MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University junior guard Justin Pitts has been named the Basketball Times Player of the Year, in a release from the publication on Monday. He was named to the All-America first team for his play this season.

Pitts, the career scoring record holder at Northwest with 1,850 points, has twice been named the MIAA Player of the Year and is a three-time First Team All-MIAA honoree. He has scored in double figures in 31-of-33 games this season, averaging 20.5 per game. He was the All-Central Regional Tournament MVP last week, leading the Bearcats to the Elite Eight for just the third time in program history. Pitts holds the top-two single season scoring records, scoring 693 points last season and 675 this year. He also ranks second all-time with 671 made field goals.

Basketball Times is recognized as the leading monthly publication featuring men’s and women’s college basketball, and especially many years with leading coverage of small colleges.

Also Monday, Pitts was named to the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) Division II All-America First Team. Pitts was named the D2CCA Central Region Player of the Year in a release from the organization earlier this year. Shorter’s Phil Taylor was named the 2017 Ron Lenz National Player of the Year.

FIRST TEAM
Phil Taylor** – Shorter
Justin Pitts – NW Missouri State
Matt Bingaya – Fairmont State
Michael Smith – California Baptist
Dustin Sleva – Shippensburg

** Ron Lenz National Player of the Year

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University softball team beat Sioux Falls, 10-1, and rallied to defeat St. Cloud State, 8-7, on Sunday at the Hy-Vee Classic in St. Joseph, Mo.

– The Bearcats are now 13-9 on the year with the two victories.

– Northwest cruised in the first game against Sioux Falls, getting a complete game shutout from Taylor Blackford.

– In the second game, the Bearcats scored two runs in the seventh and two in the eighth to pull out the victory.
Game One Key Northwest Statistics (Northwest 10, Sioux Falls 1)
– The Bearcats scored one in the second, one in the third, six in the fourth and two in the sixth. Sioux Falls’ lone run came in the second.

– Northwest had 10 runs on 10 hits with no errors. The Cougars scored one run on three hits with three errors.

– The game was called after the sixth inning due to the run rule.

– Blackford picked up her sixth win of the year, throwing all six innings. She allowed one run on three hits. She walked two and struck out two.

– Abigail Gilson went 3-for-3 with a double, a run scored and an RBI. She was also hit by a pitch.

– Jessica Rawie was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, a run scored and a double.

– Rebecca Maher was 1-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. She had an RBI double in the third inning.

– Kaitlin Weis went 1-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. She had a double and a stolen base

– Torri Blythe was 1-for-3 with two runs scored. She was hit by a pitch and had a stolen base in the first game.

– Jaedra Moses went 1-for-3 with a sacrifice bunt and scored a run.

– Kiana Baderdeen scored once and drove in a run, going 1-for-3 with a double.

– Chantel Adams had an RBI sacrifice fly and was hit by a pitch.

– Karli Allen had a sacrifice fly and had a sacrifice bunt in the game.
Game One Key Northwest Innings
– Rawie singled with one down in the second and went to third on Gilson’s double. Allen hit a sacrifice fly deep enough to right to score the game’s first run.

– Blythe reached on an error to start the third and stole second. After an out, Maher doubled to right center to score Blythe, giving Northwest the go-ahead run.

– In the fourth, Gilson singled and went to second on Allen’s sacrifice bunt. Baderdeen then hit a double down the left field line to score Gilson. After a pitching change, Blythe was hit by a pitch and Moses singled to load the bases. Maher reached on a fielder’s choice but Blythe and Baderdeen were both able to score on an error by the shortstop. Weis then reached on a fielder’s choice that allowed Moses to score to make it 6-1 Northwest. Adams hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Maher and Rawie followed it up with a double to drive in Weis to make it 8-1.

