The Northwest Missouri State University women’s basketball team defeated Missouri Southern, 79-73, on Saturday afternoon at Bearcat Arena in Maryville, Mo., on senior day.

Northwest improves to 4-21 overall and 3-14 in MIAA play. The Lions fall to 11-14 overall and 8-10 in conference action.

Jaelyn Haggard scored a team-high 21 points and added five assists and two steals.

Key Northwest Statistics
– The Bearcats led 36-35 at the halftime break.

– Northwest shot 42.6 percent (23-of-54) from the field and connected on 11-of-26 (42.3 percent) from beyond the arc.

– The Bearcats outrebounded Missouri Southern, 39-31.

– At the charity stripe, Northwest was 22-of-27 (81.5 percent) while Missouri Southern went 14-for-24 (58.3 percent).

– Tanya Meyer scored 19 points with nine rebounds and added a pair of blocked shots.

– Mallory McAndrews knocked down four three pointers and finished with 14 points, two rebounds and added an assist and a steal.

– Prior to the game, Meyer and Mele Tupouata were honored as part of senior day.

Key Northwest Sequence
– Midway through the fourth quarter, Northwest held just a three-point lead after Missouri Southern hit a free throw to make it 61-58. But on the next possession, Mallory McConkey took a pass from Haggard and finished a layup while drawing a foul. She knocked down the free throw to make it a six-point lead, 64-58. A little more than a minute later, Haggard knocked down a deep three pointer to push the lead to 67-58. Kylie Coleman’s free throw with 3:59 to play capped the 7-0 Northwest run.

Up Next
– Northwest will head to Lindenwood University on Thursday, Feb. 22 for a 5:30 p.m. MIAA contest in St. Charles, Mo.

— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce – Northwest Athletics

MARYVILLE, Mo. – If you want to build drama, you could point to five minutes into the second half and say Pittsburg State was on the verge of making a dramatic comeback that was going to shock first-place Northwest Missouri State Thursday evening at Bearcat Arena.

The Gorillas had reduced a 22-point deficit late in the first half to 12 with a couple of opportunities to cut it to 10.

Oh, and to add intrigue to the unfolding drama, Northwest senior point guard Justin Pitts, last year’s leading man as NCAA Division II player of the year, was on the bench in street clothes with foot issues.

Folks, this is what is called a false narrative.

Northwest was never in danger of losing. The Bearcats easily handled Pittsburg State’s mild run and won 78-64. The victory lifted Northwest to 22-2 overall and 14-2 in the MIAA. Six players scored in double figures.

“We approached it like it was a championship game, postseason game, loser go home,” said senior Chris-Ebou Ndow, who finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds. “Obviously, with Pitts out, we knew we had to come mentally prepared. Although we had quite a few turnovers (18), we came prepared defensively, and we executed offensively when we actually got the ball over half court.”

Everything was working in the first half for Northwest. The Bearcats scored the first seven points of the game and wasted little time building a 21-9 lead.

Like in many of their blowouts, the Bearcats were on fire from the outside. Sophomore Ryan Welty made all three of his three-point attempts and Ndow was three for six from behind the arc. In all, Northwest went eight for 13 on three-pointers.

“It is definitely a good feeling when you see shots going down,” said Welty, who finished with 13 points. “We got a big lead, which definitely helped us in this game. The second half we were pretty bad. It is always good to come out and hit shots and see the ball go through the hoop.”

The hot outside shooting by the Bearcats staked them to a commanding 35-13 lead. Northwest took a comfortable 43-26 lead into halftime.

The Gorillas started the second half with a lot of fire in them. They went to a full-court press and that bothered Northwest a little. On a few possessions, the Bearcats needed Pitts.

“There was really no excuse for some of them, but we know we will be better,” Ndow said.

The few turnovers Pittsburg State created helped the Gorillas close to 49-37 with 15:05 left in the game. Northwest junior Joey Witthus restored order by scoring the next seven points. His inside scoring outburst pushed Northwest’s lead to 56-37 lead with 10:32 left in the game.

The little threat was over.

“I have so much confidence in my team, especially this year defensively,” Ndow said. “I have never played on a team that is this locked in defensively. If we make dumb turnovers or it is not our night offensively, our defense can win us games.”

