By David Boyce

JOPLIN Mo. – All winning streaks come to an end at some point. It took the 29th MIAA opponent to finally end an amazing run by Northwest Missouri State’s men’s basketball team.

Missouri Southern became the first MIAA team since Jan. 13, 2016 to beat Northwest. The Lions led from start to finish in their 88-71 win over Northwest Saturday afternoon at Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

“Like Zach Schneider said, we have to come ready to play every day,” said Northwest junior Justin Pitts, who finished with 20 points. “This league is tough. They showed it today.”

It was the first loss of the season for the Bearcats, who dropped to 24-1 overall and 16-1 in the MIAA. Northwest also saw its record-shattering streak of 28 straight MIAA regular-season wins come to an end. The old mark was 19 established in 1931 by Northwest.

“To win 24 games and win 28 games in the league is an unbelievable feat,” Northwest coach Ben McCollum said. “We had an off game as a team and Southern had a good game. Southern played really well.

“The way our kids acted in defeat and congratulated the other team I thought that said a lot about what kind of champions they are. Hopefully we will start our new mission now and a new streak.”

Trailing by six at halftime, Northwest managed to close to three points twice in the opening minutes of the second half. But it simply wasn’t the Bearcats’ day. They had a difficult time sustaining offense.

In addition, Southern was simply playing at a high level offensively, particularly guards CJ Carr, JJ Cratit and Elyjah Clark.

“They made some tough shots. They came out ready and we didn’t and they ended up with a win,” Pitts said.

Every time Northwest made a push, one of those guards came up with a three-pointer or a drive to the basket.

The key point in the second half came with 13:35 left. Northwest trailed 51-45. Cratit scored and after a free throw by Pitts, Cratit made a three-pointer to give Southern a 56-46 lead. The advantage grew even more when Carr nailed a three-pointer and followed that with a driving basket to increase Southern’s lead to 61-46 with 11:02 left.

“We just didn’t come ready to play,” said Schneider, who finished with 15 points. “They played one of their best games of the season. The loss is tough, but we will rebound from it for sure.

“We just got to be ready every day. If you don’t come ready, you will get beat in this league because it is a tough league.”

Northwest simply didn’t have the mojo in the second half to put together a run like it had in the first half.

The Bearcats close out the regular season next week at home, facing Lindenwood on Thursday evening and Lincoln Saturday afternoon.

“Going so long without a loss, this is definitely going to help us in the long run,” Pitts said. “It will teach us we have to come ready every day and can’t take anything for granted. When postseason comes, we have to bring it every day.”

A rare moment struck in the first half for the Bearcats. Northwest went into halftime trailing 38-32.

It could have been worse, much worse. With 9 minutes remaining in the first half, Northwest trailed 30-13. Nothing was going right for the Bearcats and everything was falling for Southern.

In building a 17-point lead, the Lions were shooting 65 percent from the field. Meanwhile, Northwest was missing free throws. At one stretch, the Bearcats missed five straight from the charity strip.

Down 34-21, the Bearcats went on run, scoring the next nine points. The final three came on a three-pointer from senior Schneider to make it 34-30. The Bearcats just couldn’t keep it going.

“It sounds pretty cliché, but hopefully it will wake us up on things we need to improve on,” McCollum said. “And wake me up as well and make sure we are now on a different mission.”

— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce

JOPLIN Mo. – The wake-up call for the Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball team sounded in the third quarter Saturday afternoon at Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

But with their eyes finally open, the Bearcats saw they trailed by 20 points against Missouri Southern. Northwest nearly made it all up before falling 71-70.

“I told them after the game that the second-half team is the team I want to coach,” Northwest coach Buck Scheel said. “The first half I don’t know where that came from. It was really disappointing to have to watch it and sit through it.

“My halftime talk to them was pretty short. There was nothing I was going to do for them to go out and make a change. It was all on their shoulders and they came out and competed and finally gave themselves a chance to win the game.”

It looked really bleak for Northwest when it trailed 41-21 in the third quarter. But at the darkest moment, the Bearcats found sunshine. A three-pointer by senior Jasmin Howe followed by a three-pointer from junior Tanya Meyer closed the gap to 44-29.

By the time the third quarter ended, Northwest trailed 47-35. The Bearcats continued their hot shooting to start the fourth quarter. A three-pointer by Meyer dropped the deficit to single-digits at 47-38.

