By David Boyce

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Seven minutes into its MIAA quarterfinal game, Northwest Missouri State showed its enthusiastic crowd the Bearcats’ trademark teamwork and that unity pulled them through to victory against Lincoln.

Leading by three in the opening minutes, Northwest junior Justin Pitts, the MIAA player of the year, slipped a nice pass inside to junior Chris-Ebou Ndow for a layup. The Bearcats held at least a three-point lead the rest of the first half and went into halftime ahead by 13.

The double-digit advantage was just enough for Northwest to hold off Lincoln in an 80-76 victory Thursday evening at Municipal Auditorium. Northwest, 27-1, returns to action 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the semifinals.

“That was a fun postseason game,” Northwest coach Ben McCollum said. “That is what postseason is about, those types of games. For a ninth seed (Lincoln), that says a lot about our conference.

“They have a lot of weapons for a ninth seed. I thought our kids came out and battled. We need to get a little better from the free throw line (13-for-24). They were desperate down the stretch and that’s what teams do. They fight for it and were hungry to win. We were fortunate enough to pull it off in the end.”

Northwest needed that teamwork to put the game away. Clinging to a 74-72 lead with 54 seconds left, Northwest worked the shot clock to the final second when senior Anthony Woods delivered an inside pass to senior D’Vante Mosby, who made the basket and was fouled. Mosby completed the three-point play by making the free throw with 24 seconds left.

Lincoln refused to go away and hit a desperation three-pointer with 16.3 seconds left that made it a two-point game again at 77-75.

Ndow, who finished with 14 points, gave Northwest a four-point lead on two clutch free throws with 14 seconds left. After Lincoln made a free throw, Nodow put the game away with another free throw.

“I think it is big for our confidence, going into postseason,” senior Zach Schneider said. “We are going to see games like this going into regionals.

“I was pretty calm. We have the best player in the country in closing time. It works out pretty well.”

It turned out that the offensive show by Pitts was much needed. He scored on driving layups, soft jumpers in the paint and three-point bombs. When the smoke cleared from his hot hand, Pitts finished with 30.

“Coach Mac told me to start being more aggressive,” Pitts said. “It is postseason time. The team came out and played hard and aggressive.”

The Bearcats came out with a look that they are serious about defending their MIAA Tournament title. It didn’t matter to them that they just beat Lincoln 82-53 in their last regular-season game on Feb. 25.

Northwest started the game with a basket by Ndow and never trailed. But Lincoln gave a scrappy effort early on, forging ties at 2-2, 5-5 and 10-10.

Two free throws by Ndow and a three-pointer by freshman Ryan Welty gave Northwest a 15-10 lead.

A minute later came the Pitts to Ndow basket that made it 17-12. Still, the Blue Tigers stayed close and trailed only 27-23 when Northwest went on a 9-0 run for a 36-23 lead.

The breakaway offensive spurt started on a three-pointer by Schneider. Ndow followed with a basket and then Pitts hit a 10-foot jumper in the lane. Pitts finished the run with another basket.

Northwest held a double-digit lead the rest of the first half and went into halftime ahead 46-33. The Bearcats shot 63 percent from the field in the first half, including seven for 12 from three-point range.

Nine of the 17 field goals came on assists, led by five for Pitts. Pitts was just as dynamic scoring, putting up 15 points in the first half. He made three, three-pointers, a couple of floaters that added up to six for eight from the field.

“We kind of went with top ball screen with Zach,” Pitts said. “They don’t switch and can’t stay with either me or Zach. We went to that and it worked out well. We started getting shots and other people started getting open when I drove. Everything opened up.”

As well as Northwest played in the first half, the Bearcats were forced to keep up a high level of play in the second half because Lincoln continued to give maximum effort. The Blue Tigers cut it to nine at 47-38 in the opening minute of the second half.

A three-pointer by Pitts 4 minutes into the second half gave Northwest a 52-40 lead. Northwest advantage grew to 61-45 on a three-pointer by Welty.

But Lincoln fought back again and closed to 65-60 on a basket by Lincoln senior Anthony Virdure with 6:55 left. Pitts restored order with a floater followed by a driving layup to give the Bearcats a 69-60 lead.

Northwest eventually increased its lead back to 10 at 71-61 on basket by senior Mosby from Woods.

There was no quit in the Blue Tigers. They cut it to 73-67 with 3 minutes left and closed to three at 73-70 on three-pointer by Maurice Mason with 2:30 left.

