By David Boyce

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State’s men’s basketball team gave a near-capacity crowd of 2,297 at Bearcat Arena a performance Thursday evening that emphatically showed why its ranked No. 6 in Division II.

The Bearcats beat No. 18 Augustana, the defending national champions, 82-71 and gained a bit of revenge from last season. A year ago, Augustana beat Northwest by two points in Sioux Falls in a mid-November game and later ended the Bearcats’ season with another two-point win in the Central Regional championship game in Sioux Falls.

“This was great, what I have been waiting for the whole year,” said junior Chris-Ebou Ndow, who finished with 16 points. “This was the team that beat us out. We had the whole summer to think about it.”

Right away, Northwest, 3-0, made sure it wasn’t going to lose another heartbreaker. The Bearcats bolted to a 24-point halftime lead.

“It felt good to finally play on our home court and playing Augustana,” said junior guard Justin Pitts, who finished with 24 points and six assists. “We focused on coming out strong and executing the scouting report and doing all the things right.

“We knew Augustana was going to make a run back because they are a great team. We just had to tough it out.”

Augustana has too much pride to get blown off the court. The Vikings scored the first 11 points to start the second half and closed to 45-32. Ndow ended the run with a three-pointer.

“That was just what we needed,” Ndow said. “They were starting to catch up. We didn’t come out with the energy we wanted in the second half. It was good we made a few shots and stopped the bleeding.”

After that brief scare, it was back to showtime Bearcats with Pitts orchestrating the entertaining offense.

One play that brought Northwest football players Jack Young and Edward Richey out of their courtside seats was when Anthony Woods went in for a spinning layup that gave Northwest a 60-42 lead with 11:17 remaining in the game.

Young and Richey were one of many student-athletes from all the sports who showed up and cheered loudly for the Bearcats. In fact, it looked like over half the Northwest student population was inside Bearcat Arena rooting for their school.

“I particularly noticed Jack Young,” Pitts said. “Jack is crazy. He is hilarious.”

In addition, recent former players were in the stands as were several parents of former players, proving the point: Once A Bearcat Always A Bearcat or OABAAB.

One longtime professor at Northwest said he couldn’t remember a bigger crowd for a November non-conference game.

“This was great,” Ndow said. “This was the kind of atmosphere you see at the end of the season. To have the first home game of the season have that many people was great. We love the support of our fans.”

The fans had plenty to cheer, especially when the Bearcats created a little drama when Augustana closed to 72-62 with just over 3 minutes remaining.

Northwest responded with a three-pointer from senior Zach Schneider making it 75-62. A little later, Pitts essentially put the game away with a three-pointer that increased the lead to 80-64 with 1:47 left.

Augustana closed to 81-71, but only 40 seconds remained in the game. The only negative for Northwest came in the final minute when the Bearcats missed a few free throws. But it didn’t matter. Northwest maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half.

“We knew they would make a run coming out of half,” Northwest coach Ben McCollum said. “I knew they would make it, but I didn’t want them to make it because of our lack of effort. I thought it was some of our lack of effort and some of the adjustments they made at halftime. It was a little bit of both.

“We have enough experience to withstand it, but we want to make sure we build our leads.”

Northwest played close to perfect in taking a 45-21 lead into halftime. The Bearcats played suffocating defense. They made three-pointers and fed off the energy provided by the fans.

“We were really locked in and really into it, just in sync with each other,” McCollum said. “We can play at a high level when we are like that. We have to make sure we do that all the time.”

It started well for Northwest and only got better. The first basket came from junior forward Brett Dougherty. Woods added a free throw several seconds later for a quick 3-0 lead.

After Augustana scored, Pitts drilled a three-pointer and that signified he was on his game.

Because Augustana was also playing solid defense, the Vikings stayed close. They trailed only 8-7 when the Bearcats exploded offensively. It started with the return of Ndow, who missed the first couple of games due to sickness that caused him to lose 10 pounds.

Ndow immediately looked hungry for points. He put the Bearcats up four on a three-pointer and after a stop, Ndow slammed home a dunk, giving Northwest a 13-7 lead. He followed that with two free throws.

