Seven Northwest Missouri State Bearcats earned All-Super Region Three honors Wednesday announced by the Don Hansen Football Committee.

A trio of Bearcats earned first-team honors led by defensive standouts Nate DeJong and Collin DeBuysere. Senior offensive lineman Rod Williams joined the defensive stars on the first-team and was also named First-Team All-Region by Daktronics in last month, helping the offense averaged 41 points per game, the eighth best mark in NCAA Division II.

DeJong and DeBuysere combined for 12 interceptions on the year as Northwest led NCAA Division II with 28. DeJong led the team with seven picks while DeBuysere was the second leading tackler with 74 and added a team-high nine tackles for a loss.

Also earning all-region accolades were defensive lineman Travis Chappelear and punter Kyle Goodburn being named to the second-team. Kicker Todd Adolf, who was a Fred Mitchell Award finalist, joined cornerback Brandon Dixon on the third-team. The Northwest defense was one of the best in the nation holding opponents to 13 points per game, the third lowest total in NCAA II.

Chappelear was the third leading tackler for the Bearcats with 62 tackles and added 8.0 tackles for a loss. The senior blocked two kicks and recorded 1.5 sacks with one forced fumble as he was also invited to play in the 2013 Casino Del Sol College All Star game at Kino Stadium in Tucson, Ariz.

Goodburn led the MIAA in punt average and was fourth in the nation averaging 44.2 yards per punt.

The Don Hansen team carries out the legacy of long-time small college football advocate Don Hansen, who passed away at age 75 on Aug. 29, 2010. Hansen, from Brookfield, Ill., started and published Don Hansen’s National Weekly Football Gazette for three decades, selecting NCAA Division II All-America teams for the first time in 1988. Don Hansen’s Football Gazette began selecting Division II All-Region squads in 2003.

The first-team and second-team All-Region selections advance to a national ballot from which the 2012 Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America team will be named later this month. A total of 103 players earned some form of Don Hansen All-Super Region Three honors. Players from 38 of the 46 football-playing schools in Super Region Three earned All-Region accolades.

In front of a national TV audience the Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team controlled the pace for 60 minutes to pull off a 62-51 win over Pittsburg State Saturday afternoon at John Lance Arena.

After a grueling overtime win Thursday night, the Bearcats momentum carried over for their third straight win as they also stayed perfect in league play at 4-0. Northwest improved to 11-2 on the year as Pittsburg State fell to 10-2 overall and 3-1 in the MIAA.

The slow hard-nose pace, combined with an outstanding defensive effort, helped Northwest hold a slim 28-22 lead at the half.

Northwest jumped out to an 8-4 run to start the second half extending their lead to double digits, 38-27.

The Bearcats forced eight steals with DeAngelo Hailey adding three of his own. A steal and dunk by Hailey was followed by an Alex Sullivan three-pointer with 11:09 left in the game giving the Bearcats a 47-29 lead.

The Gorillas would fight back to pull within eight points on a JaVon McGee jumper making it 57-49 with 2:09 left in the game. However, the Bearcats were outstanding from the free throw line knocking down 16-of-22 to help seal the win.

Dillon Starzl led all players with 16 points while DeAngelo Hailey added 15 in the win.

Northwest returns to action next Saturday at MIAA rival Missouri Western where the Bearcats have won the last five meetings against the Gorillas. Tipoff from the MWSU Fieldhouse is set for 3:30 p.m.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State Bearcats could not handle the inside presence of the 17th-ranked Pittsburg State Gorillas Saturday, falling 76-47 in a nationally televised women’s basketball game from John Lance Arena.

The Bearcats fell to 8-4 overall and saw their league record even to 2-2 as the Gorillas improved to 9-3 on the year and 3-1 in the MIAA. Pittsburg State entered the season ranked No. 3 and replaced the Bearcats as the South Central Champion last year advancing to the Elite Eight.

On Saturday it was all Gorillas as Northwest struggled from the field shooting just 32 percent. The Gorillas also controlled the glass, holding a 46-30 rebounding edge and were led by Lauren Brown who finished with 22 rebounds, setting a PSU school record.

Northwest found offense from freshman Tember Schechinger who helped keep the Bearcats close in the first half. Schechinger finished with a team-high 13 points and three steals in the loss.

The Gorillas tightened their defense in the second half holding the Bearcats to only 29 percent shooting from the field. PSU also got a lift offensively from Alexa Bordewick who knocked down four three-pointers and ended with a game-high 20 points.