Northwest will now focus on Saturday’s final regular-season home game against Missouri Southern. The Bearcats have only lost three times in the last two seasons, and two of them were against Missouri Southern.

“My family being here is more motivation,” said Ndow, who is from Norway.

— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce – Northwest Athletics

MARYVILLE, Mo. – A three-pointer by freshman point guard Jaelyn Haggard gave a clear signal that Northwest Missouri State’s women’s basketball team put its last game behind them and was ready to battle Pittsburg State for four quarters.

“Tonight was such a big night,” said Haggard, referring to the Pink Out game to fight breast cancer. “We had a big crowd. It gave everybody the extra drive to come out and try to get a win.”

Northwest played well despite losing 73-62 Thursday night at Bearcat Arena. Senior Tanya Meyer, playing in her next-to-last game at home, turned in a splendid performance, scoring 31 and grabbing seven rebounds.

“I am going in every game trying to help our team be successful,” Meyer said. “Tonight was way more than us. Being the Pink Out game, competing for those survivors and knowing they have battled a much worse battle than we ever have gone through.”

Pittsburg State entered the contest in second place in the MIAA. The Gorillas showed plenty of signs in the first half that they are indeed the second-best team in conference. They recovered from a 19-15 deficit late in the first quarter and built a 24-19 lead.

“I think a lot of it was the added effort that we had compared to some previous games,” Northwest coach Buck Scheel said. “To hold that team to six offensive rebounds compared to what we have done before against teams was good.

“The tough thing was some of those offensive rebounds came at crucial times when we really needed a stop. With a team like that, second chance opportunities, they are going to make you pay. There is a reason why they have only lost five games and three in the league.”

Undaunted by the 9-0 run by Pittsburg State, the Bearcats fought back. A three-pointer by freshman guard Kylie Coleman pulled Northwest within two. The Gorillas scored the next seven points for a 31-22.

Northwest battled back once again. When Meyer drilled a three-pointer and followed with a layup, the Bearcats found themselves behind only 33-30. The Bearcats stayed close the rest of the second quarter and trailed 38-35 at halftime.

Meyer kept the Bearcats in striking distance. A three-pointer by her early in the third quarter narrowed the gap to 41-39. After the Gorillas responded with a three-pointer, Meyer answered with a two-point field goal.

“My teammates did a really good job of getting me the ball when I was open,” Meyer said. “Props to them. I know I don’t open my mouth a lot. I know if they see me open, they will give me the ball.”

Pittsburg State went into the fourth quarter with a 52-45 lead. Behind the scoring of Meyer, Northwest stayed close most of the fourth quarter, but was unable to come up with a run that would tie or give the Bearcats the lead.

— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce – Northwest Athletics

TOPEKA, Kan. – Junior Joey Witthus has had some nice games in his first season at Northwest Missouri State. He picked the perfect time to have his best game Saturday afternoon against Washburn at Lee Arena.

With senior point guard Justin Pitts seeing limited action because of foot issues, Northwest needed Witthus’ season-high 22 points to beat Washburn, 58-50, in a battle for first place in the MIAA.

“We knew it was a big game, being tied with them,” Witthus said. “This is what we prepared for all year, all the preseason work. Our whole team just came together and stepped up in big moments. That is what it is about.”

Of course, Northwest’s success under Northwest coach Ben McCollum has never been predicated on one or two or three players. Senior forward Brett Dougherty delivered one of his best games of the season to help Northwest improve to 21-2 overall and 13-2 in the MIAA. Washburn dropped to 18-6 and 12-3.

“Coming into the game, we weren’t sure how much he (Pitts) was going to be able to play,” said Dougherty, who finished with 19 points. “We prepared for him not to play. A lot of our game plan was to go inside, inside-out. We feel like we have some guys who can score down low if you take our time and focus on finishing.

“It is not as pretty as when Justin is in there, and it is a little bit more of a grind, but a win is a win.”

The Bearcats started the second half with an 11-point lead and never trailed in the final 20 minutes, but they knew it was going to be difficult to come out with a road win, especially since Pitts played just 3 minutes in the second half.

“Our guys really locked in on what we needed to do to win the game rather than feeling bad for themselves because we have somebody out,” McCollum said.

