By David Boyce, Northwest Athletics

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball team saw its 20-point lead in the third quarter against Lincoln quickly slip to 10 when the quarter ended Thursday evening at Bearcat Arena.

Fresh in the Bearcats’ memory bank was the last game when a 15-point lead at Pittsburg State in the third quarter turned into a loss.

Northwest was determined to prevent that from happening again. The Bearcats understand they need to win the majority of their remaining games to grab one of the final spots in the MIAA Tournament.

Despite some hot shooting by Lincoln in the final 4 minutes of the game, Northwest executed its offense to perfection, leading to points in the paint from senior Tember Schechinger and junior Shelby Mustain that allowed the Bearcats to maintain at least a six-point lead.

“We knew we couldn’t let go,” said Schechinger, who finished with a game-high 23 points and 12 rebounds. “We kept our composure the whole game and that really helped us.”

Four free throws by freshman Macy Williams in the final minute and then a steal by Mustain with less than 30 seconds left sealed a 73-63 victory for Northwest.

“We wanted it,” Schechinger said. “We are hungry for any win we can get. I feel we let Pitt State beat us. We had that game. We need to carry this win to tomorrow’s practice and into Saturday’s game.”

In the end, Northwest led from start to finish, playing one of its most complete games of the season.

The Bearcats wasted little time building their lead to 20 on a basket by Schechinger early in the third quarter that made it 44-24. Northwest held a 49-29 lead when Lincoln made its push.

The Tigers scored the final 10 points in the third quarter, but Northwest opened the fourth quarter with two free throws by sophomore Tanya Meyer, who finished with 14 points.

Lincoln kept battling and closed to 63-57 and that’s when Schechinger made a basket. The Tigers came right back with a basket.

“It was frustrating,” Schechinger said. “We score a layup and then they would score a layup. It makes you mad at yourself. You feel you have to go and make up on the other end.”

Northwest did exactly that. The Bearcats always had an answer. Mustain scored, making it 67-59. It became obvious at that juncture that Northwest wasn’t going to lose the game.

“Once we got into the half court, I knew with what we were running and how they were guarding us, we would be able to get those looks,” said Northwest interim head coach Buck Scheel. “That is what got us going in the first half. In the first half, we finished with 22 points in the paint. I knew going into this game we would have this advantage inside.”

It was a complete team effort. Like Schechinger, Mustain had a double-double, scoring 10 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. It was the first time since Jan. 19, 2013 that multiple Northwest players had double-doubles in the same game.

In the first half, Northwest scored the first seven points in the game, maintained its solid play through both quarters and went into halftime ahead 35-20.

The Bearcats excelled on both ends of the court, limiting Lincoln to seven field goals. Offensively, Northwest went 14-for-31 for 45 percent.

“We played really hard and I think that helped us on offense,” said junior Jasmin Howe, who finished with 13 points. “We got good stops against a good team and that gave us confidence going to offense.”

Keying the offense was the play of Macy Williams and Taylor Shull, both of whom found Schechinger cutting to the basket for layups. Schechinger scored 10 points in the first half.

Meyer also benefitted from solid guard play, scoring seven points before the break. It was the consistent offense that allowed the Bearcats to hold the lead the entire first half.

Early on, Lincoln made three ridiculously long three-pointers that brought the Tigers to within two at 11-9. But those bombs never rattled the Bearcats. Northwest scored the next seven points and increased its lead to 18-9. Northwest finished the first quarter with a 22-13 lead.

The Bearcats kept attacking at the start of the second quarter. Leading 24-15, Northwest got a basket by Schechinger, followed by another field goal from Mustain and then a three-pointer by Bailey Smith that gave Northwest a 31-15 lead.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team picked up an 81-74 road victory at Pittsburg State on Saturday afternoon at John Lance Arena in Pittsburg, Kan.

Sophomore Justin Pitts had a game-high 26 points, going 8-of-11 from the charity stripe with three assists and a pair of steals.

The Bearcats took the lead for good at the 16:22 mark of the second half and never trailed after that.  Northwest held a 33-29 advantage at halftime.

Conner Crooker reached double figures with 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting with a perfect 6-of-6 mark from the charity stripe. He also grabbed four rebounds and added two assists.  Chris-Ebou Ndow recorded his third straight game in double figures with 18 on 7-of-10 shooting. He also recorded his third straight game with

Northwest shot 54 percent from the field (27-of-50) and finished the game 20-of-26 from the charity stripe (76.9 percent)

Pitt State held a 27-25 rebound advantage. The Bearcats had nine turnovers but forced 14 Gorilla miscues. Northwest scored 28 points off of Pitt State turnovers.

