Needing a win and help to earn the final spot in next week’s MIAA tournament the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats could not find an answer for either as they fell 61-49 to Missouri Southern in the season finale Saturday afternoon.

Northwest closes the season with a 6-22 overall record and a 4-16 mark in conference play. The Lions finish at 8-18 and 4-16 in league play as well. The loss also snaps a streak of two consecutive postseason appearances.

The Bearcats fell behind early as MSSU built a 16 point lead and trailed 34-25 at the break.

Senior Shelly Martin would not go quietly hitting a three-pointer just ahead of the buzzer at halftime to pull Northwest within nine. Martin finished with a team high 14 points.

In the second half Northwest would chip away at the Lion lead trailing 36-38 at the 13:34 mark to cap an 11-2 Bearcat run. However the Lions would answer with a 7-2 run to extend the lead back to seven before Ashley Thayer drilled a three to pull make it a four point game.

However the early deficit was too much as the Bearcats shot only 24 percent on the afternoon compared to the Lions who shot just below 40 percent. Missouri Southern also outscored the Bearcats 34-8 in the paint.

Seniors Abby Henry and Martin close their career in the top 10 of several categories in the Northwest record books.

Martin finishes as the all-time leader in three-pointers and free throw percentage at Northwest. Henry holds the record for most free throws in a season and moves into the top 10 on the all-time scoring list.

Both Henry and Martin are members of the 1,000 point club and rank top 10 all-time in steals, as Henry also sits in the top 10 for assists in a career.

— NWMSU Sports Information —