This was the first meeting between the two programs.
Senior guard Chelsey Beathard led all scorers with 17 points. She has now scored in double figures in her last four outings. Fellow senior guard Fontana Tate (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) added 13 points, six assists and four rebounds, while sophomore forward Mya Walker chipped in 12 points off the bench.
The RiverHawks shot 44.2 percent (23-for-52) from the field, 36.4 percent (8-for-22) from 3-point territory and 66.7 percent (10-for-15) at the free-throw line. RSU shot 29.3 percent (17-for-58) from the field, which was the lowest output of the season against NSU. The Hillcats also shot 17.2 percent (5-for-29) from deep and 70.8 percent (17-for-24) at the free-throw line.
Kami Bunch led Rogers State with 11 points, and Breanna Burford added 10 off the bench. Amari Jones scored eight points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the home team.
Junior guard Kate Bellamy converted a layup at the 17:01 mark of the first half to give NSU a 6-4 lead, and the RiverHawks carried the lead all the way to halftime at 21-20.
Rogers State took a 22-21 advantage early in the second half, but Northeastern State was able to build an 18-point lead before settling for the final eight-point margin.
Northeastern State returns to action with a road trip to northern Missouri. The RiverHawks will first meet Missouri Western State at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 18.