“We rally the troops, say okay, next man up, we will compete and just have to be a little bit better defensively. You can still win the basketball game. I was really proud of them.”

After finishing the first half with 13 points, Washburn scored 16 points in a little over 5 minutes at the start of the second half and closed to 34-30 with 14:49 left in the game.

Washburn fans felt the momentum shift and increased their cheering to a higher volume.

The Bearcats roared back. A tough inside basket by Witthus followed by a free throw on the traditional three-point play gave Northwest a 37-30 lead. Dougherty scored on the next trip down, making it 39-30.

A nine-point cushion in a defensive tussle was huge for the Bearcats. Washburn, though, slowly cut into its deficit and closed to 42-40 with 9:26 left.

Once again, Ichabods fans sensed something special was going to happen for Washburn. Thoughts of knocking off the defending conference champion who happened to win the 2017 national championship title probably entered their minds.

Northwest knew how to respond to the pressure situation.

“We have a lot of guys who have been in big games and know it is not going to be easy,” Dougherty said. “There are going to be runs. It is about minimizing those runs and that is where that mental toughness comes in.”

The response started with a basket by Dougherty. He followed that with two free throws to give Northwest a 46-40 lead with 5:36 left.

“We just never quit,” Witthus said. “It wasn’t a perfect game. We had turnovers and not the best decisions, but we never quit, especially on defense and rebounding. Everyone came up with big plays, big rebounds and big steals and that won us the game.”

And 36 seconds later after Dougherty’s free throws, senior Chris-Ebou Ndow knocked down a guarded three-pointer at the top of the key that put Northwest up 49-40. Washburn never got closer than five points the rest of the way. Ndow finished with nine points and 10 rebounds

“That is demoralizing when somebody hits a three that was pretty well guarded,” Dougherty said. “It was a good shot. Plays like that and me hitting the free throws, there is not a lot of pressure because we know on the other end we can get a stop. It is so important to focus on the defensive end. Everything starts there.”

The versatile scoring of Witthus and great defense sent Northwest into halftime with a 24-13 lead. The Ichabods made just four of 23 shots from the field for a woeful 17 percent.

In stark contrast, Witthus was two for three from three-point range and five for eight overall for 14 points. He shot 63 percent from the field in the first half.

“It was just a matter of time before he acclimated to our system, especially defensively,” McCollum said. “When you have to compete so hard defensively, it is harder to do that. He is getting used to it, and it is why you are seeing an improvement.”

Witthus was the only player who found consistent offense in a defensive battle. Six minutes into the game, Northwest held only a 4-2 lead on baskets from Ndow and Witthus.

Washburn took its only lead at 5-4 on a three-pointer by Cameron Wiggins. Northwest quickly recaptured the lead on a power move in the paint by Dougherty.

The Bearcats solidified their lead with baskets from senior Xavier Kurth and Dougherty for a 10-5 lead. It was late in the first half when Northwest extended its lead, moving from 15-11 to 22-11. Witthus scored all seven points, starting with two free throws followed by a power move inside and then a long three-pointer.

“Even if our offense isn’t going, we need to rely on our defense and come out and fight every game,” Witthus said.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University women’s basketball team fell to Washburn 84-54, on Saturday afternoon at Lee Arena in Topeka, Kan.

The Bearcats are now 3-20 overall on the year and 2-13 in MIAA play. The Ichabods improve to 16-8 overall and 8-7 in conference action.

Kylie Coleman set a career-high with 16 points, knocking down three three-pointers while also recording a steal and a blocked shot.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest outscored Washburn, 39-33, in the second half. The Ichabods held a 51-15 lead at halftime.

– The Bearcats were 9-for-13 from the charity stripe and blocked five shots in total.

– Tanya Meyer scored 11 points with five rebounds, two blocks, a steal and an assist. It was her 65th career game in double-figures and the 18th time this season.

– Mallory McAndrews hit three three-pointers and finished with nine points, a steal and an assist.

– Kaylani Maiava and Mallory McConkey each tied Meyer for the team-high with five rebounds.

– McConkey recorded two blocked shots and also had two assists.

– Macy Williams added a pair of assists.

Up Next
– Northwest will host Pittsburg State on Thursday, Feb. 15, for the team’s annual Pink Zone game. Tip off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in Bearcat Arena.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University softball program began the 2018 season in Bentonville, Ark., on Thursday against Arkansas Tech and Central Missouri.