A couple of minutes later, Meyer made two free throws to make it 51-45 with 7:45 left in the game. The Bearcats were back in the game with plenty of time left.

Unfortunately, Northwest gave up the next four points to fall behind by 10. Over the next four minutes, the deficit fluctuated between eight and 12 points.

“It was good to continue to fight back, but while we were making that run and cutting it down to six, you have to keep going,” Scheel said. “You can’t have breakdowns. You have to keep fighting.”

Trailing 64-52, the Bearcats made one more push that started with a three-pointer by Meyer and a layup by sophomore Arbrie Benson with 2:37 left. Meyer added a free throw 23 seconds later to close the gap to 64-58.

With 50 seconds left, Northwest pulled to within three at 65-62 on a driving layup by Howe.

More intrigue struck with 21 seconds left when junior Caitlin Sudduth hit a three-pointer which reduced the deficit to two at 67-65. Southern, though, hit just enough free throws in the final 19 seconds to secure the win. A three-pointer by Sudduth with .8 seconds left made it a one-point game.

Meyer finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds, Benson had 14 and Sudduth came off the bench and scored 12.

In the fast half, Northwest seemed sluggish for both quarters and went into halftime trailing 31-16.

The Bearcats made three field goals in the first quarter and scored eight points. They did the exact same thing in the second quarter. Northwest wound up going six for 23 from the field for 26.1 percent in the first half.

If Northwest could have shot the ball a little bit better, the Bearcats would have been much closer because Southern only shot 31.3 percent from the field.

“It was disappointing because we put in so much time preparing for games, not just us coaches, but the players,” Scheel said of the first half. “You do the weights, the practices, the scouts and then to go out and not play with effort, toughness or any pride, you are not giving yourself a chance to win or be in the ball game. That was probably the most disappointing part of that.”

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team fell to Oklahoma Christian, 8-7, on Friday afternoon at Dobson Field in Edmond, Okla.

– Northwest falls to 6-2 on the year with the loss while the Eagles improve to 5-3.

– Ozzie Adams was 3-for-5 on the day with three RBIs and two doubles.

– Joseph Hietpas got the start and pitched 6.2 innings. He allowed just one run on four hits. He struck out five and walked four.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest scored three runs in the second, one in the fourth, two in the fifth and one in the eighth. Oklahoma Christian had one run in the second and seven in the ninth.

– The Bearcats had seven runs on 14 hits while the Eagles had eight runs on 11 hits. Neither team committed an error.

– Garrett Fort was 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base.

– Jay Hrdlicka went 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBI. He also picked up his first stolen base of the season in the third inning.

– Kevin Handzlik was 2-for-4 with a run scored.

– Alixon Herrera was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.

– Luke Hassman went 1-for-4 with a home run in the second.

– Logan Rycraft was 1-for-3 with a sacrifice bunt.

– Hietpas retired seven straight batters between the fifth and seventh innings. He worked a perfect half inning in the bottom of the sixth.

Key Northwest Innings
– Hassman led off the the top of the second with his first home run in a Bearcat uniform over the left field fence. After Hardlicka was hit by a pitch, Herrera singled to left to put two on with no outs. Rycraft laid down a sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third. After a line out to center, Adams singled to left, driving in a pair of runs to make it 3-0 Northwest.

– With one out in the fourth, Fort hit a single to left and then proceeded to record his first stolen base of the season. Adams continued his hot streak and roped a double to left, scoring Fort to make it 4-1 Bearcats.

– Hrdlicka hit his second home run of the season in the fifth. With two down and Handzlik on first after he reached on a one-out single, Hrdlicka lifted a pitch over the right center wall to give Northwest a 6-1 lead.

– After a pair of strikeouts in the top of the eighth, Herrera singled to center and Rycraft followed it with an infield single to second. Fort doubled to right center, allowing Herrera to score from second, making it 7-1.

Up Next
– Northwest will face Oklahoma Christian on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. in the second game of the three-game series.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University softball team fell in a pair of closely fought games on Friday at the UAM 8-State Classic in Bentonville, Ark.

– The Bearcats lost to No. 5 ranked Southern Arkansas, 6-5, in the morning then lost to Illinois-Springfield, 7-5, in the afternoon.

– Northwest is now 2-4 on the year and will play four more times this weekend.

Game One Key Statistics (Southern Arkansas 6, Northwest 5)
– The Bearcats scored single runs in the second and third innings and added three in the fifth. The Lady Muleriders had two in the first and four runs in the fourth.