“It was tourney time,” McCollum said. “They got desperate and started hitting shots. They started to get hot.

“The whole game didn’t feel easy to me. But it was fun, and a fun environment. Hopefully, we can play well again on Saturday.”

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University men’s tennis team defeated UMKC, 6-1, on Wednesday afternoon at Frank Grube Courts in Maryville, Mo.

The match was the spring opener for the No. 12 Bearcats who moved to 1-0 on the year. UMKC falls to 6-4 on the year.

Wednesday’s match was played with Division I rules with doubles counting as one point.

Northwest moves to 16-5 all time against UMKC with the victory.

Sergi Fontcuberta and Romain Boissinot got a win at No. 2 doubles along with Josef Altmann and Aymeric Autones at No. 3 doubles.

In singles, Fontcuberta, Mauro Tete, Josef Altmann, Autones and Fin Glowick all picked up singles victories.

Singles competition
1. Castellano,Airam (UMKC) def. Boissinot,Romain (NW) 6-3, 6-3
2. Fontcuberta,Sergi (NW) def. Gaismins,Uldis (UMKC) 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)
3. Tete,Mauro (NW) def. Navette,Amaury (UMKC) 7-6 (7-4), 7-5
4. Altmann,Josef (NW) def. Kruse,Tom (UMKC) 7-5, 7-6 (7-1)
5. Autones,Aymeric (NW) def. Pham,Vinh (UMKC) 2-6, 6-2, 10-8
6. Glowick,Fin (NW) def. Izadifar,Daniel (UMKC) 6-2, 6-3

Doubles competition
1. Navette,Amaury/Gaismins,Uldis (UMKC) def. Tete,Mauro/Serrano,Jorge (NW) 6-1
2. Boissinot,Romain/Fontcuberta,Sergi (NW) def. Kruse,Tom/Castellano,Airam (UMKC) 6-0
3. Altmann,Josef/Autones,Aymeric (NW) def. Izadifar,Daniel/Pham,Vinh (UMKC) 6-3

Up Next
Northwest will play a pair of neutral site matches this weekend starting with Midwestern State on Friday in Bolivar, Mo., followed by a neutral site match against UIndy in St. Charles, Mo., on Saturday.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University women’s basketball team fell to the fifth-seeded Central Oklahoma Bronchos, 67-50, on Tuesday evening.

– The MIAA Tournament first round game was played at the Hamilton Field House in Edmond, Okla.

– The Bearcats finish the year with a 9-18 overall record while the Bronchos improve to 23-6. UCO will now play fourth-seeded Missouri Western on Friday night.

– Tanya Meyer recorded her 12th double-double of the year, scoring 12 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.

Key Northwest Statistics
– The Bearcats shot 34.4 percent from the field, hitting 21-of-61 attempts. Northwest tied the Bronchos with 36 rebounds each.

– UCO shot 45.8 percent, connecting on 27-of-59 attempts, including four from beyond the arc. Central Oklahoma went 9-for-9 from the charity stripe while the Bearcats were 5-of-7.

– Meyer was 5-of-16 from the field and hit a pair of long range attempts. Five of her rebounds came on the offensive end. She also recorded one of two Bearcat steals.

– Caitlin Sudduth hit four of her eight shot attempts and was 4-of-5 from the charity stripe to finish with 12 points. It marked her fourth game in double figures for Northwest this season.

– Maria Dentlinger scored in double figures with 11 points and added six rebounds. It was the third game this year that she scored at least 10 points.

– Arbrie Benson grabbed seven rebounds and finished with six points.

– As a team, Northwest grabbed 11 offensive rebounds while holding UCO to just seven.

– The Bearcat bench outscored the Broncho reserves, 16-6.

– UCO led, 29-25 at the break. Northwest outscored Central Oklahoma, 18-17, in the fourth quarter.

Key Northwest Sequence
– Northwest got off to a good start, scoring nine of the game’s first 13 points. After UCO missed a jumper to begin the game, Meyer hit a three pointer off an assist from Benson for the game’s first points. After a pair of Broncho layups, Meyer hit a layup to give Northwest a 5-4 lead. The Bearcats forced a UCO turnover and Howe was able to find Wilhelmi for a jumper to make it 7-4. After each team came up empty on the next trips down, Northwest got another turnover and Benson turned it into a layup, pushing the Northwest lead to 9-4.