“It felt great,” Ndow said. “I felt it came at the right time, kind of when the team needed it. Just being out there again felt great.”

Northwest’s lead ballooned to 20-7 on a three-pointer on a corner three-pointer by junior Xavier Kurth.

The Pitts shooting show came with a little over 3 minutes left in the first half. The shot clock was winding down. He was closely guarded near NBA three-point range. It didn’t matter. He lofted a high-arching three-pointer that softly fell through the nets, making it 35-19. He followed it with an even longer three-pointer that made it 38-19.

Freshman Ryan Welty joined the three-point spree with a trey, giving Northwest a 41-19 lead. Against a high-quality opponent, Northwest couldn’t have performed any better. The Bearcats shot 63 percent from the field, including eight for 13 from three-point range for 61.5 percent. Northwest also held Augustana to 34.6 percent from the field.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University women’s basketball team picked up a 69-55 win over Bellevue University on Wednesday evening at Bearcat Arena in Maryville, Mo.

– Northwest improves to 3-0 on the year. The game for Bellevue was counted as an exhibition. Bellevue is in the program’s first year.

– Arbrie Benson scored a career-high 16 points and also set a career mark with five assists. She tied a career high with six rebounds.

– Tanya Meyer led all scorers with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting. She grabbed seven rebounds with one steal.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest shot 50 percent from the field (25-of-50) and hit 9-of-21 (42.9 percent) from beyond the arc.

– The Bearcats also hit 10-of-12 from the charity stripe (83.3 percent).

– Northwest never trailed in the game and led by as many as 23 points late in the third quarter.

– At halftime, the Bearcats led the Bruins, 35-22.

– Taryne Shull finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. She had two steals and two assists. She was 4-of-4 from the charity stripe and hit a pair of three pointers.

– Macy Williams dished out six assists with a pair of steals.

– Jasmin Howe was 4-of-8 from the field, finishing with nine points and six rebounds. She also had four assists and a steal.

– Mallory McAndrews hit both of her three-point attempts, scoring six points for the Bearcats.

Key Northwest Sequence
– With time winding down in the first half, a scramble and a ball on the floor led to an open three point look for Howe who knocked it down with eight seconds to go to give Northwest a 35-22 lead. After halftime, the Bearcats stayed hot, getting a layup and a three-pointer from Benson to go up, 40-22. After an empty posession by both teams, Meyer hit a layup with 7:00 to go in the third to make it a 20-point lead, 42-22.

Up Next
– Northwest will host Rockhurst University on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 3 p.m. at Bearcat Arena in Maryville, Mo.

— Northwest Athletics —

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University head women’s basketball coach Buck Scheel has announced the signings of six student-athletes to the Bearcats’ 2017-18 roster. The six-member class includes Kylie Coleman (Waukee HS), Jaelyn Haggard (St. Joseph Central HS), Zoie Hayward (Leavenworth HS), Mallory McConkey (South Nodaway HS), Bailey Owens (North Mercer HS) and Tamia Stillman (St. Joseph Benton HS).

“My staff and I are very excited about this signing class and feel they will be a great addition to the foundation of this program,” said Scheel. “All of these young ladies have experienced a large amount of success throughout their high school careers and will have a tremendous impact on the program both on and off the court. Throughout each signees recruiting process they have already started to buy in to what it means to be a Bearcat and we look forward to them being a part of our future.”

Owens, a 5-10 guard, was the 2016 Wendy’s Heisman State winner and was an All-State performer in each of her first three years. She has earned all-district, all-Northwest District, All-HDC Conference and KAAN Radio All-Star honors all three seasons as well. In 2016, she earned St. Joseph News Press first team honors. In three years, she has scored 1,658 points and has hit 293 three pointers, second most in Missouri High School history and just 26 away from the record. She has hit a three pointer in 44 consecutive games and knocked down 123 three pointers last year, the second highest mark in history. Through her junior year, North Mercer has gone 82-4.

