By David Boyce – Northwest Athletics
EMPORIA, Kan. – Through most of the game, Northwest Missouri State’s men’s basketball team struggled making baskets. And with 3 minutes, 30 seconds left, the Bearcats found themselves down one point to Emporia State Wednesday evening at White Auditorium.
The Hornets, who entered the game with only eight victories overall and three in the MIAA, were looking to pull off one of the biggest upsets in Division II this season against Northwest, ranked No. 6 in the NABC top 25.
Simply put, the Bearcats needed to make plays down the stretch to prevent Emporia State from having its Super Bowl moment.
The Bearcats made those winning plays in the final 3 minutes and pulled out a 55-50 victory. The win lifted Northwest to 20-2 overall and 12-2 in the MIAA. The Bearcats will play for sole possession of first place Saturday at Washburn.
“This is probably one of the toughest places to win a game,” said senior Justin Pitts, who finished with 10 pints and six assists. “To win means a lot, especially going into Washburn. This is my last time playing here so it is good to get the win.”
The offensive execution started with a basket from junior Joey Witthus that gave Northwest a 44-43 lead with 3:24 left.
Sixteen seconds later, Witthus received a pass from freshman Ryan Hawkins and drained a three-pointer, increasing the Bearcats’ lead to 47-43.
“That was big there to get us a little bit of a lead, but it was definitely my teammates who made the extra pass to get me open,” said Witthus, who finished with a game-high 15 points. “That is what is so special about this team. It is the trust we have in each other.”
Northwest senior Chris-Ebou Ndow followed Witthus’ field goals with a basket, which gave Northwest a 49-43 with just over 2 minutes left.
The two-minute sequence was enough to put a pesky Hornets team away.
“Early on, we got shots, but we just couldn’t knock them down,” said Northwest coach Ben McCollum. “And then we started pressing and when you press, the ball doesn’t move as much.
“We were fortunate enough to come away with a win. We didn’t let our offense affect our defense, which was huge.”
Trailing by two points to start the second half, Northwest went inside to senior Brett Dougherty and he quickly responded with two baskets in the paint to put Northwest ahead 27-25.
But over the next six minutes the Bearcats continued to struggle on offense. With 12:15 left in the game, Northwest was locked in a 34-34 tie with the Hornets.
Over the next 3 minutes both teams had trouble scoring. The game remained tied at 36-36 with 9:25 left.
Nearly 90 seconds later, Northwest took a 38-36 lead when Pitts drove inside and passed it to Ndow, who slammed home a dunk with 8 minutes left.
“I think that is pretty big, especially on nights like tonight when nobody is hitting shots from the outside,” Pitts said about the key assists the Bearcats had. “Whoever penetrates knows there are back cuts. I have the ultimate trust that everybody will make plays.”
Over the next 5 minutes there were five lead changes. Emporia State held a slim 43-42 lead at the final media timeout with 3:33 left.
“This was good for us,” Witthus said. “It shows that not every game is going to be pretty. We have to fight and continue to fight and stick with the game plan, and that is what we did tonight. We got some big stops and rebounds and came away with the win.”
Although the Bearcats led most of the first half, they never found an offensive rhythm and that cost them in the final seconds. A long three-pointer by Emporia State senior Garin Vandiver sent Northwest into halftime trailing 25-23.
The best stretch for Northwest in the first half came with the score tied 12-12. Pitts drove to the basket and kicked the ball out to Witthus for a three-pointer.
After a defensive stop, Pitts repeated the play and dribbled inside and flipped the ball back outside. On this occasion, Ndow, who finished with 12 points, drilled a three-pointer, giving Northwest an 18-12 lead.
Northwest only made one more field goal the final 5:48 in the first half. The lack of offense allowed Emporia State to slowly make up the difference.
The Bearcats went 7 for 21 from the field in the first half for 33 percent. The only player with shooting success was Ndow, who made two of his three shots.
— Northwest Athletics —