– Northwest finished with five runs on nine hits with two errors. Southern Arkansas had six runs on eight hits with an error.

– The win moved Southern Arkansas to 8-1 on the year while Northwest fell to 2-3.

– Jaedra Moses was 2-for-2 with two runs scored. She also drew a walk.

– Torri Blythe was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored

– Rebecca Maher went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

– Alexis Kelsey went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in the second inning.

– Chantel Adams was 1-for-2 with a pair of RBIs.

– Jessica Rawie was 1-for-4 with an RBI.

– Kaitlin Weis was 1-for-3 in the first game.

– Rachel Smith started and went 3.2 innings. She struck out two batters.

– Taylor Blackford did not allow a run in 2.1 innings of work. She struck out three and walked one.

Game One Key Innings
– Kelsey led off the top of the second with a solo home run to right field.

– In the third, Moses singled with one down and went to third on a Blythe double. After a strikeout, Maher hit an infield single to third, scoring Moses to tie the game, 2-2.

– In the fifth inning, Moses led off with a single to left and went to second on a Blythe single. After a flyout, Maher singled to left to load the bases. Southern Arkansas got a strikeout and then got Adams to hit a single to second and a bad throw to second base allowed Adams to advance to second while Blythe and Moses scored to cut the SAU lead to 6-4. Rawie followed it up with a single to left, scoring Maher to make it 6-5.

Game Two Key Statistics (Illinois-Springfield 7, Northwest 5)
– Northwest scored one run in the third, three in the fourth and one in the sixth. Illinois Springfield got two runs in the first, two in the sixth and three in the seventh.

– The Bearcats had five runs on 12 hits with a pair of errors. The Prairie Stars had seven runs on nine hits with three errors in their season opener.

– Weis was 3-for-4 with three runs scored. She hit a double in the sixth inning.

– Abigail Gilson was 2-for-3 with three RBIs. She tallied her first home run of the season in the fourth inning.

– Moses went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

– Rawie went 1-for-4 with a run scored.

– Kelsey was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk.

– Adams, Blythe and Maher all went 1-for-4 at the plate.

Game Two Key Innings
– Weis led off the third with a single to right center. After an out, Moses singled to left to put two runners on. Blythe followed it up with a single to center. Weis moved to third on the hit and was able to score on an error by the center fielder.

– Kelsey doubled to lead off the fourth to center. Adams grounded into a fielder’s choice as Kelsey was tagged out trying to go to third. Rawie singled to center and Weis followed it with another single to center. Adams tried to score from second but was tagged out at the plate. Gilson hit a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence to score three runs to give Northwest a 4-2 lead.

– In the sixth, Weis doubled to left and went to third on a Gilson single. Moses would drive in Weis with a single to left center, giving the Bearcats a 5-2 advantage.
Up Next

– Day two in Bentonville begins tomorrow at 1 p.m. against Ouachita Baptist. Northwest will then take on Southern Nazerene at 3 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

By David Boyce

PITTSBURG, Kan. – One sequence with five minutes remaining in the first half perfectly capsulated why Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team improved to 24-0 overall and 16-0 in the MIAA.

The Bearcats had little resistance in their 90-64 victory over Pittsburg State Thursday evening at Lance Arena.

Northwest had several runs during the first half to build a 19-point halftime lead, but the most impressive moment for people who enjoy hard-nosed defense came when the Bearcats held a comfortable 33-21 advantage.

In the MIAA, it takes more than talent to go undefeated in the first 16 conference games. It takes focus, and that is exactly what the Bearcats showed in the closing minutes of the first half.

It would have been easy for the Bearcats to coast in those final few minutes. After all, they cut down the nets last Saturday after clinching at least a share of their fourth straight conference title.

“This is something coach Mac (Ben McCollum) has preached the whole season of just not being content with what we have,” said Northwest junior Brett Dougherty.

Northwest played like it was in a must-win situation when it put the defensive clamps on the Gorillas. The Bearcats upped their defensive intensity and forced a shot clock violation.

The Bearcats turned that defensive stand into points on a basket from junior Chris-Ebou Ndow off a pass from freshman Ryan Welty.

“It was huge,” said Ndow of playing tough defense in the last 5 minutes of the first half. “They showed that they never give up, especially at home. Even though the score might not indicate it, they don’t quit.”