Coleman, a 5-9 guard, won an Iowa 5A state title in 2015 at Waukee High School. The sharpshooter hit 49 three pointers last year, connecting on 43.4 percent of her attempts. She also hit 88.9 percent of her free throw attempts. For her career, Coleman has knocked down 77 three pointers and was named All-CIC East honorable mention last year.

Haggard, a 5-7 guard, has been named all-city, all-district and all-conference each of the past three seasons at St. Joseph Central High School. She was named to the Liberty North All-Tournament team twice and also garnered North Kansas City Tournament MVP honors twice.

Hayward, a 5-8 guard helped lead Leavenworth High School to a pair of Kansas 5A titles and a runner-up finish last season. She’s played in every one of Leavenworth’s 75 games since her freshman year, starting 30 times. She was a Sunflower League honorable mention performer as a junior, averaging 8.0 points, 2.8 assists and 2.3 steals per game while hitting 35.71 percent of her long range attempts. The team has gone 67-8 during her prep career.

McConkey, a 5-8 guard, scored 1,000 points as a junior, earning KAAN and KKWK-KMRN Radio All-Star team honors. She was a unanimous Platte Valley All-Conference performer and earned first team all-district honors from the Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. She was also named All-County by the Maryville Daily Forum and the Nodaway News Leader.

Stillman, a 5-11 forward, was a second team All-City performer for St. Joseph Benton High School. She was named to the All-Tournament teams at the State Farm Holiday Hoops Classic in Jefferson City and the Kearney Bulldog Classic last year. She earned all-district and all-conference honorable mention accolades as a junior.

Northwest Missouri State University softball coach Ryan Anderson has announced two additions to the Bearcats’ 2018 roster. Hunter Sherman joins Northwest from Bradley-Bourbannis Community High School in Bourbonnais, Ill., while Lynnlee Parrott has signed from Sherwood Cass-R-VIII High School in Garden City, Mo.

Sherman, a pitcher and a first baseman, recorded 25 wins and 287 strikeouts in the past two seasons. She had a sub-2.0 ERA both years, leading her team to a 2015 Southwest Suburban Conference Tournament title. She played for team USA twice, taking trips to the Dominican Republic and Holland. As a senior, she hit .333 with a pair of home runs, leading her team to a record 22 wins. Sherman was a member of the National Honor Society, was named to the Dean’s list and served as her class Vice President. She lettered four times in softball and volleyball.

“Hunter is a tall, strong pitcher that has a lot of upside,” said Anderson. “She visited and had a good workout for us last year and we hope that she is someone that can help us right away.”

Parrott was a four-time first team All-Crossroads Conference performer, earning first team All-State accolades as a junior and again as a senior. She set a multitude of offensive school records including single season hits (57), singles (49), doubles (15) and runs scored (42). She also holds the team’s career records in runs scored (123), single (125), doubles (27) and hits (160). She won back-to-back district titles and also won sectionals as a junior. Parrott earned four first team all-district and all-region honors as well.

“Lynnlee is one of those players that you love to have on your team,” Anderson said. “She isn’t going to be outworked and she just wants to compete. We are excited to get her here.”

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team fell to Central Oklahoma, 3-0, on Tuesday evening at the Hamilton Field House in Edmond, Okla. in the first round of the MIAA Tournament.

– No. 25 ranked Northwest finishes the season with a 22-9 overall record. The Bronchos, ranked No. 9 in the nation, improved to 30-3.

– The 22 wins are the most by a Northwest team since the 1999 squad’s 25-11 overall record.

– Maddy Bruder had 12 kills for the Bearcats. She tallied six digs and one block, defensively.

Key Northwest Statistics
– The Bearcats fell in three sets by scores of 25-20, 25-20 and 25-22.

– Miranda Foster had 14 digs and eight kills. She also tallied four blocks and one assist.

– Olivia Nowakowski tied Foster for a team-best 14 digs. She had three service aces in the match.

– Jackie Becker had eight kills to go along with five blocks. She also had three digs and one assist.

– Alexis Williams had eight kills and one dig.
– Sarah Dannettell recorded 31 assists, seven digs, one block and one kill.