Northwest went on a 17-4 run midway through the first half sparked by Pitts who had seven points in a stretch of just over five minutes. Schneider contributed a three and the run was capped by Ndow hitting a pair of jumpers to put the Bearcats up 27-13 with 7:01 left in the half. During the run, Pitt State was just 2-of-7 shooting and committed a pair of turnovers.

Northwest finished the last 3:19 of the contest by scoring 17 of the game’s final 30 points to take the win. Pitts and Crooker found themselves at the line frequently in the closing minutes. Crooker hit all six of this attempts while Pitts knocked down four free throws.

Northwest returns to Bearcat Arena on Thursday, Feb. 4 for a 7:30 p.m. MIAA contest against Lincoln University.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University women’s basketball team fell to Pittsburg State, 74-66, at John Lance Arena in Pittsburg, Kan., on Saturday afternoon.

Senior Tember Schechinger recorded the 10th double-double of her career with a season-high 24 points and 15 rebounds.

Pittsburg State had a 30-7 rally in the fourth quarter after Northwest built a 15 point lead.

Junior Tanya Meyer had 15 points and five rebounds. She tied a season-high with three three-pointers. It was her 10th game this year scoring in double figures.

Junior Jasmin Howe finished the game with 11 points and four rebounds. It was her eighth game scoring in double-figures and the fourth time this year she has hit three or more three pointers.

The Bearcats held the Gorillas to 41.3 percent shooting (26-of-63). It was the fifth straight game Northwest has held an opponent to under 43 percent shooting.

Northwest finished the first half on a 15-3 run that continued into the start of the second half. Howe hit a trio of three pointers in the final four and a half minutes of the second quarter to help spark the Bearcats. Northwest tied the game 28-28 on a Shull layup. After Howe hit her second three, Pitt State tied it with a long range bomb of their own to tie the game, 31-31 with 1:02 remaining. How would hit another three the next trip down and after a defensive stop, Bailey Smith knocked down a jumper as time expired to give the Bearcats a 36-31 lead into halftime. Northwest would score the first four-points on a Schechinger layup and a Shull jumper.

Late in the third quarter, Northwest went on a 9-0 run as Schechinger, Shull and Meyer all hit key buckets to put the Bearcats up 15 points, 57-42. Schechinger hit a jumper and Shull followed it with a bucket to make it 52-42. Schechinger hit a pair of free throws and after another missed PSU shot, Meyer knocked down a three pointer to make it 57-42.

The Bearcats return home for an MIAA contest against Lincoln University on Thursday, Feb. 4, at 5:30 p.m.

— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce, Northwest Athletics

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State’s men’s basketball team played an ok first half. The Bearcats led most of the time and took a slim two-point lead into halftime against Missouri Southern.

But the Bearcats needed to rev up a couple more gears to beat Southern and maintain sole possession of first place in the MIAA.

Northwest found that higher level in the first 5 minutes of the second half and rode that spurt to a 76-75 victory over the Lions Wednesday evening in front of 1,472 fans at Bearcat Arena. The win lifted Northwest to 14-5 overall and 11-3 in conference.

“First of all, give credit to Missouri Southern,” said Northwest sophomore Justin Pitts. “They fought us hard at home.”

It was going to take a solid second half to put away the Lions, who fell to 11-9 and 8-6. Southern senior Taevaunn Prince was determined to hit his scoring average of 26.5, and he was more than halfway there after 20 minutes. And sophomore Charlie Brown tossed in six quick points with a 1 minute, 30 seconds left to keep Southern in striking distance.

So it was a good thing that Northwest started the second half outscoring the Lions 13-4 to build a 49-38 lead.

“It was huge,” said Northwest sophomore Chris-Ebou Ndow. “To start the game, we got off to a good start and then let up and let them get back into the game.”

At halftime, Ndow said coach Ben McCollum emphasized that they needed to get off to a good start in the second half and keep it.

“We did that,” Ndow said.

The Bearcats remained in control over the next 10 minutes and appeared to be in good shape when Pitts tossed an inside pass to Ndow for a layup that gave the Bearcats a 65-54 lead.

After Southern scored, Pitts did the same thing again. This time junior D’Vante Mosby benefitted from the slick pass and made a layup to once again put the Bearcats up 11.