Ok, now Northwest held a 14-point lead against a team that only has two conference wins. Surely, the Bearcats could ease up on defense with a little over 3 minutes left before halftime.

Nope.

The Bearcats seemed to be even more tenacious on defense. This time Pittsburg State did get a shot off. But it was a contested fall-away 12-foot jumper with 3 seconds left on the shot clock.

Odds of a shot like that going in at the Division II level is about 2 percent, at best. It is not much better at the Division I level.

Predictably, the shot didn’t fall.

Northwest grabbed the rebound and it led to a basket from junior Justin Pitts to increase the lead to 37-21. That 2-minute display of tough defense and efficient offense made it clear Pitt State had no chance of pulling the biggest upset in Division II basketball this season.

“We knew if we didn’t get on a run before halftime, they could have easily come back,” said Ndow, who finished with a game-high 19 points. “We knew it was huge to finish strong in the first half.”

The Bearcats went into halftime ahead 43-24. The only thing Northwest failed at in the first half was at the free throw line. The Bearcats went 3 for 10 from the line for 30 percent. Northwest, though, succeeded everywhere else, shooting 58 percent from the field and holding Pitt State to 38 percent.

Basically, the only noise made in the second half came from the Pitt State band during media timeouts.

With 14:40 left, more than a third of the Pitt State crowd had departed Lance Arena and that’s because Northwest dashed all hopes of the Gorillas clawing their way back into the game.

The second half started with a three-pointer from Ndow, and that seemed to spark Ndow who has been struggling with his three-point shot in the last few games. Ndow hit another three-pointer a minute later and then followed with a dunk, making it 53-29.

“They finally fell in,” Ndow said. “I just stuck with the process. I haven’t been shooting well this season, but I haven’t lose confidence and my teammates haven’t lost confidence in me.

“I believe in myself. I think I am going to be good going forward.”

Several minutes later, senior D’Vante Mosby converted the old-fashioned three-point play of a basket plus a free throw. The younger generation calls it And1. The end result was a 62-34 lead for Northwest.

The huge lead allowed McCollum to bring in freshmen Grant Graham and Kirk Finley in with 12 minutes left in the game to get some playing experience against Pitt State starters.

“It was great for them to get some quality game experience,” Dougherty said. “Pitt kept playing hard. For some of our younger guys to get in there and play like they did was great.”

Northwest, ranked No. 1 in the NABC top 25, has now won a conference record 28 straight MIAA regular-season games.

“A number one ranking, he (McCollum) has never been happy with that,” Dougherty said. “It is not the end goal for this season.”

— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce

PITTSBURG, Kan. – A near-perfect game was needed by Northwest Missouri State when it journeyed into Lance Arena Thursday evening to face the first-place Pittsburg State Gorillas.

It didn’t quite happen.

A series of turnovers to start the third quarter doomed the Bearcats from making a comeback and pulling off an upset. Instead, Pitt State turned those miscues into baskets and extend a six-point halftime advantage into a double-digit lead. The Gorillas road that comfortable, second-half margin to a 67-52 victory.

“We came out kind of flat in the third quarter and dug ourselves a hole,” said Northwest coach Buck Scheel. “It was several minutes before we made a bucket. That was when they were able to make their run.

“That is what good teams do. You play consistent for four quarters. They make you pay and you try to battle your way out of it.”

Northwest worked hard in the final few minutes in the second quarter to put at least a scare into the Gorillas, but four turnovers in the first five minutes in the third quarter led to a 42-30 deficit.

Unlike the first quarter, when Northwest put together a nice run, the Bearcats were unable to crank up their offensive engine in the third quarter. They trailed 49-34 when the third quarter ended.

Despite a deficit that grew to 18 early in the fourth quarter, Northwest kept battling and closed to 59-51 on two free throws by Alexa Schaaf with 2:55 left.

“We fought to get to that point,” Scheel said. “I think we went back down on the defensive end and didn’t carry out our scout and how we were guarding their penetration and they exposed us.

“We worked so hard to get it back to that point, and that is when you have to dig in and be focused even more and we didn’t.”

Junior Tayna Meyer led Northwest with a game-high 21 points and senior Jasmin Howe added 11.

Scoring runs ruled the first half. Unfortunately, for the Bearcats, the run Pitt State had at the start of the second quarter was the main reason Northwest went into halftime trailing 34-28.