For the Bearcats Maggie Marnin narrowly missed her second double-double of the year finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds.

The Bearcats return to the hardwood next Saturday when they travel to MIAA rival Missouri Western. Last year the Bearcats and Griffons split the season series with the home team winning both games. Tipoff from the MWSU Fieldhouse is set for 1:30 p.m.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

DeAngelo Hailey drove down the right side of the lane for a short jumper as Northwest Missouri State grabbed a 69-68 overtime win against Missouri Southern Thursday night in MIAA play.

The Bearcats improved to 10-2 on the season and stayed perfect in league play at 3-0. The Lions saw their four-game winning streak snapped and fell to 6-4 overall and 1-1 in the MIAA.

A game that came down to the wire last year, needed an extra five minutes of action to decide a winner Thursday night at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. A back-and-forth game saw 10 ties and 16 lead changes with the Bearcats eventually coming from behind in overtime for the win.

After battling 11 lead changes in the second half alone, junior Bryston Williams hit two free-throws with 22 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime.

In overtime Missouri Southern raced out to a six point lead, 66-60, aided by a trio of Bearcat turnovers.

However, with 2:58 left in overtime and after carrying the Bearcats much of the game, Dillon Starzl hit a jumper for Northwest’s first points in the extra period. The jumper gave the junior post a team high 20 points and sparked a 7-0 run for the Bearcats.

Grant Cozad would then hit one of two free throws as Northwest grabbed the rebound and gave him a second chance. This time Cozad hit both free throws with 1:33 left in the period putting Northwest ahead 67-66.

After Marquis Addison hit two free throws to give Missouri Southern the lead, the Bearcats would have the ball with eight seconds left setting up the final play.

The Lions had one final heave on a full court pass to Addison, but the guard was double teamed and the shot fell short at the buzzer.

For fourth-year Head Coach Ben McCollum it was his first win at Missouri Southern and just second against the Lions. His first came last year in the regular season finale at Bearcat Arena in a win that gave Northwest a share of the regular season title.

The Bearcats continue their January road swing with a quick turnaround on Saturday at Pittsburg State. Tipoff from John Lance Arena is set for 1:30 p.m. following the women’s game. The game is part of the CBS Sports Network NCAA Division II Game of the Week.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball team could not overcome a cold shooting night as they fell to Missouri Southern 64-55 Thursday night in MIAA action.

The Bearcats dropped their first league game to move to 2-1, as their four-game winning streak also came to an end. Northwest fell to 8-3 on the season as Missouri Southern improved to 7-3 overall and 1-1 in league play.

Missouri Southern out-rebounded the Bearcats 25-6 in the first half, but 18 Lion turnovers gave Northwest a 28-25 lead at intermission.

However, in the end, it was the bigger team that pulled out the victory Thursday, as Northwest managed to only shoot 31 percent from the field on the night with one player in double figures.

Ashleigh Nelson finished with a team-high 12 points.

Northwest held a slim lead most of the second half before the Lions went on a 12-2 run and took a 10-point lead with just under four minutes left in the game. The Bearcats would slowly chip away in the final minutes, but crucial free-throws down the stretch helped the Lions seal the victory.

The Bearcats found opportunities at the free-throw line as well, although the cold shooting extended to the charity stripe. Northwest shot just 21-of-33 from the free-throw line as the woes plagued the Bearcats on the glass, losing the rebounding battle 44-23.

Four different Lions scored in double figures as they were led by Tee Singleton with 13 points.

The Bearcats continue their January road swing with a quick turnaround on Saturday at Pittsburg State. Tipoff from John Lance Arena is set for 11:30 a.m. as the game is part of the CBS Sports Network NCAA Division II Game of the Week.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

It took a total team effort, as the Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team fought off a gritty Central Methodist squad for a 79-59 win Saturday afternoon in non-conference action from Bearcat Arena.

Northwest improved to 9-2 on the year in the final non-conference game of the season for the Bearcats.

A back-and-forth first half saw five lead changes as it concluded in a 35-35 tie. The first 20 minutes also saw both teams commit double digit turnovers before the Bearcats’ inside presence and the return of a hot shooting Alex Sullivan helped Northwest eventually pull away for the win.

Sullivan knocked down four three-pointers as 15 of his team high 18 points came in the second half.