Key Northwest Sequence
– The Bearcats jumped out to an early lead in the second powered by a 7-1 run. Down 7-5, Foster and Williams put away back-to-back kills to tie the match, 7-7. After a Broncho attacking error, Williams put away a kill to give Northwest a two-point lead, 9-7. UCO would get a point back but Williams came up with another kill to push the lead back to two. Becker put away a kill and then combined with Dannettell on a block on the next play to give the Bearcats a four-point advantage, 12-8.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team picked up a 76-58 win over Wayne State University on Sunday in St. Joseph, Mo.

– The No. 6 ranked Bearcats improved to 2-0 on the year while the Wildcats fall to 1-1.

– Xavier Kurth recorded his first career double-double, grabbing 11 rebounds while scoring 10 points. He added two assists and a pair of blocks.

– Justin Pitts had 21 points, hitting 8-of-12 field goal attempts. He had seven rebounds, a team-high six assists and a pair of steals.

– Anthony Woods had 20 points, connecting on 7-of-9 shooting. He had four rebounds, two steals, an assist and a blocked shot.

Key Northwest Statistics
– The Bearcats shot 52.1 percent from the field (24-58) while holding Wayne State to just 35.3 percent shooting (18-51).

– Northwest led by as many as 22 and never trailed.

– The Bearcats led 45-27 at halftime.

– Down low, the Bearcats had 32 points in the paint compared to just 20 for the Wildcats.

– Zach Schneider had nine points, hitting a pair of three pointers. He added an assist and a steal in the effort.

– Brett Dougherty grabbed seven rebounds, scoring six points with a blocked shot.

Key Northwest Sequences
– The Bearcats started the game on an 18-3 run. Pitts scored 19 seconds into the game and Northwest never looked back. Woods scored seven points in just over a three minute span. Brett Dougherty capped the run with a layup off an assist from Woods for his sixth point of the game with 11:53 to go in the opening half.

– At the end of the first half, the Bearcats got a layup from Pitts to go up 39-22 with 2:44 left. After Wayne State failed to convert a foul shot, Schneider was fouled on a three-point attempt and calmly knocked down all three foul shots go go up by 20, 42-22. The Wildcats missed a three pointer on the other end and Woods hit a jumper with 1:15 left for his 11th point of the half, doubling the score, 44-22.

Up Next
– Northwest will host defending national champion Augustana on Thursday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. at Bearcat Arena in Maryville, Mo.

— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Other than junior Chris-Ebou Ndow missing the opener because of sickness, the Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team were healthy, wealthy with made baskets and wise with its suffocating defense.

While not perfect, the Bearcats bolted to a 24-point halftime lead late Friday afternoon against Upper Iowa in the 25th annual Hillyard Tip-Off Classic at the MWSU Fieldhouse.

Northwest rode its comfortable halftime lead to an 87-52 victory and very much looked like the team deserving of its No. 6 ranking in the NABC preseason basketball poll. A year ago, Northwest lost 76-72 to Upper Iowa.

“This was a good start for us,” said Northwest junior forward Brett Dougherty, who finished with eight points and six rebounds. “It was kind of a revenge game because we lost to them last year. In the past, we kind of had some slow starts to the season.”

The Bearcats scored the first five points in the first half and never trailed, taking a commanding 46-22 lead into halftime.

Stifling defense was the key reason Northwest built a double-digit lead, particularly in the opening 10 minutes when only Pitts managed to knock down shots.

While the Bearcats were working on their offensive rhythm, they completely stopped Upper Iowa on the other end of the court. The Peacocks went 8 for 25 from the field in the first half for 32 percent.

“I thought we played pretty well on defense, especially the first half,” Dougherty said. “We did a good job on ball screen and coverage. In the second half, we didn’t have as much energy but I thought we played pretty well.”

Defense allowed Northwest to turn a 5-3 lead to 18-7 advantage. Offensively, Pitts was on fire from the outside, knocking down four three-pointers and scoring 16 of the first 18 points.

Amazingly, Pitts, who finished with a game-high 31 points, entered MWSU Fieldhouse wondering about his shot.