Pitt State scored the first five points, but the Gorillas missed several shots in taking the early lead. They stayed cold and Northwest warmed up. A basket by Howe gave Northwest a 7-5 lead. Sophomore Arbrie Benson followed with a basket and then Howe made two free throws, pushing Northwest’s lead to 11-5.

But after the 11-0 run by Northwest, the Gorillas scored the next seven points for a 12-11. Pitt State took a 14-13 lead into the second quarter. Northwest struck first on a three-pointer by freshman Mallory McAndrews. However, the 16-14 lead was the last one for the Bearcats. Pitt State went on a 14-2 run for a 28-18 lead.

The Bearcats didn’t wilt. They were able to knock four points off their deficit in final 4 minutes of the quarter to stay in striking distance.

“We competed even though we got into some foul trouble and had some crazy lineups out there,” Scheel said. “I thought for the most part, defensively, we did a pretty good job. We did a good job rebounding in the first half.

“I was very pleased how we competed in the first half just to give ourselves an opportunity to be in the game. We showed a lot of fight. We will move on and get ready for Saturday.”

— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Washburn came into Bearcat Arena Saturday afternoon and forced Northwest Missouri State’s men’s basketball team to put on its hard hat and grind out its fourth straight MIAA title.

It was fitting for Northwest to win in a blue-collar fashion. The Bearcats’ 74-68 victory was the epitome of their team-first mentality over this six-year run of 20 or more win. Northwest now stands at 23-0 overall and 15-0 in the MIAA.

“We are going to see these types of games in Kansas City and wherever else we go,” said Northwest senior Zach Schneider. “It was fun. Obviously, winning by 20 is great, too. But it is great for the postseason to win like this.”

With four conference games remaining, Northwest, ranked No. 1 in the NABC coaches top 25, holds a four-game lead over second-place Central Missouri. Northwest can win the outright title on Thursday with a win at Pittsburg State or a loss by Central Missouri.

Given that Northwest has won a conference-record 27 straight MIAA regular season games, it is nearly 100 percent certain that will remain by itself atop the MIAA when the regular season ends.

“It is pretty special to go four straight,” Schneider said.

In front of 1,675 fans at Bearcat Arena, Northwest showed once again it knows how to win when shots aren’t falling through at over a 50-percent clip like the previous three games.

“I was happy with the way we responded in the second half,” Northwest coach Ben McCollum said. “I didn’t think we played well the whole game, but we were tough enough to get the win. It was a good, fun atmosphere. I appreciate everybody’s support. Our kids just competed as hard as they could.”

After the game, a happy celebration erupted. New MIAA commissioner Mike Racy handed the regular-season trophy to the Bearcats. “We are the Champions” from Queen blared through the loudspeakers as the players cut down the nets.

For Schneider, it was the fourth time he has been able to enjoy a conference title. Senior Anthony Woods has experienced three and senior D’Vante Mosby has two.

“This means a lot and it feels so good,” Woods said. “Four in a row is crazy, just a blessing.”

By the way the first half went, it was obvious every possession in the second half was important. In the first 7 minutes of the second half, there were 10 lead changes. The 10th one gave Northwest a 46-45 lead when Schneider hit a three-pointer. Northwest never trailed again.

The Bearcats solidified the lead on a basket JustiPitts, making it 48-45.  Washburn stayed between one and three points behind until Northwest grabbed its first five-point lead of the game on at 57-52 on two free throws by Pitts with 8:48 left. Pitts finished with a game-high 22 points.

Northwest maintained a three to five-point lead over the next several minutes until the Bearcats managed to increase it to seven at 65-58 on two free throws by junior Xavier Kurth with 4:41 left.

Each little increase in the lead came from tenacious defense and a gritty, offensive-mind-set. Exemplifying that attitude was senior D’Vante Mosby who backed his way in the paint and then powered up a basket that gave Northwest a 67-60 lead with 3:08 left.

“I was just trying to do my job and the opportunity presented itself,” said Mosby, who finished with 13 points and seven rebounds.

A little less than a minute later, senior Chris-Edou Ndow hit a soft, 10-foot jumper in the free throw lane that pushed Northwest’s lead to 69-60 with 2:15 left.

“We just did us and gave a little more effort and did it better in the second half,” Mosby said. “The first half we didn’t execute our game plan. The second half we tightened up and got the result.”

And the result was Northwest’s fourth straight conference title.

“That was a postseason atmosphere,” Mosby said. “It was awesome.”