— Northwest Athletics —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University junior Justin Pitts was named the MIAA Player of the Year for the second-straight season and head coach Ben McCollum earned Coach of the Year honors for the third-straight season. Senior Zach Schneider earned second team honors while Chris-Ebou Ndow garnered third team accolades and was also named to the All-Defensive team. Seniors Anthony Woods and D’Vante Mosby were named honorable mention performers.

Pitts becomes the first player in Northwest history to ever be named MIAA Player of the Year twice. He is also the first player to earn three-straight first team All-MIAA nods since 1937. This year, Pitts is averaging 19.3 points and 5.3 assists per game. He has scored in double figures 25 times and surpassed 20 or more points 14 times. He now ranks fifth in Northwest history with 1,686 points and if fourth all time in made field goals with 613 and in made three point field goals with 191.

2016-17 marks the third-straight season McCollum has garnered the league’s Coach of the Year honor and the fourth in his career at Northwest, winning back in 2012. He has led the Bearcats to six-straight 20+ win seasons, one of just seven schools in Division II to accomplish that feat. The 26 wins this season is the second most in his tenure, only one behind the 27 games the team won last season.

Schneider is now the Northwest and MIAA career leader in three-point field goals made with 348. This season, he has started all 27 games and is averaging 10.3 points per game. He has hit 86-of-175 (49.1 percent) of his long range attempts this year and is averaging 34.6 minutes per game. In 27 games, he has hit at least one three pointer in 25 contests and has at least two on 21 occasions.

Ndow becomes the first Bearcat to be named to the All-Defensive team since Matt Wallace following the 2014-15 season. In 24 games, Ndow has averaged 13.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest. This year, he has tallied 21 steals and nine blocked shots on the defensive end. Offensively, Ndow is shooting an even 50 percent from the field (111-222) and has hit a career-high 39 three pointers.

Woods is averaging a career-best 8.2 points per game during his senior year. Appearing in 24 games, Woods has racked up a career-best 72 assists with 72 rebounds, 14 steals and two blocked shots. He is shooting 54.7 percent from the field (76-139) and has hit 6-of-11 three pointers. Woods has reached double figures nine times on the year.

Mosby has appeared in all 27 games this season and is averaging 8.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. This year, he has hit 54.9 percent of his field goal attempts (84-153), scoring in double figures 11 times. Mosby has dished off 29 assists, tallied 25 steals and blocked 10 shots. Earlier this year, he surpassed 1,000 points and 700 rebounds for his career.

Player of the Year: Justin Pitts, G, Jr., NW
Defensive Player of the Year: Brady Skeens, F, Jr., WU
Freshman of the Year: Elyjah Clark, F, Fr., MSSU
Coach of the Year: Ben McCollum, NW

All-MIAA First Team
Justin Pitts, G, So., NW**[r3]
Rob Davis, G, Jr., FHSU[r2]
Anthony Virdure, G, Sr., LU
Brandy Skeens, F, Jr., WU Trey Lansman, C, Jr., UNK
**Unanimous Selection
[r2] Two time repeat First Team Selection
[r3] Three time repeat First Team Selection

All-MIAA Second Team
Spencer Reaves, G, Jr., UCM
CJ Carr, G, Jr., MSSU
Zach Schneider, F, Sr., NW
Chandler Diekvoss, F, So., LWU
Corbin Byford, F, Sr., UCO

All-MIAA Third Team
Jaylon Smith, G, Sr., LU
Chris-Ebou Ndow, G, Jr., NW
Brandon Hall, G, So., ESU
Kyle Wolfe, F, Sr., UCM
Logan Hovey, F, Jr., SBU

All-Defensive Team
Brady Skeens, F, Jr., WU
Marquiez Lawrence, F, Sr., UCM
JaQuan Smith, F, Sr, FHSU
Bakari Triggs, G, Jr., LWU
Chris-Ebou Ndow, G, Jr., NW

Honorable Mention All-MIAA
Marquiez Lawrence, UCM; Jake Hammond, UCO; Josh Holiday, UCO; Josh Pederson, ESU; JaQuan Smith, FHSU; Hadley Gillium, FHSU; Jackson Price, LWU; Elyjah Clark, MSSU; JJ Cratit, MSSU; Lawrence Brown, MSSU; Cole Clearman, MWSU; Yashua Trent, UNK; Isaiah MaKay, UNK; Ty Daneilson, UNK; Montre Williams, NSU; Anthony Woods, NW; D’Vante Mosby, NW; Javion Blake, WU; Brian Patterson, SBU

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team fell to Northeastern State, 6-3,on Sunday at Rousey Field in Tahlequah, Okla.