– With one down in the sixth, Weis doubled down the left field line and Adams drew a walk. Maher reached on a fielder’s choice but an error on the pitcher allowed Weis to score from second. Gilson hit a single back to the pitcher to drive in Adams, making it 10-1.
Game Two Key Northwest Statistics (Northwest 8, St. Cloud State 7)
– The Bearcats scored two in the second, one in the third, one in the fourth, two in the seventh and two in the eighth. St. Cloud State had one in the first, four in the third, one in the fourth and one in the eighth.

– Northwest finished with eight runs on 15 hits with three errors. The Huskies had seven runs on 12 hits with two errors.

– Allen went 4-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. She had a double and a triple.

– Weis was 2-for-5 with three runs driven in. She had a double and hit the would-be go-ahead home run in the eighth. She also pitched the final 5.2 innings for the win, striking out three while allowing just one earned run.

– Gilson was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a double and a walk.

– Adams was 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored.

– Maher was 2-for-5 with a run scored.

– Blythe went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base.

– Baderdeen was 1-for-3 with an RBI, a stolen base and a walk.

– Holly Posegate got the start. She went 2.1 innings, allowing just two earned runs. She did not walk a batter and struck out one.

Game Two Key Northwest Innings
– Adams singled with one down in the second. After a strikeout, Gilson drew a walk and Allen hit an RBI single to right, scoring Adams. Baderdeen’s single drove in Gilson from third to give the Bearcats an early 2-1 lead.

– With one out in the third, Maher singled to left center and scored one batter later as Weis doubled to left field.

– Gilson started the fourth with a double down the right field line. Allen drove her in with a double of her own to left, bring the score to 5-4, St. Cloud State.

– In the seventh, Adams singled to center to lead off the inning. After a pair of outs, Allen tripled down the left field line to score Adams, making it 6-5 St. Cloud State. Baderdeen then drew a walk and stole second.

– In the eight with the international tie-break rule in effect, Rawie started the inning on second. After an out, Weis launched a two-run home run over the left center field fence to put Northwest up, 8-6.

Up Next
– Northwest returns to MIAA play on Saturday, March 24, at Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Okla.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team scored five runs in the seventh to beat Rockhurst, 6-1, on Sunday afternoon at the Bearcat Field in Maryville, Mo.

– Northwest improves to 14-8 overall while Rockhurst falls to 12-8.

– Logan Rycraft and Ozzie Adams each came up with key RBI hits in the seventh to help push the Bearcats to the victory.

– Rycraft was 2-for-3 on the day with two runs scored and two RBIs.

– Adams went 1-for-3 with three runs driven in and a run scored on a seventh-inning three-run home run.

Key Northwest Statistics
– The Bearcats scored one run in the sixth and five in the seventh. Rockhurst’s lone run came in the sixth inning.

– Northwest had six runs on seven hits. The Hawks had one run on eight hits. Neither team committed an error.

– James Holler was 2-for-4 with a run scored.

– Jay Hrdlicka was 1-for-2 with a run scored with a pair of walks.

– James Holler was 1-for-3 with a run scored. He also had a sacrifice bunt.

– Landon Figg drove in a run and also had a walk.

– Joseph Hietpas got the start. He gave up no runs in 5.0 innings of work. He allowed five hits and struck out seven without issuing a walk.

– He struckout the side in the third and worked a perfect fifth inning.

– Brad Roberts got the win. He pitched 2.0 innings of relief, striking out one while not allowing a walk. He gave up just one run.

– Austin Battaglia and Nikko Pablo threw the final two innings without allowing a run. Each gave up one hit. Battaglia had three strikeouts and Pablo had two.

Key Northwest Innings
– Rycraft led off the bottom of the sixth with a single up the middle. Fort had a sacrifice bunt to move him to second and Adams grounded out to second to put him on third with two down. On a full count to Figg, the fourth ball got away from the Rockhurst catcher, allowing Rycract to come in from third for the Bearcats’ first run.