Throughout the first half, Northwest struggled on offense. In fact, it was one of the worst shooting halves of the new year. But the Bearcats’ sting defense allowed them to go into halftime tied 31-31.

Neither team went on much of a run in a half that saw nine lead changes. The biggest lead for Washburn was 5-2. Northwest held a 28-24 advantage late in the first half.

It was simply a hard-fought, defensive battle that the Bearcats needed. Northwest will have plenty of these types of games in postseason.

But first, Northwest must concentrate on the remaining four regular-season games, starting at Pittsburg State on Thursday.

“We have to take it one game at a time, stay focused and take every practice serious,” Woods said.

— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce

MARYVILLE, Mo. – A poor third quarter wiped away a very good first half by the Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball team. That 10-minute stretch played a major role in the 87-77 loss to Washburn Saturday afternoon at Bearcat Arena.

“It was brutal, but I would be lying if I said I was surprised,” Northwest coach Scheel said. “We have done that plenty of times in the past. We just can’t put together four quarters consistently.

Northwest held a 13-point late in the second quarter and went into halftime with a 41-32 lead. Washburn scored the first two baskets in the third quarter. The first one came from senior Alyxis Bowens. It foretold of things to come. The 16 points by Bowens was the main reason Washburn outscored Northwest 27-12 in the third quarter for a 59-53 lead.

“We came out in the third quarter and I think our players thought the game was already over,” Scheel said.

The Ichabods scored the first basket in the final quarter before Northwest mounted a charge. Consecutive three-pointers by sophomore Mallory McAndrews helped the Bearcats close to 63-62. They seemingly had all the momentum in front of a large crowd. McAndrews knocked seven three-pointers and finished with a career-high 21 points.

“I felt good with what we had going,” Scheel said. “We had some good ball movement. We were getting the ball to our shooters when they were open. When we did that, we were getting great looks.”

Washburn weathered the two treys by Northwest and went on 8-0 run for a 71-62 lead. Northwest never recovered from that spurt from the Ichabods

“I thought we had some great minutes off the bench with Mallory, and Alexa Schaaf came in and hit a big shot and played good defense,” Scheel said.

In the first half, Northwest looked like a completely different team. The game started with senior Jasmin Howe knocking down a long three-pointer and that helped Northwest open an early 9-1 lead after Arbrie Benson hit a three-pointer. The trey was the theme for the Bearcats in the first half.

The Bearcats did cool down late in the first quarter and that allowed the Ichabods to take their only lead in the first half at 14-13.

Northwest wasted little time reclaiming the advantage. Two free throws by Howe followed by a Howe three-pointer gave the Bearcats an 18-14 lead. Northwest ended the first quarter with a McAndrews three-pointer that made it 21-16.

“I was feeling pretty good,” McAndrews said.

The Bearcats started the second quarter just as hot. Two free throws by Tanya Meyer and then a three-pointer by Meyer gave Northwest its first double-digit lead at 26-16. Northwest’s biggest lead came late in the second quarter when Howe made her third, three-pointer of the half, which increased the lead to 41-28.

“I thought in the first half we did a great of moving the ball against the zone and against the man, getting the ball to open people and knocking down shots,” Scheel said.

Throughout the second quarter, Washburn played a 2-3 zone because of foul trouble. Northwest found the holes in the zone and went 9 for 19 behind the arc for 47.4 percent.

“We were doing a lot of things right,” said Meyer, who finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds. “We got #32 (Bowens) into foul trouble. We didn’t let them get offensive rebounds. The first half we held them to a lot of one shot and out. We moved the ball on offense and got open looks for our shooters.”

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team improved to 6-0 on the year with a 10-6 15-inning victory over Henderson State on Friday afternoon at Clyde Berry Field in Arkadelphia, Ark.

– The Bearcats improve to 6-0 on the year while the Reddies fall to 4-1 on the year.

– Northwest’s 6-0 record ties the program’s best start, matching the 1964 and 1973 teams’ marks.

– James Holler, who finished the day 2-for-8 with two runs scored, knocked in the go-ahead run on a single to center in the 15th inning.

– Nikko Pablo worked 8.1 innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win. He allowed just five hits with three walks and five strikeouts. He retired 15-straight batters, setting the Reddies down in order from the 10th to the 13th innings.

Key Northwest Statistics
– The Bearcats scored one in the first, two in the fourth, two in the fifth, one in the eighth and four in the 15th. Henderson State scored two in the second, one in the fourth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh.