– The Bearcats are now 8-5 on the year and 0-3 in conference while the RiverHawks improve to 8-3 overall and 3-0 in MIAA play.

– Ozzie Adams went 3-for-4 on the day with a walk.

Key Northwest Statistics
– The Bearcats scored two runs in the third and one in the eighth. Northeastern State got one run in the first, three in the fifth, one in the sixth and one in the eighth.

– Northwest had three runs on six hits while the RiverHawks had six runs on eight hits. Both teams committed three errors each.

– Alixon Herrera was 1-for-5 on the day with an RBI in the third.

– Luke Hassman was 1-for-3 with a homerun in the third.

– Landon Figg went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI on a sacrifice fly.

– Logan Rycraft and Kolby Greenslade each scored runs after reached on walks

– Quintin Van Ackeren, Jimmy McElwain and Austin Battaglia each worked scoreless innings in relief. Logan Moose pitched the fourth inning, allowing just one run.

Key Northwest Innings
– Hassman led off the third with a home run to left center. Rycraft was then able to reach on an error by the shortstop. A couple batters later, Rycraft came around to score on a Herrera single.

– In th eighth, Greenslade led off the inning with a walk and went to third after Kevin Handzlik reached safely on an error by the third baseman. A Figg sacrifice fly would score Greenslade in the next at bat.

Up Next
-Northwest will host Lindenwood on Friday, March 3, at 2 p.m. in the 2017 home opener. The three-game series will also feature a 2 p.m. Saturday contest and a 1 p.m. Sunday game.
— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce

MARYVILLE, Mo. – The perfect way for Northwest Missouri State to start its final regular-season game at Bearcat Arena was to have a senior score the first points of the game.

Now it would show a lack of respect to say Northwest has played so well this season that it can write its script for every game. Lincoln University played with too much energy to allow the Bearcats to do whatever it wanted.

But Northwest is having a special 2016-17 season and that means memorable moments happen. Once again, a feel-good moment occurred Saturday afternoon. The game started with senior Zach Schneider, one of the most decorated three-point shooters in MIAA history, knocking down a corner trey.

“It was pretty cool,” said Schneider, who finished with 17 points. “I have done it a couple of times in my career. Hopefully, I will get three more chances to do it. It was awesome.”

Schneider’s three-pointer set a tone for the game. Northwest made 11 three-pointers

The second one came from junior Chris-Ebou Ndow, which staked the Bearcats to a quick six-point lead. Northwest rode that early advantage to a 14-point halftime lead and eventually an 82-53 victory.

“We are riding the wave right now,” said senior D’Vante Mosby, who scored 12 points. “We want to see how far we can take this. We obviously have big goals. Hopefully, we have more big games ahead.”

Northwest, ranked No. 3 in the NABC top 25, improved to 26-1 overall and an impressive 18-1 in the MIAA. The Bearcats finished five games ahead of the second-place team.

Next for the Bearcats is the MIAA Tournament. Northwest, the defending conference champion, will play its quarterfinal game 6 p.m. Thursday at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.

“We are really looking forward to the tournament,” said senior Anthony Woods, who had five assists and five points. “We are ready to get back at it in practice. “We are focused and ready to go.”

Lincoln, playing without conference leading scorer Anthony Virdure, still gave a scrappy effort against Northwest. Twenty-three days ago, Virdure scored 50 points against Northwest in a five-point loss.

Without Virdure and a quick start by Northwest, signs pointed to an easy blowout win for the Bearcats. But after building its first double-digit lead at 18-8 on a three-pointer by Schneider, Northwest was unable to increase its advantage.

In fact, Lincoln buckled down and closed to 22-19 and even tossed up a potential game-tying three-pointer that didn’t fall.

Northwest refocused and changed the momentum when Ndow knocked down a three-pointer to push the lead back to six. After a basket by Lincoln, Northwest scored the next six points for a 31-21 lead.

Lincoln, though, didn’t wilt and that was good for Northwest because in postseason, no teams quit. The Blue Tigers closed to 32-27.

The Bearcats revved up their engine one more time and scored the final nine points in the first half for a 41-27 halftime lead.

