INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team secured the MIAA’s automatic bid to the 2015-16 NCAA Championship Tournament on Sunday afternoon by winning the program’s fifth MIAA Tournament title. The Bearcats earned the Central Region’s No. 2 seed behind top seeded and host Augustana. The MIAA will have three representatives in the tournament. Along with Northwest, Nebraska-Kearney is the fourth seed and will face Fort Hays, the fifth seed.

Northwest’s first round game against No. 7 seed Ouachita Baptist is scheduled for Saturday, March 12, in Sioux Falls, S.D. The second round will be on Sunday, March 13 and the Sweet 16 round will be on Tuesday, March 15. The National Championship Elite Eight will be held in Frisco, Texas, starting on March 23rd. Northwest has advanced to the Central Region championship game each of the past two seasons.

Northwest is making its 16th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and the fourth appearance under head coach Ben McCollum (4-3 overall). McCollum, who is in his seventh season, was named the MIAA Coach of the Year after leading the Bearcats (25-5, 19-3) to the outright MIAA regular season title and MIAA Tournament title. Justin Pitts was named the MIAA Player of the Year and earned first team All-MIAA honors.

NCAA Central Region
1. Augustana (host)
2. Northwest Missouri
3. MSU-Moorhead
4. Nebraska-Kearney
5. Fort Hays State
6. MSU-Mankato
7.Ouachita Baptist
8. Harding

— Northwest Athletics —