CLAREMORE, Okla. - The Rogers State women's basketball defeated rival Northeastern State University 70-62 on Saturday at the Claremore Expo Center.
 
How it Happened: The RiverHawks would jump out to an early lead, going on a 7-0 run in the first quarter. The Hillcats would fight back as they would score 18 of the next 25 points to take the lead early in the second quarter.
 
The teams would trade leads until the half was over. The score at halftime would be 34-30 with the RiverHawks holding the advantage over the Hillcats.
 
In the beginning of the third quarter the two teams would continue to trade leads, but the RiverHawks would held a small advantage as the Hillcats only outscored the visitors 15-14 in the third frame.
 
The Hillcats would come out battling in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 of the 20 points scored in the first five minutes of the quarter, gaining a 59-54 lead.
 
The RiverHawks would cut the lead back down to two points with one minute remaining, but the Hillcats would not allow them to get any closer , sinking a jumper and four free throws over the final 61 seconds.
 
Players of Note: Samariah Thompson would lead the team in scoring with 19 points. Thompson would also have four rebounds and three assists.
 
Alicia Brown would finish with 14 points for the Hillcats. Alicia would have eight rebounds and a block.
 
Darian Jackson would be the final Hillcat to score in double-digits with 10 points. Jackson would tie for the most rebounds on the team with nine boards, falling one short of a double-double. Jackson would also tally a block and steal.
 
Alyche Brown would tie Jackson with nine rebounds in the game. Alyche would also put up eight points and two steals.
 
Key Statistics: After shooting 15 percent from the field in the first quarter, the Hillcats would go on to shoot better than 40 percent for the rest of the game, including 60 percent in the fourth quarter.
 
In the final six minutes of the game the Hillcats were perfect, 8-8, from the free-throw line.
 
The Hillcats would have 36 fast break points, while the RiverHawks tallied just 18.
 
Notes: This is the second time that the women's basketball team has defeated Northeastern State in the short history of the series, including the first victory in Claremore.
 
Up Next: The Hillcats will play the second game of their final home stand of the season on Thursday, hosting Emporia State for the first time in program history. The teams will tip off at 5:30 p.m. at the Claremore Expo Center on February 13.