The Northwest Missouri State University men’s and women’s basketball teams’ annual “Basketball Bash” to kick off the 2012-13 basketball season is lined up for 8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 18, in Bearcat Arena.
Admission is free with the doors opening at 7:45 p.m. The event will begin with food and fun for Bearcat fans of all ages. Free pizza and drinks will be provided for the first 200 people.
The program begins at 8 p.m. and will feature performances by the Bearcat Cheerleaders and Steppers, interactive contests for fans to compete with players and a look at the 2012-2013 squads on the floor. The evening will also include promotional giveaways with the grand prize being an iPad.
The Northwest men are coached by Ben McCollum who enters his fourth season at the wheel of the Bearcat team. McCollum was named 2011-12 MIAA Coach of the Year and the Division II National Coach of the Year by CollegeInsider.
The Bearcat men are the defending MIAA Champions and were deemed No. 19 by the Division II Bulletin Preseason Poll for this upcoming season. The men return a solid trio of seniors including Preseason All-American and First Team All-MIAA selection DeShaun Cooper, alongside Alex Sullivan and DeAngelo Hailey.
Also returning are juniors Dillon Starzl and Bryston Williams. Last year Williams was near the top of the league in free-throw percentage while Starzl averaged 4.3 rebounds per game and shot 56 percent from the field during his sophomore campaign.
The Northwest women are led by first-year Head Coach Mark Kellogg. Kellogg is a three-time Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and two-time Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Region Coach of the Year. Kellogg has been a fixture in postseason play, having participated in the last five NCAA Division II tournaments.
The Bearcat women return seniors Alexis Boeh and Ashley Thayer to lead a young nucleus. Kellogg will also look for positive contributions from Maggie Marnin and Annie Matthews in the post as both gained valuable experience as true freshmen last year. Also making her debut for the Bearcats will be transfer Victoria Naylor, who sat out last year due to transfer rules. Naylor will be counted on for a positive contribution in the Bearcats backcourt this season.
— NWMSU Sports Information —