“I was a little nervous,” said Pitts, who went 11 for 16 from the field. “All week I don’t think I made a three, maybe even a shot in practice so coming into this game, I was nervous. But I hit the first couple of shots and I felt comfortable after that.”

As the first half progressed, more Bearcats found their offensive mojo, particularly Dougherty. Back-to-back baskets in the paint by Dougherty helped Northwest extend its lead to 25-13.

With 2:44 left in the first half, another notable moment occurred for Northwest. Freshman forward Ryan Welty, a graduate of Park Hill South in Kansas City, scored his first points in a Bearcat jersey. It was a three-pointer that increased Northwest’s lead to 37-17.

“I had some butterflies going in, but the coaches and players really helped me out during the week, and they did a really good job of getting me prepared for the game,” said Welty, who finished with 12 points.

“It felt good when I finally put it through the hoop because I missed the first two and I don’t like to miss three in a row.”

Less than a minute later, senior Zach Schneider pulled out his specialty, the four-point play. The three-pointer plus the made free throw off the foul by Schneider put Northwest up 41-19.

Northwest finished the half making 16 of 33 shots for 48.5 percent. The Bearcats were even hotter from behind the arc, making nine of 17 for 52.9 percent.

“We really executed our game plan, No. 1 and No. 2, I thought our rotations were good on defense and we guarded the ball,” Northwest coach Ben McCollum said. “We got deflections. Defense I thought was the key to the game.”

The Bearcats continued to play well in the second half. One play that stood out was a steal followed by a fast break that was pass driven between Pitts and Woods and it led to a layup by Woods plus a foul shot. The successful three-point play gave Northwest a 71-42 lead with 8:21 left in the game. Woods finished with 16 points.

Even with a big lead, the Bearcats continued to hustle, getting back to disrupt a fast break opportunity by Upper Iowa. Northwest rewarded itself by turning that defensive stand into a three-point bucket by Welty, his fourth of the game. It gave Northwest a 76-43 lead with under 6 minutes remaining.

“He played really well,” Dougherty said of Welty. “Ryan does the right things. He plays hard and plays his role. We do a good job of finding shooters and he can definitely shoot it.”

It was an eventful first game for Welty, who fouled out of his first game with 4 minutes left.

“That is something different for me,” Welty said. “I am not used to fouling out.”

Overall, Northwest played so well that the reserve players were able to play the final 5 minutes of the game and they made plays. Sophomore Dray Starzl knocked down a three-pointer with 3 minutes left that gave Northwest an 81-47 lead.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University women’s basketball team picked up a 78-70 season opening win over Ouachita Baptist on Friday night at the Meyer Sports Center in Bolivar, Mo.

– The game was the season opener for both programs. It was also the first all-time meeting between the two programs from the MIAA and the GAC.

– Junior Tanya Meyer set career highs with 31 points, 11 made field goals and six three-pointers made. She also grabbed five rebounds, two coming on the offensive end.

– Taryne Shull had a career-high 11 rebounds for Northwest, four of the offensive variety. She added five points in 35 minutes of work with a steal.

– Northwest outrebounded Ouachita Baptist, 35-24, and had 16 total assists.

Key Northwest Statistics
– The Bearcats shot 46.4 percent (26-56) from the field and hit 11 three pointers. Northwest was 15-of-17 at the charity stripe, hitting at an 88.2 percent clip.

– Northwest grabbed 12 offensive rebounds which turned into 11 second-chance points. The Tigers only managed four second-chance points.

– Jasmin Howe knocked down three long range jumpers, finishing the night with 17 points, two rebounds and two assists.

– Macy Williams scored 12 points in 39 minutes. She tied a career-high with six assists and did not commit a foul. She set a career-high with seven made free throws.

– Alexa Schaaf also set a career-high with six assists in the game. She grabbed a pair of rebounds with a steal.

Key Northwest Sequences
– The Bearcats got off to a quick start, beginning the game with a 7-0 run. Meyer hit a three-pointer off an assist from Williams just 38 seconds into the game for a 3-0 lead. Half a minute later, Howe made a layup to push the lead to 5-0. After a second missed Tiger three pointer, Meyer hit a jumper to put Northwest up, 7-0.