The Bearcats also outscored Central Methodist 36-13 in the paint and made the most of their opponent’s miscues, scoring 28 points off turnovers compared to the Eagles’ 13 points.

CMU got an outstanding performance from Melvin Tillman who helped keep the Eagles within reach as he knocked down six three-pointers. Tillman would finish with 25 points leading all players.

However, Tillman’s effort would not be enough, as a 15-2 run to start the second half helped pace the Bearcats to their ninth straight win. The win also extend their home court winning streak to eight games as Northwest has now won 22 of their last 23 games inside Bearcat Arena.

Sullivan hit his second three-pointer with 16:50 left in the game to start the run as Tyler Funk followed with a wide-open trey seconds later. Funk was one of three players for the Bearcats to finish in double figures with 10 points while Grant Cozad finished with 13.

From there the Bearcats opened up the lead to double digits when a Matt Wallace steal and behind-the-back-pass to a cutting DeAngelo Hailey gave Northwest a 13 points lead (61-48) with just over 10 minutes left in the game. Wallace narrowly missed a double-double as the sophomore finished with nine points and eight assists in the win.

Northwest would go on to lead by as many as 20 points late in the second half shooting their second highest percentage from the field this season. The Bearcats shot 57 percent from the field in the game (60 percent in the second half) as they locked down on defense holding the Eagles to only 34 percent shooting in the second frame.

The Bearcats return to MIAA action Thursday as they hit the road for six of their next seven games, starting at Missouri Southern. Action from Joplin is slated for 7:30 p.m. as Northwest continues its road swing at Pittsburg State next Saturday in a nationally televised game on CBS Sports Network.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball led from start to finish as they raced past Midland University, 78-45 Monday night in non-conference action from Bearcat Arena.

The Bearcats won their fourth straight to improve to 8-2 on the season as they head into the Christmas break.

Monique Stevens was outstanding for the Bearcats as the junior transfer scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds. Stevens scored the first six points for Northwest and recorded her first of a season-high seven assists, to break an 8-8 tie with 16:06 left in the first half.

From there Northwest would not look back. The Bearcats slowly pulled away from the Warriors before a 13-2 run gave them a 35-24 lead at halftime.

The second half was all green and white as the Bearcats open the period with an 11-1 run to help build a 15 point lead. The Bearcats would shoot 82 percent from the free throw line as the lead grew to as large as 37 before settling at the final 78-45.

Northwest turned up the pressure defensively forcing 29 Midland turnovers. It was the third straight game the Bearcats have recorded double digit steals finishing the night with 15.

Maggie Marnin led all players with 19 points as the sophomore added five rebounds in the win.

The Bearcats take two weeks off before returning to the hardwood Jan. 3 against Missouri Southern. A busy start to 2013 sees Northwest at Pittsburg State just two days later on Jan. 5 in a nationally televised game on CBS Sports Network.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

A last second three-point attempt at the buzzer fell off the mark as Northwest Missouri State fell for the second straight night 68-66 to Harding University in men’s basketball action at the Hawaii Classic.

The Bearcats fell to 8-2 dropping their second straight game after eight straight wins to start the season. Harding improved to 7-2 on the year as the Bisons snapped a two game skid.

DeAngelo Hailey was fouled with three seconds left on a put-back of a Dillon Starzl jumper that fell off the rim. Hailey missed the first free-throw as he also missed his second attempt intentionally to give the Bearcats the rebound.

A final second three-point shot from Matt Wallace missed the mark as the Bisons handed the Bearcats their second loss in two nights.

Harding led by as many as 14 points in the first half and took a 46-37 lead into intermission.

Hailey twice pulled the Bearcats within two points in the second half. Northwest inched as close as 67-66 with just 16 seconds after a Hailey jumper and were then forced to foul as Harding hit one free-throw pushing the final score to 68-66. The senior from Detroit kept the Bearcats close in the second half leading all players with 24 points and adding eight rebounds.

The Bearcats forced 20 Harding turnovers and recorded eight steals, however a cold night from the field gave the Bisons the narrow victory. Northwest shot just 28 percent in the second half as Harding hit 13 three-pointers in the game.

Northwest will enjoy a two-week Christmas break before returning to league play. A Jan. 3 matchup at Missouri Southern followed by a nationally televised game at Pittsburg State on Jan. 5 will kick off 2013 for the Bearcats.

— NWMSU Sports Information —