“We did a good job of picking up our energy after the first 10-minute stretch, which I think was the biggest thing,” Schneider said. “Being able to turn it around after a bad start is important because if you have a bad start in postseason, you are going to need to turn it around really quick.”

Northwest started the second half in the same fashion as it started the game. Freshman Ryan Welty knocked down a three-pointer followed by another three-pointer from Justin Pitts, which extended Northwest’s lead to 47-27.

Lincoln put a little dent in the 20-point deficit and closed to 51-34. Northwest wiped that away on a three-pointer by Schneider. A minute later, Pitts made a circus-style layup.

Basically, in the final 12 minutes, the Bearcats entertained the 1.435 fans who showed up to watch Northwest’s trademark team basketball. Northwest showed everybody it is now ready for postseason after a truly remarkable regular season.

With a commanding lead in the final 5 minutes, McCollum was able to take each senior out individually so they were able to soak up the applause from an appreciative fan base.

— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce

MARYVILLE, Mo. – From the opening tip to the final buzzer, Northwest Missouri State’s women’s basketball team came out against Lincoln University with a determination to continue its basketball season.

Northwest never trailed in the second half in its 98-77 victory over Lincoln Saturday afternoon at Bearcat Arena. The win gave Northwest the final spot in the MIAA Tournament. The Bearcats will play its first-round game Tuesday at Central Oklahoma.

“We have been working for this since preseason,” said junior Tanya Meyer, who scored 21 points. “I know the season hasn’t gone the way we wanted. We lost several close games. Being able to finish this game and get into the tournament is really big.

“I know everyone is excited. Hopefully, we can get to Kansas City next week. The atmosphere there is amazing.”

It was a do or die game for both Northwest and Lincoln. The season was over for the team that lost. Both teams played at a high level in the first half. Northwest took its game to another level in the second half.

“We had to,” Northwest coach Buck Scheel said. “I really felt in the second half we relaxed and really went out there and played.”

Leading by five at halftime, Northwest quickly increased its lead to nine at 47-38 early in the third quarter on two free throws by Meyer.

A minute later, the Bearcats went back to a nine-point lead on a field goal by senior Jasmin Howe, making it 49-40. It was a fantastic final home game for Howe, who scored consistently throughout the game. Howe finished with 23 points.

“To have my mom and brother here for my final home game as a Bearcat meant everything to me,” Howe said. “And to have this game to go the playoffs, which we haven’t been able to do the last couple of years, was so important to me. I am just happy they were here to share that moment with me.”

Meyer was another player who put up points in both halves. Her three-pointer late in the third quarter not only gave Northwest a 63-50 lead, the field goal put her over 1,000 career points.

“It is a big milestone, but I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my teammates,” Meyer said. “They know when to get me the ball. They have faith in me that I can knock down shots and get to the basket.”

Northwest went into the final quarter with a 63-52 lead. The Bearcats hit an even higher gear. By the time there was 3:30 left in the game, Northwest held a commanding 89-65 lead.

Sophomore Arbrie Benson put Northwest over the 90-point level for the second time this season when she scored consecutive baskets to make it 94-69. Benson was basically unstoppable, scoring a game-high 32 points.

“Early on I wanted to be aggressive and keep my head up because I tend to get down on myself when I make mistakes and miss shots,” Benson said. “I just wanted to stay aggressive.”

Because of the scoring of Benson, Howe and Meyer, Northwest put together its best first half in a couple of weeks and went into halftime with a 42-37 lead.

“I felt the first half was kind of a rollercoaster,” Scheel said. “A few possessions here and there, they hit some big threes and we weren’t getting out on them. That was my biggest frustration. For the most part, we kept the game tight.”

It was fitting a senior got the Bearcats off to a good start. Howe scored the first basket of the game and a minute later hit a three-pointer.

Both teams were clicking on offense in the first quarter. When it ended, the game was tied 23-23.

Lincoln gained the early advantage in the second quarter. Northwest went ahead 30-29 on a three-pointer by junior Caitlin Sudduth. Lincoln went back ahead on a basket. It was the Blue Tigers’ last lead in the game.

Started by a basket from Benson, Northwest went on an 8-0 run and took a 38-31 lead. Benson led the way for the Bearcats. She scored 15 points on seven for 10 shooting from the field. As a team, Northwest shot well, connecting for 51.4 percent of its shot from the field.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team fell to Northeastern State, 8-4, on Friday in the MIAA opener at Rousey Field in Tahlequah, Okla.