– In the seventh, Holler singled to lead off the frame and Hrdlicka reached on a bunt single to first that the pitcher couldn’t field cleanly. After a popout, the runners moved up on a Greenslade groundout to the right side. Rycraft came through with a two-RBI single to left, making it 3-1 Northwest. Fort reached on a bunt single to the right side to put runners on first and third. After a pitching change, Adams put the first pitch he saw over the left field fence for a three-run shot, making it 6-1 Bearcats.

Up Next
– Northwest returns to MIAA play with a 2 p.m. Tuesday home game against Nebraska-Kearney at Bearcat Field. A three-game home series with Central Missouri begins on Friday, March 24.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team beat Rockhurst, 8-1, on Saturday afternoon at the Loylola Park Baseball Field in Kansas City, Mo.

– Northwest improved to 13-8 overall with the non-conference victory. Rockhurst falls to 11-7 on the year with the loss.

– James Holler was 4-for-5 with two runs scored and a pair of doubles.

Key Northwest Statistics
– The Bearcats scored three in the first, two in the third, two in the sixth and one in the seventh. Rockhurst scored its lone run in the third.

– Northwest had eight runs on 14 hits with two errors. The Hawks had

– Landon Figg scored three times, going 2-for-5 with a double.

– Jay Hrdlicka drove in a pair of runs, going 2-for-3 with a triple, a run scored and a walk.

– Kolby Greenslade went 2-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs.

– Ozzie Adams went 2-for-5 with a run scored.

– Luke Hassman went 1-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored. He hit his third home run of the year in the first inning.

– Anthony Caenepeel pitched 5.1 innings. He allowed one run on five hits and just one walk. He struck out five, giving him 206 for his career.

– Quintin Van Ackeren, Jacob Wagner, Austin Battaglia, Cole Otto and Nikko Pablo combined to throw 3.2 innings of scoreless relief. Wagner, Otto and Pablo all recorded a strikeout.

Key Northwest Innings
– With two down in the first, Figg singled to center and Hassman launched his third home run of the year for an early 2-0 advantage. Holler followed that with a double and Hrdlicka singled him home to make it 3-0 Northwest.

– In the third, Adams singled to lead off and went to second on a wild pitch. Figg reached on an error by the second baseman, allowing Adams to score. After a pair of outs, Hrdlicka tripled to right, scoring Figg to make it 5-0 Bearcats.

– Holler led off the sixth with a double and Hrdlicka was hit by a pitch. After a pitching change, Herrera laid down a sacrifice bunt and Greenslade roped a double down the left field line to drive in two more runs.

– Figg hit a one-out double to right center in the seventh and went to third on a balk. Hassman drove him in with a groundout to short, making it 8-1.

Up Next
– Northwest returns to MIAA play with a 2 p.m. Tuesday home game against Nebraska-Kearney at Bearcat Field. A three-game home series with Central Missouri begins on Friday, March 24.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University softball team beat Northern State, 7-0, but fell to Minnesota State, 3-0, on Saturday at the HyVee Classic in St. Joseph, Mo.

– The Bearcats are now 11-9 on the year and will play two more NSIC opponents on Sunday.

– Taylor Blackford threw a complete game shutout against Northern State, allowing eight hits. She struck out three batters and did not allow a walk.

– Kaitlin Weis collected three hits on the day and drove in three runs with two doubles. She also pitched 4.2 innings in the second game, allowing just one earned run.
Game One Key Northwest Statistics (Northwest 7, Northern State 0)

– The Bearcats scored three runs in the third and four in the fourth.

– Northwest had seven runs on seven hits with no errors. The Wolves had eight total hits and two errors.

– Weis was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a double.

– Karli Allen also recorded a double, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

– Torri Blythe was 1-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.

– Kiana Baderdeen also crossed the plate twice. She was 1-for-3 with an RBI.

– Jaedra Moses went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.

– Rebecca Maher drove in a run in the fourth inning.

– Jessica Rawie drew a walk and scored a run.

