Pitt State sinks RiverHawks at the buzzer

Byron Beers, Tahlequah Daily Press, Okla.
·2 min read
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Jan. 28—Maleeah Langstaff had another stellar performance and Ashton Hackler canned a game-tying 3-pointer in the closing seconds, but it wasn't enough in the end for Northeastern State Thursday.

Pittsburg State's Jayme Jackson provided heroics when she followed Hackler's 3 with a basket as time expired to carry the Gorillas to a 71-69 win at John Lance Arena.

The loss is the second straight for the RiverHawks, who fell to 4-14 overall and 2-10 in MIAA play.

Langstaff, the MIAA Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week, finished with a game-high 26 points and added 10 rebounds to record her seventh double-double of the season. Langstaff, who shot 12 of 21 overall from the floor, posted a triple-double (32 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists) in NSU's last win against Lincoln on Jan. 22 at the NSU Event Center.

Langstaff got her final points on a layup with 25 seconds remaining that gave NSU a 66-65 advantage, but Pittsburg State scored the game's next four points on a basket from Tristan Gegg and one free throw apiece by Gegg and Sydnee Crain to take a 69-66 lead prior to Hackler's 3-pointer.

Northeastern State took its first lead since the opening quarter on a Courtney Lee 3-pointer as time expired in the third quarter that made it 51-48.

The Gorillas, paced by Gegg's 24 points, answered back to start the final quarter with a 7-0 run, but a 3-pointer by Maegan Lee with 6:58 left got the RiverHawks to within one point, 55-54. NSU never regained the lead but got even three times the remainder of the way — Zaria Collins made it 61-61 on a putback basket, Langstaff had a layup with 2:31 remaining to make it 63-63, and Hackler's 3 made it 69-69 in the closing seconds.

Hackler and Morgan Lee joined Langstaff in double figures. Hackler closed with 12 points, had a pair of 3s and pulled down six rebounds, and Lee had three 3s and followed with 11 points.

Pittsburg State (12-7, 7-6) also received 11 points from Jackson and 10 from Karenna Gerber. Gegg knocked down a game-high four 3-pointers, and Gerber grabbed a team-best nine rebounds.

The RiverHawks, who shot 44.4 percent overall and outrebounded the Gorillas, 40-32, will stay on the road Saturday when they visit Missouri Southern in a 1:30 p.m. start.