– At the end of the first quarter, Northwest got five quick points as Meyer hit a three pointer to put the Bearcats up by eight, 21-13. A missed jumper by Ouachita Baptist led to a Northwest possession with 45 seconds left. Meyer would miss a three but Shull picked up the offensive board and hit a layup to put the Bearcats up, 25-13 to end the first quarter.

– The Tigers tied things up 44-44 early in the third quarter but Northwest went on a 14-6 run to pull ahead by eight. Williams broke the tie at the 7:20 mark with a three pointer. Meyer hit a jumper to make it a five-point lead, 49-44. Ouachita answered back with a jumper but Meyer converted an conventional three-point play, making the layup and drawing a foul to push the lead up to 52-46. After a miss by the Tigers, Benson drew a foul and hit a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 54-46. Ouachita Baptist got a layup to cut the lad to 54-48 but Williams knocked down a pair of free throws and Carlie Willhelmi converted a layup to put the Bearcats up by eight, 58-50, with 3:01 left in the third quarter.

Up Next
– Northwest will face off with Henderson State on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 8:15 p.m. in Bolivar, Mo.

— Northwest Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – Five members of the Missouri Western women’s soccer team earned All-MIAA honors Wednesday.

The 2016 All-MIAA team includes the Missouri Western soccer team’s first-ever first team selection, Cassidy Menke. Menke was joined on the All-MIAA list by third team selection Bailey Dervin and honorable mentions: Ashlyn Powers, Paige Phipps and Taylor Gant.

Menke set an MWSU single season record with nine goals in the regular season and ranks third in the MIAA in goals scored. The sophomore forward’s 19 points this season are also a new single-season record as are her six game winning goals.

Dervin is in the midst of her best season as a Griffon. The senior mid-fielder scored a career-high three goals in the regular season, and a career-high seven points, while playing in 18 games and taking 15 shots on goal. It was Dervin’s first All-MIAA selection.

Powers repeated as an honorable mention. The defender has played in all 18 games this season and has been credited with 16 shots.

Phipps returned to the All-MIAA squad after being selected as an honorable mention in 2014. The junior defender played in 15 games this season. She had one assist and four shots.

Gant became Griffon soccer’s first three-time All-MIAA selection. The senior defender started all 18 games this season and has started all but one game in her Griffon career.

Missouri Western makes its third-straight MIAA Tournament appearance Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Hays, Kansas.

2016 ALL-MIAA SOCCER TEAM
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jada Scott, F, Central Missouri

CO-DEFENDERS OF THE YEAR
Emily Eldridge, D, Central Missouri
Hannah Smith, MF, Fort Hays State

GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
Ana Dilkes, GK, Central Missouri

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Izzy Romano, MF, Northwest Missouri

COACH OF THE YEAR
Craig Shaw, Fort Hays State

FIRST TEAM
GK: Ana Dilkes, Jr., Central Missouri^
D: Emily Eldridge, Jr., Central Missouri**^
D: Bailey Schmitz, Jr., Fort Hays State
D: Kayla Hamner, Sr., Central Missouri
MF: Taylor Thompson, Jr., Central Missouri**@
MF: Hannah Smith, Sr., Fort Hays State
MF: Kat Roe, Jr., Lindenwood
MF: Megan Woolley, Jr., Central Missouri
F: Jada Scott, So., Central Missouri**%
F: Katie Killion, So., Central Oklahoma%
F: Julia Mathis, Jr., Northeastern State
F: Kelsey Steffens, Jr., Fort Hays State
F: Cassidy Menke, So. Missouri Western
^=2014 & 2015 First Team Selection
@=2014 First Team Selection
%=2015 First Team Selection
Results reflect tie in the voting
**Unanimous Selection