Game One Key Northwest Inning
– Allen led off the third with a double to right center. Baderdeen singled to left to put runners on the corners. Blythe came up with an RBI single to left of rhte game’s first run. After a pair of outs, Weis hit a two-RBI double to left, scoring Baderdeen and Blythe to make it 3-0 Bearcats.

– Northwest capitalize on a pair of miscues in the fourth inning. Rawie walked and two batters later went to second on an Allen single. Baderdeen reached on a fielder’s choice but an error on the second baseman allowed Allen to reach safely and Rawie to cross the plate. Blythe reached on an error by the shortstop to load the bases. Moses then drew a walk to force in the fifth run of the game. Maher reached on a fielder’s choice that allowed Baderdeen to score. Weis then hit a two-out RBI single to center to score Blythe, making it 7-0 Northwest.
Game Two Key Northwest Statistics (Minnesota State 3, Northwest 0)

– The Mavericks scored all three runs in the fifth inning.

– The Bearcats had three hits and two errors. Minnesota State had three runs on five hits with no errors.

– Weis was 1-for-3 with a double. She got the start in the circle and went 4.2 innings. She allowed one earned run on five hits. She did not issue a walk and struck out one.

– Maher was 1-for-3 in the second game.

– Blythe was 1-for-3.

– Baderdeen had a sacrifice on the day and was also hit by a pitch.

– Holly Posegate pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief. She did not allow a hit or a walk and struck out one.

Game Two Key Northwest Innings
– Weis retired nine-straight batters, putting the Mavericks down in order in the second, third and fourth innings.

– Posegate worked a flawless sixth inning after getting the final out in the fifth. She retired five straight after getting the first batter in the seventh to pop out.

Up Next
– Northwest will return to St. Joseph, Mo., for the third and final day of play on Sunday. The Bearcats will face Sioux Falls (S.D.) at 11 a.m. followed by a 3 p.m. game against St. Cloud State.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team captured a 4-3 walk-off victory over William Jewell on Thursday afternoon at Bearcat Field in Maryville, Mo.

– Northwest improves to 12-8 on the year while William Jewell falls to 5-7.

– Landon Figg delivered the game winning hit in the ninth inning, scoring two. He was 1-for-5 on the day with a pair of runs driven in.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest scored one run in the first and three in the ninth. The Cardinals had two runs in the first and one in the fifth.

– The Bearcats had four runs on seven hits with no errors. William Jewell scored three runs on 10 hits with three errors.

– Ozzie Adams was 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.

– Garrett Fort was 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored.

– Luke Hassman was 1-for-4 with a stolen base.

– Logan Rycraft was 1-for-3 with a sacrifice bunt in the ninth inning.

– Kevin Handzlik went 1-for-4 on the day.

– Jay Hrdlicka drew a pair of walks and Luke Wilkinson had one walk.

– Kolby Greenslade drew a walk in his only plate appearance and came around to score in the ninth.

– Eddy Kraeber got the start on the mound, going 6.0 innings. He allowed three runs on eight hits. He walked just two batters and struck out four.

– Between the first and the third innings, Kraeber retired seven straight Cardinal hitters.

– Jacob Wagner, Austin Battaglia and Nikko Pablo each worked scoreless innings in relief. Battaglia had one strikeout and Pablo recorded two.

Key Northwest Innings
– The Bearcats took advantage of a couple of Cardinal errors in the first. Fort reached on an error by the shortstop and went to second on an Adams single. After a fielder’s choice by Figg, Fort ended up on third. With Holler at the plate, Figg tried to steal second but a poor throw by the catcher skipped into left, allowing Fort to score from third.

– Greenslade, who was called upon to pinch hit, and Hrdlicka drew back-to-back walks to begin the bottom of the ninth. After a pitching change, Aaron Barratt pinch ran for Hrdlicka. Rycraft moved both runners up with a sacrifice bunt to third. Fort and Adams worked back-to-back walks to force in Greenslade for the Bearcats’ second run of the game. Figg delivered the winning hit on a single up the middle, scoring Barratt and Fort to give Northwest the victory, 4-3.

