By David Boyce, Northwest Athletics
MARYVILLE, Mo. – All game long, nearly every shot Cory Arentsen put up for Lindenwood seemed to go in. So when he took a desperation three-pointer with .9 seconds left and his team trailing by two, a sick feeling probably hit a few Bearcat fans.
But this year belongs to the Bearcats. His shot banged off the rim and fell harmlessly to floor.
“I wanted to make it tough for him,” said Northwest sophomore Chris-Ebou Ndow, who guarded Arentsen on the final play. “I wanted to make the three hard for him. I felt like I did. He missed it luckily.
“It was pretty nerve wracking. It felt like it was in the air for five seconds. When he missed it, it was a huge relief.”
Northwest Missouri State pulled out the spine-tingling 75-73 victory over Lindenwood Saturday evening in front of 1,717 fans at Bearcat Arena. They witnessed a remarkable shooting performance from Arentsen, who finished with 46 points on the strength of eight three-pointers in 12 attempts.
“He got it going and it was hard to stop,” said Northwest sophomore Justin Pitts. “He was hitting insane shots, hands in his face and step backs. Today, he was just feeling it.
“On the offensive end, my teammates did a good job sitting screens for me and getting me open.”
Indeed. Pitts went 10 for 15 from the field and finished with 27 points. The difference for Northwest was it had four players finish in double figures compared to two for Lindenwood.
“I felt they played a pretty good game, obviously,” said Zach Schneider, who finished with 12 points. “They executed well offensively. They got the ball in his hands.”
It was an amazing win for the Bearcats, who improved to 17-5 overall and 14-3 in the MIAA. Northwest now has a three-game lead over second-place Lindenwood, which dropped to 15-8 and 11-6.
“I will have an adrenaline rush for a long time,” Schneider said. “That was one of the better, tough games I’ve played here.
“That was one of those games when the final buzzer sounds it is a load off your shoulders.”
The final 4 minutes was worth the price of admission. Northwest took a 66-60 lead on a basket by junior D’Vante Mosby. Arentsen answered with a basket. The Bearcats came right back with a score to put their lead back to six.
Arentsen drilled a three-pointer and the momentum was back with the Lions. Schneider turned momentum in the Bearcats’ favor with a three-pointer that made it 71-65.
Lindenwood came right back with a basket, and then Anthony Woods answered for Northwest with a field goal. But with just over 1 minute left, Arentsen drilled his seventh three-pointer of the game, making 73-70.
“Cory Arentsen is such a great competitor,” said Lindenwood coach Lance Randall. “He stepped up. He didn’t have one of his best games on Thursday. I knew he was going to be locked in and have a great game today. This was far above and beyond any coach’s expectation. He was virtually unstoppable.”
Mosby pushed Northwest’s lead back to five with a basket. Arentsen had more bullet left, hitting his eighth three-pointer, making it 75-73 with 30 seconds left.
Lindenwood stopped the Bearcats and then Northwest stopped the Lions with .9 seconds left and had the ball under Lindenwood’s basket. The in-bound pass down court didn’t make it down the court. It hit the scoreboard, giving Lindenwood the ball under its basket.
Northwest wanted to prevent Lindenwood from getting anything inside and that allowed Arentsen to curl off a screen. He received the ball near the corner and his high-arching shot hit the front of the rim and bounced off.
“It was fun until the last shot,” Pitts said. “My stomach really dropped. I thought for sure he was going to make it. Thankfully, he missed it. It was a great game by both teams.”
It was heart-stopping stuff and Division II basketball at its best. Both teams gave their best effort and that’s why the game wasn’t decided until the final buzzer.
In the first half, Northwest overcame 28 points from Arentsen and took a 43-40 lead into halftime. Normally, when a team goes 11 for 16 from three-point range in a half like Northwest did, its lead is bigger than three points.
But Arentsen was special in the first half. He made nine of 14 shots and helped the Lions shoot 64 percent from the field. Northwest was nearly as hot, shooting 58 percent. The biggest difference between the two teams was the more balanced approach by the Bearcats.
Pitts scored 14 and Schneider and Ndow each had nine and Conner Crooker chipped in seven.
Northwest never trailed in the first half. Pitts got the Bearcats off to a good start, opening the game with a three-pointer. A few minutes later, the Bearcats’ lead bloomed to 15-7 on a three-pointer by Schneider.
But every time Northwest got a little separation, Arentsen came back with a three-pointer or a two-point field goal. Arentsen even tied the game 34-34 late in the first half on a three-pointer.
Pitts answered with consecutive three-pointers to push Northwest’s lead to 40-34. Lindenwood called timeout and then Arentsen scored a two-point field goal.
Schneider hit a three-pointer to make it 43-36, but Arentsen had the final say in the first half, making the final two field goals of the half.
— Northwest Athletics —