– The Bearcats are now 8-3 on the year and 0-1 in conference while the RiverHawks improve to 6-3 overall and 1-0 in MIAA play.

– Eddy Kraeber worked 5.2 innings of relief, allowing just one run on five hits. He gave up just one walk while striking out three.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest scored one run in the third, one in the fifth and two in the ninth. Northeastern State got two in the first, five in the third and one in the sixth.

– The Bearcats scored four runs on eight hits with two errors. The RiverHawks had eight runs on 13 hits with one error.

– Alixon Herrera was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. He hit his third double of the year in the third inning.

– Garrett Fort was 2-for-5 on the day.

– Logan Rycraft was 2-for-3 with a run scored.

– Ozzie Adams went 1-for-4 with an RBI. He was also hit by a pitch.

– Kevin Handzlik was 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and a run scored.

– Kraeber recorded nine straight outs midway through the game. He worked perfect fourth and fifth innings and got the first two outs of the sixth before giving up a walk.

Key Northwest Innings
– Herrera started the third with a double to right center. Rycraft hit a single to left to put runners on the corners with no outs. Herrera came around to score as Fort grounded into a double play to cut the RiverHawk lead to one, 2-1.

– With two outs in the fifth, Rycraft and Fort hit back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. Adams hit the first pitch he saw to left to score Rycraft from third.

– Handzlik, Hrdlicka and Hassman drew back-to-back-to-back walks to load the bases to start the ninth inning. After a pitching change, Herrera reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Handzlik from third. Austin Wulff was called on to pinch hit and reached on an error by the shortstop, scoring Hassman from second.

Up Next
– The Bearcats and the RiverHawks will play the second game of the three-game series on Saturday at 2 p.m.

— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State gave up the first two points of the game and allowed Lindenwood to hold three, brief leads in the opening minutes. But the Bearcats were never in danger of losing their second game in a row.

Northwest took a 10-point lead into halftime and carried that advantage to a 68-52 victory Thursday evening at Bearcat Arena.

“It was obviously really important to play well,” said junior Chris-Ebou Ndow, who finished with 22 points. “Teams are starting to figure out our tendencies. This team did a really good job. They came ready.

“It was important to get out of our slump quickly. That is what we did today.”

The win lifted Northwest to 25-1 overall, 17-1 in the MIAA and solidified its No. 1 position in the Central Regional. The top seed plays host in the eight-team regional tournament in mid-March.

But before the Bearcats set their sight on the NCAA Tournament, they have senior day on Saturday against Lincoln University and then their quarterfinal game in the MIAA Tournament 6 p.m. Thursday (March 2) at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.

“We love our seniors,” Ndow said. “They are a huge part of what we are doing. You could see it today. One day it is D’Vante Mosby. One day it is Zach Schneider and another day it is Anthony Woods. They have a big impact on what we are doing.”

Northwest did nothing special in its win against Lindenwood. After the Lions took their last lead at 6-5, Northwest took control on a three-pointer by Woods followed by a bucket in the paint by Mosby that gave the Bearcats a 10-6 lead. Northwest never trailed again.

But the Lions were feisty. Twice they closed to one point at 14-13 and 16-15. Northwest started to get some separation on a Woods basket. The Bearcats’ lead increased to six on a three-pointer by Ndow.

The long-range bomb was significant for Ndow and the Bearcats. In recent games, Ndow has struggled with his outside shot. He missed his first two three-pointers against Lindenwood.

Firing up the long-range jumper with confidence paid off for Ndow. A couple of minutes later, Ndow knocked down another three-pointer that increased Northwest’s lead to 31-18.

“It felt great,” Ndow said. “The whole year I have been struggling with my shooting. I try not to overthink it. I know I can shoot.

“Our team is so good offensively that you have to pick your poison. Me shooting is the best thing you can pick so I don’t blame them. I stick with the process and I know good things will happen and it happened tonight.”

The Bearcats played well enough to maintain a double-digit lead for most of the last 7 minutes of the half and went into halftime ahead 45-35.

Undaunted by Lindenwood scoring the first five points to start the second half, Northwest calmly answered with five points from junior Justin Pitts to push the lead back to 10. Pitts finished with 21 points.

The hustle of Mosby brought the loudest cheers from the fans early in the second half. Even with a 10-point lead, Mosby twice dove on the floor for the ball to give Northwest another scoring opportunity on its end of the floor.