Up Next
– The Bearcats will play Rockhurst twice this weekend. Saturday’s game in Kansas City will start at 3 p.m. and Sunday’s game in Maryville, Mo., will begin at 1 p.m. William Jewell and Northwest will play again on Tuesday, May 2, in Liberty Mo.

— Northwest Athletics —

MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team has earned the No. 2 seed in the 2017 Elite Eight which begins next week at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Bearcats, 32-1, will play St. Thomas Aquinas, 28-5, on Wednesday, March 22 at 6 p.m.

Elite Eight Seeds
1 – Fairmont State
2 – Northwest Missouri State
3 – Lincoln Memorial
4 – Bellarmine
5 – Colorado School of Mines
6 – Chico State
7 – St. Thomas Aquinas
8 – Rollins

Wednesday, March 22
12:00 pm – Fairmont State vs. Rollins
2:30 pm – Bellarmine vs. Colorado School of Mines
6:00 pm – Northwest Missouri State vs. St. Thomas Aquinas
8:30 pm – Lincoln Memorial vs. Chico State

— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State’s men’s basketball team knows as well as any team in NCAA Division II just how hard it is to take that final step to the Elite Eight.

In three previous seasons, Northwest lost in the Central Region championship game. Southwest Minnesota State gave everything it had to make it four years in a row.

“It is one thing to get here one time and quite another to make it four times,” said Southwest Minnesota coach Brad Bigler said.

Because of gritty defense played by Bigler’s team, shots weren’t falling for Northwest. The Bearcats went 1-for-15 on three-pointers. Northwest needed to scratch and claw to eke out a 55-52 victory Tuesday evening at Bearcat Arena.

“This means a lot because after last year’s loss, a lot of us stayed most of the summer and worked hard,” said Northwest junior guard Justin Pitts, who finished with 25 points. “We worked hard all preseason. This feels good. We have been so close the last three years. It feels special to finally get to the Elite Eight.”

Northwest, 32-1, is making its first trip to the Elite Eight since 2004 and third in school history. Southwest Minnesota finished the season 28-6.

“You definitely want to compliment Northwest Missouri State,” Bigler said. “It was a heck of a game, back and forth. Both teams gave everything they had. Justin Pitts made a couple of plays in the end to give them that edge. You have to tip your hat to him.

“I am proud of our guys. They showed a lot of resiliency out there. I think that toughness in our team is because of these two guys here (seniors Joey Bartlett and Mitch Weg).”

Although Southwest Minnesota never led in the second half, the Mustangs kept a sold-out crowd of 2,315 on the edge of their seats.

“First off, congratulation to Southwest Minnesota and the year that they had,” Northwest coach Ben McCollum said. “I am good friends with coach Bigler. He is as classy a guy as there is. We talk quite often. He texted me before the game. He is a special person and they have a special group of guys.

“Tonight, for us was very special because we have been here for our fourth straight year. You feel like man lets close this thing out and get this thing done. We didn’t hit shots tonight, but we made enough plays and some big rebounds and key finishes. It was a special night. We have a special group. I am glad they were rewarded with a regional championship.”

Northwest appeared to be in control when it built a 39-31 lead midway through the second half. After a timeout, the Mustangs fought back. They closed to 41-37 on consecutive baskets by senior Mitch Weg.

From that point on, every possession became critical. One of the biggest came with just under 4 minutes remaining and Northwest leading 45-42. Twice the Bearcats missed a shot and twice senior D’Vante Mosby grabbed a rebound. On the third attempt, Mosby scored, making it 47-42 with 2:40 left.

“It is backbreaking for the opponent just because you work so hard to get a stop,” McCollum said. “If he (Mosby) doesn’t get the ball, it is like he is going to get shot. He is so hungry for the ball. D’Vante is one of the most unselfish players I have coached.”

