In the middle of January, there’s still plenty of season left. But Northeastern State’s home matchup with Pittsburg State on Wednesday can be classified as nothing short of a key puzzle piece in the Division II playoff picture.

The two clubs will tip off at 6 p.m. at Jack Dobbins Field House in a clash of two top-15 teams that will undoubtedly have regional seeding implications — and possible regional hosting rights — on the line.

“Obviously, both clubs are having real good seasons,” said NSU women’s coach Randy Gipson, whose team is ranked eighth in the latest USA Today/ESPN Division II coaches’ poll.

“Games like this do have impact on (regional) rankings in the minds of people that are making (postseason) selections. I would say this game, no doubt, is important for us.”

Pittsburg State (15-1) — a future MIAA foe for NSU — rolls into Tahlequah having suffered its first setback of the season last week, losing at home, 65-51, to No. 17 Washburn. The loss dropped the Gorillas from 10th to 15th in the new national poll.

The RiverHawks (14-1) enter having blown out Central Oklahoma 59-40 in last Thursday’s contest between the two rivals. NSU is also riding an eight-game winning streak, which dates back to the last time a MIAA team (Emporia State) visited Grand Avenue on Dec. 6.

Losing to a good team at home “is going to happen sometimes”, said Gipson, whose team lost 60-54 to Emporia State. “We just have to keep playing the game right on both ends of the floor. Since then, we’ve gotten better.”

During the RiverHawks’ recent run of strong performances, they’ve infused more depth into an already deep lineup.

The proof is players like Fontana Tate. The 5-foot-6 guard from Muldrow posted a career-high 12 points in 18 minutes against the Bronchos. She also added five rebounds and three assists while going 3 of 4 from the field.

“I think she gained confidence from playing in that game,” Gipson said of Tate. “It’s someone else that we know is a potential shot-maker.

“...The way we feel is we have 11 players that can play. And I think this game is going to be an intense game, and having people that you can rotate in to maintain a high-energy level on the floor is just a plus.”

The RiverHawks will also have leading scorers, Cristy Nitz and Taylor Lewis, whom both average 10.7 points per contest.

The biggest burden for NSU against Pittsburg State, though, may be in the paint. The Gorillas will dispatch two 5-11 forwards (Brooke Conley and Lizzy Jeronimus) and a 6-3 center (Larissa Richards), posing problems for the RiverHawks’ Sarah Green, Nitz and Carrington Fox on the inside.

“They’re big and physical,” Gipson said of the Gorillas, who get 39.3 points and 20.1 rebounds per game out of the trio of Conley, Richards and Jeronimus.

“They have good athletes and they have good skill. They have the whole package in their offensive game.”

Despite the size disadvantage, Gipson said operating an uptempo game plan isn’t exactly necessary.

“If we can get a quick (bucket) down the court, they we’ll take it,” Gipson said. “But we’ll work more on executing our offense and getting a lot of movement. I think that’s going to be the challenge for them, keeping up with all of our movement.”

In the mens game, which will tip off at 8 p.m., the RiverHawks (3-14) will look to erase a two-game losing streak following losses to Central Oklahoma (64-53) and No. 23 Missouri Southern (70-67).

Pittsburg State (10-6) owns a 10-6 record after losing 76-66 to Fort Hays State. The Gorillas had won four in a row prior to the setback in MIAA play..