“He is by far the player of the game,” Ndow said of Mosby. “After my first dunk, we got on a roll, but before that we played really bad. D’Vante was the only one keeping us up and in the game. He was huge tonight. That was big-time.”

Mosby appreciated the cheers from the fans for his hard work.

“We love the community,” Mosby said. “The best thing we can do is give them a good showing and do what they believe we can do.

“The community is so supportive. I can’t walk anywhere in town without them sending us good vibes and telling us to keep going. Diving on the floor is my job. It is cool to get that recognition.”

The Bearcats needed those extra possessions because they were struggling on offense. They only scored one point from the time they held a 45-35 lead with over 15 minutes left to holding a 46-37 lead with 9:57 left in the game.

Pitts warmed up. He hit a floater and then after Lindenwood knocked down a three-pointer, Pitts answered with a trey. The Bearcats got back on defense, got a steal that led to a Ndow dunk. Pitts followed that with a basket, giving Northwest a 55-40 lead with 7:24 left.

It was a lightning-quick offensive strike that caused the Lions to call timeout to figure out what struck them. One minute they were down 48-40 and the next it was 55-40.

After the timeout, Northwest played solid defense and then scored on a basket in the paint by Ndow to make it 57-40 with 6 minutes left. The Lions finally broke the 9-0 scoring run by Northwest. The Bearcats responded with a dunk by Ndow off a pass from Pitts.

The dagger came with just under 4 minutes left when Ndow made his fourth, three-pointer of the game to give Northwest a 66-45 lead. Ndow also had three dunks.

It was a solid performance by the Bearcats.

“We can’t afford to have another game like we had at Missouri Southern,” Ndow said.

— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State gave up 13 points to Lindenwood freshman forward Kallie Bildner in the first half. The Bearcats needed to slow her down in the second half.

But Bildner scored Lindenwood’s first eight points in the third quarter and that gave the Lions a 10-point cushion over the Bearcats. Northwest never recovered, falling 65-53 Thursday evening at Bearcat Arena. Bildner went 12 for 14 from the field and finished with 29 points.

“She is a very good freshman,” said Northwest coach Buck Scheel. “I knew she was going to be motivated coming into this game because her dad played here. It was that opportunity to play in the same gym her dad played in.

“We didn’t do a good job stopping her. When players are really bringing it, you have to step up.”

Northwest concludes its regular season Saturday afternoon at home against Lincoln. The math is really simple. If Northwest beats Lincoln, it nabs the final spot in the MIAA Tournament. The season is over if Northwest loses.

“You look at Saturday’s game and it is win and move on or lose and be done,” Scheel said. “How much are we going to fight? We have made a lot of improvements. They have earned the opportunity to still be in the mix.”

The Bearcats were in position to win when the third quarter started. But Bildner scored the first basket in the second half and gave Lindenwood a 34-26 lead. The field goal showed Northwest still didn’t have an answer for her.

Northwest tried fouling Bildner. It didn’t work. She made four straight free throws early in the third quarter. Her fourth one gave Lindenwood its first double-digit lead at 40-30.

The Bearcats spent the rest of the game trying to close the gap, but never threatened Lindenwood.

“It was one of those nights where we really couldn’t generate any momentum,” Scheel said.

One bright spot for the Bearcats was Jasmin Howe’s mother and oldest brother made the trip from Australia to see her play her final two home games. Howe scored 10 points, going five for 10 from the field.

“It is exciting that they will be able to watch my last game here,” Howe said. “It means everything to me. I have been so far away from home. My mom watches every single game. For her to be here and get to experience this with me, my last game, it is just huge. I am glad they could be here for me.”

Despite never taking a lead in the first half, Northwest played hard the entire 20 minutes. Because of that effort, the Bearcats trailed only 32-26 at halftime.

Lindenwood scored the first four points of the game and held an early 12-6 lead. Northwest quickly fought back on a basket by sophomore Arbrie Benson and a three-point play by Howe, making it 12-11.

The Lions scored the next five and pushed their lead back to six. They took a 21-15 lead into the second quarter.

Northwest started the second quarter with a three-pointer by Tanya Meyer. But over the next few minutes, the Bearcats struggled on offense fell behind 29-21. The Bearcats managed to chip away two points off their deficit the rest of the second quarter.

The offense basically came from three sources in the first half for Northwest. Meyer scored nine, Benson added seven and sophomore Mallory McAndrews hit two three-pointer.

— Northwest Athletics —