Southwest Minnesota answered on three-pointer by sophomore Taylor Schafer, who heated up down the stretch. A 15-footer by Schafer closed the gap to one at 48-47.

“When he (Schafer) hit that first one, he had that look in his eyes,” Bigler said. “We wanted to make sure we gave him an opportunity to make some more plays. Thankfully, he stepped up and did that.”

Pitts always seemed to have an answer. He put the Bearcats back up three on a 10-foot floater. With 30 seconds left, Pitts gave Northwest a 52-48 lead with a basket.

Southwest Minnesota wasted little time scoring when sophomore point guard Ryan Bruggeman drove in for a layup for his 20th point of the game, making it 52-50.

“It was a very competitive game,” Bartlett said. “Playing in an environment like this is fun for both teams. We knew it was going to come down to the last possession. We liked our chances. We thought we matched up well with them.

“We knew we were going to have to battle on every possession, and they were able to make some plays down the stretch.”

The Mustangs fouled Pitts with 12.3 seconds left. Pitts swished both free throws and put the game away.

“When the game comes down to the end, he is allowed to be Justin,” McCollum said. “The thing with him is he is humble enough to know he is not able to be Justin without the other guys and the guys allow him to do that.”

Despite struggling on offense throughout the first half, Northwest went into halftime with a 24-19.

Each team made just nine field goals in the first half. Northwest really struggled from the outside, making only one of 11 three-point attempts.

Early on, it was obvious both teams were tight. Shots simply weren’t falling. Because of that, the game stayed close. There game had four ties in the first 6 minutes and five lead changes in the first 10 minutes.

Northwest took its third lead of the half at 15-13 on a basket by Pitts and maintained a slim advantage the rest of the half.

The only player on the court who had consistent success on offense was Bruggeman, who went five for nine from the field for 11 points. Pitts also scored 11, but he needed 13 shots to reach that point.

— Northwest Athletics —

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University junior Justin Pitts has been named the 2016-17 Conference Commissioner’s Association (D2CCA) Central Region Player of the Year. He was also named to the All-Central Region first team for the second straight year. Pitts is now eligible for D2CCA All-America honors which will be voted upon later this season.

The two time MIAA Player of the Year is now the all time leading scorer in program history with 1,825 points in 92 career games (19.8 ppg). This year, he is averaging a team-best 20.3 points and 5.2 assists per game. He has scored in double figures in 30-of-32 games this season and all 29 contests against Divsion II opponents.

2016-17 D2 Conference Commissioner’s Men’s Basketball All-Central Region
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Justin Pitts, Northwest Missouri State

FIRST TEAM
Gage Davis, St. Cloud State University
Aaron Lien, Minnesota State University Moorhead
* Justin Pitts, Northwest Missouri State University
Braxton Reeves, East Central University
Jordan Spencer, Augustana University

SECOND TEAM
Rob Davis, Fort Hays State University
Derylton Hill, University of Arkansas at Monticello
Tyler Rudolph, Minot State University
Brady Skeens, Washburn University
Anthony Virdure, Lincoln University

* Denotes 2015-16 All-Central Region First-Team selection

— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce

MARYVILLE, Mo. – The matchup in the Central Region semifinals was as tantalizing as a round of 32 game can get for the NCAA Division II Tournament.

No. 1 ranked Northwest Missouri State was taking on defending champion Augustana in a rematch of last year’s Central Region championship game. Augustana won that game by two points in its hometown of Sioux Falls, S.D.

Northwest Missouri got its revenge with a 74-53 victory Sunday evening at Bearcat Arena. It has been a friendly regional rivalry between two teams that have faced each other the last three seasons in the postseason tournament.