– Northwest had 10 runs on 18 hits with four errors. The Reddies scored six runs on 11 hits with one error.

– Landon Figg went 5-for-8 on the day, knocking in a pair of runs.

– Garrett Fort was 3-for-6 with a pair of runs scored and a walk.

– Kevin Handzlik was 2-for-7 with a pair of runs scored, two RBI and a walk. He hit his first home run in the fourth inning.

– Luke Hassman was 2-for-3 on the day.

– Ozzie Adams was 1-for-6 with two RBI, a run scored and a walk.

– Alixon Herrera was 1-for-5 with three walks, an RBI and a run scored.

– Jay Hrdlicka was 1-for-3 on the day

– Austin Wulff was 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored

– Logan Rycraft was 1-for-6 with a walk and a run scored. He stole a base inthe sixth inning.

– Joseph Hietpas go the start and went 5.0 innings, allowing four runs on four hits. Only three of the runs were earned.

– Austin Battaglia faced four batters and did not allow a hit or a run in relief.

Key Northwest Innings
– Fort walked to begin the game in the first and after an out, came around to score on Hererra’s double to right.

– In the foruth, Hererra walked to lead off the frame but was forced out on a Holler fielder’s choice. With one down, Handzlik launched his first homerun of the year to put give Northwest the lead, 3-2.

– In the fifth, with one down, Fort singled to center field. Adams then tallied his first homerun of the year down the left field line to extend the Bearcat advantage to 5-3.

– Wulff led off the eighth with a walk and went to third on a Hrdlicka single. Rycraft grounded out to second but Wulff was able to score on the play to tie the game, 6-6.

– In the top of the 15th inning, Rycraft walked to lead off and went to second on Fort’s sacrifice bunt. Adams was hit by a pitch but was forced out on a fielder’s choice by Herrera, allowing Rycraft to reach third. With one down, Holler singled to center, scoring Rycraft for a 7-6 lead. A Handzlik walk loaded the bases and a wild pitch with Figg at bat allowed Herrera to score from third. Figg doubled to left, scoring Handzlik and Holler to put Northwest up, 10-6.

Up Next
– The Bearcats will face Truman State on Saturday at noon in a neutral site contest in Arkadelphia, Ark.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University softball team went 1-1 at the Arkansas-Monticello Division II Softball Challenge in Bentonville, Ark.

– The Bearcats fell in the first game at Memorial Park to Arkansas Tech, 6-0, but rebounded to beat Arkansas-Monticello, 9-2, in the afternoon.

Game One Headlines (Arkansas Tech 6, Northwest 0)

– The Golden Suns scored six runs on eight hits to beat the Bearcats in the first game, 6-0.

– It was Northwest’s first game of the year while Arkansas Tech improved to 4-1.

Game One Key Statistics
– Abigail Gilson was 1-for-1 with two walks.

– Chantel Adams was 1-for-3.

– Torri Blythe and Kiana Baderdeen each went 1-for-4 in game one.

– Alexis Kelsey drew two walks.

– Rachel Smith got the start and went 5.2 innings. She allowed five earned runs on six hits. she struck out four batters while walking just three.

– Taylor Blackford allowed one hit and recorded the final out of the sixth inning.

Game Two Headlines (Northwest 9, Arkansas-Monticello 2)

– The Bearcats scored nine runs on 10 hits with three errors. The Cotton Blossoms scored two runs on six hits with no errors.

– Northwest scored five runs in the first, one in the third, one in the fifth and two in the seventh. Arkansas-Monticello scored single runs in the fourth and seventh innings.

– Freshman Kaitlin Weis was 2-for-4 on the day with five RBIs and a run scored, launching her first home run of the year in the first inning.

Game Two Key Statistics
– Torri Blythe went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Blythe had a single, double and a triple on the afternoon.

– Baderdeen was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored.

– Jessica Rawie and Alexis Kelsey each went 1-for-3 with an RBI, a run scored and a walk.

– Rebecca Maher was 1-for-3 with a run scored and a walk.

– Adams drew three walks and came around to score a pair of runs.

– Holly Posegate got the start and went a complete 7.0 innings. She struck out two with two walks. She allowed just one earned run on six hits.

Up Next
– Northwest will face Harding University on Saturday at 10 a.m., followed by a 1 p.m. game against Henderson State