The Bearcats fell to Arkansas Tech, 11-6, in the first game before rebounding to beat Central Missouri in a non-MIAA game, 12-3, in the afternoon session.

Northwest hit six home runs in the two games, three coming off the bat of Erin Keeney in her Bearcat debut.

Game One Key Statistics (Arkansas Tech 11, Northwest 6)
– Arkansas Tech scored three in the second, three in the fifth, one in the fifth and two in the sixth. The Golden Suns had 11 runs on 13 hits with one error.

– Northwest scored three runs in the second and three in the sixth. The Bearcats finished with six runs on eight hits and four errors.

– Jessica Rawie had a home run, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.

– Karli Allen was 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in the second inning.

– Rebecca Maher was 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and a stolen base.

– Kaitlyn Weis was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

– Keeney went 1-for-4 with a homerun, a pair of RBIs and a run scored.

– Abigail Gilson went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored.

– Kiana Baderdeen went 1-for-3.

– Regan Thompson pitched 4.1 innings, allowing jut one earned run. She struck out three and did not issue a walk.

Game One Key Innings
– Rawie and Gilson led off the second with back-to-back walks. Allen cleared the bases with a three-run home run over the left center fence to tie the game, 3-3.

– Weis started the fifth by getting a single to center. Keeney then launched a home run to center for a two-run shot. After a groundout, Rawie took a ball over the left field fence for Northwest’s third home run of the game.

Game Two Key Statistics (Northwest 12, Central Missouri 3)
– Northwest scored three in the first, two in the second, three in the fourth and four in the fifth. The Jennies scored once in the third and had two runs in the fourth.

– The Bearcats had 12 runs on 12 hits with two errors. UCM had three runs on just three hits with one error.

– Rachel Smith threw all five innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits. She struck out eight and issued three walks.

– Keeney went 2-for-6 with a pair of home runs. She drove in six runs and scored twice. She also reached on a walk.

– Maher was 2-for-2 with a double, three runs scored, two RBIs and a walk.

– Jaedra Moses went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and had an RBI.

– Weis went 1-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored. She drew two walks.

– Gilson went 2-for-3.

– Kiana Baderdeen had a double and scored a run.

– Rawie was 1-for-3.

– Kenzi Sutton scored a run.

– Allen drew a walk in her only plate appearance.

Game Two Key Innings
– Keeney got Northwest on the board quick with a three-run homer in the first inning, driving in Maher and Weis who each reached base on walks.

– Allen started the second with a walk and was pinch ran for by Sutton. Baderdeen doubled to put runners on second and third with no outs. Maher came up with a two-RBI single to make it 5-0 Northwest.

– In the fourth, Maher doubled to leadoff and Moses singled to put two runners on. Weis then hit the Bearcats’ second home run of the game, giving Northwest an 8-3 lead.

– With one out in the fifth, Maher was hit by a pitch. Moses hit an infield single and went all the way to third after a throwing error on the catcher, allowing Maher to score all the way from first. After Weis walked, Keeney hit her third home run of the day, this time it was a three-run shot that ended the game.
Up Next

– Northwest will face Harding University at noon and Arkansas-Monticello at 2 p.m. on Friday in Bentonville, Ark.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team picked up a 2-1 victory on Thursday over Ouachita Baptist at Rab Rogers Field in Arkadelphia, Ark.

– The Bearcats move to 1-4 on the year while the Tigers fall to 2-3 overall.

– Landon Figg was 3-for-5 with the game-winning RBI in the fifth.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest scored one run in the fourth and added one in the fifth. The Tigers scored their lone run in the third.

– The Bearcats had two runs on six hits with two errors. OBU had one run on three hits with one error.

– Mondesi Gutierrez walked three times and scored a run.

– Alixon Herrera was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

– Derek Hussey was 1-for-3 with a walk.

– Luke Hassman scored a run.

– Logan Rycraft, Jake Velasco and Jay Hrdlicka each drew walks.

– Joseph Hietpas got the win, going 6.1 innings. He allowed just one unearned run and two hits. He struck out six and walked five.

– Jacob Wagner allowed just one hit in 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.