“This has been an awesome rivalry,” said Augustana senior Adam Beyer, who scored 12 points. “I have had a great time. They have been outstanding games every time we played. They are a really good team. It will be nice to see the rivalry continue because I know they are going to be good and we are going to be good.”

In the last two years, they have faced each other four times with each team winning twice.

“It is a great rivalry,” said Northwest senior Zach Schneider, who finished with 15 points. “That is what you get in Division II with regions. “We have played them in region three straight years and obviously, we have had some great battles with them. Tonight, we played really well.”

The victory puts the Bearcats in the Central Region championship game for the fourth straight season. The previous three years Northwest lost.

Now Northwest, 31-1, will be looking to break that streak when it takes on Southwest Minnesota State, 28-5, 7 p.m. CT Tuesday at Bearcat Arena.

“We are just looking at it as another home game,” Schneider said. “We will get a good scout on Southwest and get a good practice in tomorrow.”

Northwest coach Ben McCollum reiterated the point of treating Tuesday’s game like a midseason contest.

“We got class tomorrow?” McCollum asked as he looked at a couple of Northwest players. “We have class so we will go to class tomorrow and then have a home game on Tuesday. Obviously, it is not just another game. I think a relaxed mentality helped us quite a bit tonight. If we can stay relaxed and calm, I think we will be okay.”

The Bearcats started the second half against Augustana with a 13-point lead and quickly expanded it to 45-27 on a three-pointer by Schneider followed by two free throws from junior Chris-Ebou Ndow.

Augustana junior Jordan Spencer, who made the game-winning free throws in last year’s Central Region championship game, hit a three-pointer and then a two-point field goal to make it 45-32.

The Vikings, though, never got closer than 11 points the rest of the way. Every time they made a little run, somebody for Northwest stepped up with a basket. With 12:50 left, it was freshman Ryan Welty who knocked down a three-pointer to give Northwest a 52-35 lead.

Northwest’s lead grew to 58-37 on a basket by senior D’Vante Mosby. Augustana made one more push, closing to 62-39 with just over 4 minutes left. But a NBA-range three-pointer by Justin Pitts with 3:58 left made it 65-39, and all but dashed any hopes of the Vikings repeating as national champions.

Crisp passing, particularly in the first half, led to a balanced scoring attack. Pitts led Northwest Missouri with 16 points, Schneider scored 15, Ndow had 12 and senior Anthony Woods finished with 11.

“We played a team tonight that if they play like that, they can win a national championship,” Augustana coach Tom Billeter said. “They were really ready to play. I thought we competed.

“We only lost two games by double figures this year and they were both to them.”

Northwest showed how in sync it was on the final play in the first half. With the clock running down to 5 seconds, Pitts drove, passed it to forward Brett Dougherty who then kicked it back outside to Welty. Welty nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer to push Northwest’s lead to 40-27.

“It was great,” Ndow said of the ball movement in the first half. “The first game we had some problems offensively to get in the flow. This game we came out with the mindset to get the ball moving and get everybody involved and we did a good job of it.”

Augustana started the game with a three-pointer from Spencer. It would be the only lead of the half for the Vikings.

Northwest scored the next six points for a 6-3 lead. The Vikings tied the game 6-6 on a three-pointer by senior Mike Busack. It was the only tie in the first half.

The Bearcats went on a 16-2 run for a 22-8 lead. Most of the points came on baskets in the paint that were set up from multiple passes.

Busack kept the Vikings close, especially when he hit a long three-pointer that closed the gap to 29-22. Northwest scored the next four points and maintained a double-digit lead for all but one possession to close out the half.

Northwest shot 50 percent from the field in the first half and had 10 assists on its 17 field goals. The Bearcats also held Augustana to 39 percent shooting from the field.

“It is always fun to play Augustana,” McCollum said. “We have built somewhat of a rivalry with them. They are extremely well coached. They have a lot of good players, a lot of winners out there. They competed.

“I thought defensively, our kids were really locked in for the whole game.”

— Northwest Athletics —