SECOND TEAM
GK: Abbie Flax, So., Fort hays State
GK: Jordan Woodruff, Sr., Northeastern State
D: Rebecca Gleason, Jr., Northeastern State
D: Kelsey Gordon, Fr., Central Oklahoma
D: Taryn Schnell, So., Fort Hays State
MF: Eden Stoddard, Jr., Fort Hays State
MF: Izzy Romano, Fr., Northwest Missouri
MF: Caitlin Moore, So., Central Oklahoma
F: Hannah Pyle, Sr., Central Missouri
F: Anastasia Robinson, Sr., Northeastern State
F: Thayla Dwyer, Jr., Fort Hays State
F: Becky Roberts, Jr., Lindenwood

THIRD TEAM
GK: Yadira Rivera, Sr., Emporia State
D: CheyAnn Queener, Sr., Fort Hays State
D: Jaide Allenbrand, Jr., Emporia State
D: Kenzie Sublett, Sr., Central Oklahoma
D: Miranda Huebner, Sr., Lindenwood
MF: Baylie Edwards, Jr., Central Missouri
MF: Bailey Dervin, Sr., Missouri Western
MF: Elin Hammar, Sr., Southwest Baptist
MF: Kelsey McIntyre, Sr., Northeastern State
F: Asha Haile, Fr., Central Oklahoma
F: Mikayla Lowery, Jr., Central Oklahoma
F: Emily Stauffer, Jr., Washburn

HONORABLE MENTION
Central Missouri: Allysa Gann, D.
Central Oklahoma: Courtney Essary, MF.
Emporia State: Maria Walden, MF; Tanna Benefiel, MF.
Fort Hays State: Hannah Jurgens, MF; Dani Harris, MF; Jasmine Beaulieu, MF.
Lindenwood: Jackie Lindner, MF.
Missouri Southern:.Ronise Miller, D; Carly Cecil, D; Bailey North, MF; Taylor Beck, F.
Missouri Western: Ashlyn Powers, D; Paige Phipps, D; Taylor Gant, D.
Nebraska-Kearney: Allie Prososki, GK; Marika Van Brocklin, D; Kelsie Ienn, D; Tori Weber, MF; Carly Brown, MF.
Northeastern State: Rachel Gleason, NSU.
Northwest Missouri: Hannah Goetz, D.
Washburn: Kaitlin Minnich, GK; Cadence Bourne, D; Morgan El-Attrache, MF.

— MWSU Athletics —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University’s Izzy Romano was named the MIAA’s Women’s Soccer Freshman of the Year in a press release by the conference office on Wednesday. Romano was also named to the All-MIAA Second Team while teammate Hannah Goetz garnered All-MIAA Honorable Mention accolades.

Romano and Goetz each started all 17 matches for the Bearcats. Romano led the Bearcats with 14 points, finishing atop the MIAA with six assists. She had four total goals as well, tying for the team lead with Danielle Wolfe. Her 2.88 shots per game ranked fifth in the conference this season. She becomes the first Bearcat in program history to earn Freshman of the Year honors.

Goetz logged 1,505 total minutes on the Northwest back line, ranking second on the team. She was part of three clean sheets for the Bearcat defense which also allowed just one goal on five different occasions. She had four shots on the year, one coming on goal.

— Northwest Athletics —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team was ranked sixth in the 2016-17 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Pre-Season Poll which was released on Tuesday. The Bearcats received 270 votes after finishing 27-6 last season, winning the MIAA’s regular season and tournament titles. West Liberty (W.Va.) was first in the poll with 394 votes.

For the third straight year, the Bearcats reached the NCAA’s Central Regional Championship game. Northwest returns four starters off last year’s squad including MIAA Player of the Year Justin Pitts. Ben McCollum enters his eighth season at the helm, compiling a 141-70 career mark. The Bearcats were picked first in the 2016-17 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll.

Washburn was only other MIAA team to receive votes, getting eight in the initial poll. Northwest begins the season on Friday, Nov. 11, against Upper Iowa in St. Joseph, Mo., at 3 p.m. The home opener for the Bearcats will be on Thursday, Nov. 17, against defending NCAA champion Augustana at 7 p.m. The Vikings were ranked No. 18 in the poll.

— Northwest Athletics —