– Trevor Dudar finished off the game by working a hitless ninth inning.

Key Northwest Innings
– Hietpas set the Tigers down in order in the fourth and Wagner worked a three-up, three-down frame in the eighth.

– Hassman led off the fourth by getting hit by a pitch. After a pair of groundouts, Hassman ended up on third with two down. Hererra came up with an RBI single to center to tie the game, 1-1.

– In the fifth, Northwest got a leadoff single but a double-play wiped out the baserunner. With two down, Gutierrez walked and went to second on a wild pitch. Figg capitalized with a RBI single to drive in the go-ahead run.

Up Next
– Northwest will take on Henderson State on Saturday, Feb. 10, at 3:30 p.m. in Arkadelphia, Ark.

— Northwest Athletics —

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 —

By David Boyce – Northwest Athletics

EMPORIA, Kan. – In the final five regular-season games, Northwest Missouri State’s women’s basketball team needs to find a way to duplicate Wednesday night’s second quarter for the entire game.

The Bearcats lost 76-62 to Emporia State at White Auditorium. But in the second quarter against a perennial power in the MIAA, the Bearcats showed what they are capable of doing.

“We knew coming in that it is hard to play here,” said senior Tanya Meyer. “They are a solid team. Being able to fight and show that fight the whole game after we got down quite a bit in the first quarter, I think that helps going into Saturday’s game. Being on the road (at Washburn), it is going to be another tough one, but we are ready for the competition.”

Against Emporia State, Meyer and freshman Jaelyn Haggard turned in performances worthy of all-conference consideration. Meyer finished with 27 points and 11 rebounds and Haggard had 23 points, four assists and four rebounds.

Northwest gave up 26 points in the first quarter and trailed by 14. The one bright spot for the Bearcats in the first 10 minutes was the scoring of Haggard, who knocked down three of four field goals and scored eight of her team’s 12 points.

The rest of the Bearcats fed off of Haggard’s energy in the second quarter and that sparked a dramatic turnaround. Although Northwest went into halftime down 38-32, the Bearcats jogged into the locker room knowing it could keep pace with Emporia State.

“I felt coming out of the first quarter, the wheels could fall off,” said Northwest coach Buck Scheel. “We didn’t do that. I was really happy the way our kids competed and cut the lead down to six.

“We had really good movement, for the most part, with the ball. We were getting some good stops defensively from everybody at different times, which is what you got to have against a team like that.”

The second-quarter surge started with a basket from Meyer, who turned up her game another notch. She scored 11 points in the second quarter.

Trailing 29-16, Northwest cut its deficit to single digits on a floater by Haggard followed by a basket by Meyer, making it 29-20.

“I think we came out in the second quarter really strong,” Haggard said. “The first quarter we had a pretty big gap between us and them, but we came out and fought. I am really proud of how hard we worked. We didn’t come out with a win, but I am proud the way we came out and grinded.”

Indeed.

A few minutes later, Haggard hit a long three-pointer that closed the gap to 31-23. Meyer then took over. A layup and a three-pointer by Meyer pulled Northwest to within five at 33-28. Northwest ended the first half on a running layup by Haggard.

“We were finding the open person on offense and not forcing up shots like we did in the first quarter,” Meyer said. “That helped us get that margin to six going into the second half.”

The Bearcats shot 56 percent from the field in the second quarter and held Emporia State to 31 percent. Meyer and Haggard combined for 28 points.

Unfortunately, Northwest’s defense wasn’t as tight in the third quarter and that hurt the Bearcats from making a push to get closer. Emporia State went 11 for 17 for a blistering 65 percent from the field in the third quarter.

Northwest shot the ball well in the third quarter, making eight of 14 shots for 57 percent. The Bearcats, though, were outscored 24-18 and that put them behind 12 points going into the final quarter. It was too much of a deficit for Northwest to make up in the final 10 minutes.

Sheel was pleased the way Haggard bounced back from Saturday’s game against Lindenwood.

“She wasn’t happy with that game,” Scheel said. “A lot of times, especially with freshmen, you don’t know how they are going to bounce back. She came in like it was another game and came out and competed.

“To have a freshman who is going through those bumps in the road and handling the learning curve of Division II as well as this conference, it is good to see.”

— Northwest Athletics —