by EDMOND – Head Coach Randy Gipson picked up his 600th career win on Sunday beating Northwestern Oklahoma 82-67 in Edmond at the MIAA/GAC Challenge.
The RiverHawks led for nearly the entire contest with four players hitting double-figures. Cailyn Long paced all players on the floor with 22 points and she had five rebounds in the win, her offensive output was best outing since scoring 27 on Dec. 30, 2015 against Southwestern Oklahoma.
Destiny Strange and Kylie Looney (Cherokee Nation) both had 14 points. Strange had a career high eight rebounds along with an assist and block, Looney had five grabs off the glass with a block and assist against the Rangers. Rylie Torrey was NSU’s fourth player in double-figures with 12 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
Northeastern State had a four year high with 50 rebounds as a group with Mary Jane Buschmann netting 12 boards, she was two points short of a double-double with eight against Northwestern. The senior had four assists and two steals.
At the free throw line, NSU was nearly flawless going 19-for-20 with Long hitting all nine shots and Torrey making all six.
The RiverHawks shot 47.5-percent (28-59) from the field and they went 31.8-percent (7-for-22) from the arc. Northwestern was 28.8-percent (19-66) on their side of the floor and 35.3-percent from long range.
Northeastern State led by a dozen points early in the first quarter but the Rangers rained down five treys to shave off the RiverHawks lead to single digits. NSU had its largest lead of the game in the fourth quarter at 18 points and held onto a double-digit lead for nearly the whole second half.
Northwestern Oklahoma was limited to 30 rebounds and they had four in double-figures. Both Kalea King and Ashley Pride led the Rangers with 14 points.
In the turnover battle, the Rangers had the edge with 14, six fewer than Northeastern State.
The win for the RiverHawks will send them to 1-1 overall and Northwestern Oklahoma goes to 0-2.
Northeastern State will visit nearby Rogers State in Claremore on Wednesday for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff.