“It all started on defense,” Pitts said. “We knew at halftime we had to buckle down. For me, I had to be more aggressive on offense and get my teammates involved and play with a pace that we all know we are capable of.”

Southern fought hard the rest of the way, forcing Northwest to make plays in the final minute to secure the win. Perhaps the biggest basket of the game for the Bearcats came with 23.9 seconds left. A nifty layup by Pitts gave Northwest a 73-69 lead.

The Lions, though, wouldn’t die. Prince’s final points came when he banked in a three-pointer with 2 seconds left to pull Southern within one. All Northwest needed to do was get the ball in play to win. Prince finished with 31 points.

“He is a very good player,” Pitts said. “We had to buckle down and try to stop him. He can create his shot anytime he wanted to.”

Northwest had a more balanced attack, getting 21 from Pitts, 17 from Ndow and 11 from sophomore Brett Dougherty.

In the first half, Northwest built 10-point leads of 16-6 and 23-13, but couldn’t sustain it. The Bearcats went into halftime with a narrow 36-34 lead.

The Bearcats had trouble stopping Prince, who went five for eight from the field and scored 14 points in the first half. Ndow nearly matched him, making four shots in six attempts and scoring 11 points.

Northwest was strong from the outside, going five for 10 from behind the arc. The Bearcats’ problems came with trying to slice through the zone defense. Several times they turned the ball over and a few other times they had their shot blocked. Southern had six blocks in the first half.

Despite those hiccups, Northwest only trailed 4-0 at the start of the game and they quickly bounced back from that early deficit by scoring the next 11 points.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball team lost to Missouri Southern Wednesday evening in Maryville, 57-47.

The Bearcats fall to 3-17 this season and 1-13 against MIAA opponents, while the Lions improved their record to 14-6 overall and 8-6 in the conference.

Northwest led by as many as nine points in th first half and held MSSU to just six baskets in the first half (26.1 percent, 6-for-23).

Tanya Meyer led the way with 14 points.  Meyer added two offensive rebounds and one steal.  Tember Schechinger grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds, including nine in the first half. The senior dropped in nine points, making this the first time in her 102 game career she reached double figures in rebounds but not points. It also ends a 10-game double-digit scoring streak for the Manilla, Iowa native.

After quickly falling behind by four, Northwest used a 15-2 run to take a nine-point lead. Jasmin Howe tied the game with 28 seconds to play in the first period with a three-pointer after a pass from Taylor Shull. Tanya Meyer put the Bearcats in front, 12-10, early in the second frame with a nifty layup. Shull hit a pull-up jumper on the next possession, followed by a short-range jumper from Meyer after two more defensive stops. After a pair of Lion free throws, Tember Schechinger drilled a trey from the top of the key on a pass from Howe. Mustain finished the run with a pair of free throws, putting Northwest in front, 21-12, with four minutes to play in the first half. The Bearcats held MSSU without a field goal for eight minutes, eight seconds during that stretch.

The Bearcats will head out on their second-to-last road trip of the regular season Saturday when they travel to play at Pittsburg State in Pittsburg, Kan. First tip against the Gorillas is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce, Northwest Athletics

MARYVILLE, Mo. – With 10 minutes, 30 seconds left in the game, Northwest Missouri State junior forward Zach Schneider received extended applause.

The 1,254 fans at Bearcat Arena early Saturday evening clapped when Schneider’s long three-pointer gave Northwest a 24-point lead and caused Fort Hays State to call timeout.

The timeout gave the public address announcer the opportunity to inform the crowd that Schneider’s basket made him the all-time three-point leader in Northwest school history. It was his 216th trey, putting him ahead of Northwest current associate head coach Austin Meyer.

“It was pretty cool, especially in front of the home crowd, but I was just happy about the win, honestly,” said Schneider, who knocked down six three-pointers and finished with 18 points.

Schneider wasn’t the only one hot from the outside. Senior Conner Crooker and sophomores Justin Pitts and Chris-Ebou Ndow also made multiple three-pointers.

Because the Bearcats excelled on defense, too, their 77-55 victory over Hays was probably their best all-around game since they beat Central Oklahoma by 19 on Jan. 2.

The win lifted Northwest to 13-5 overall and 10-3 and alone in first in the MIAA.

Since Jan. 2, Northwest has lost only once, but the Bearcats had games when they squandered leads. That didn’t happen Saturday against Hays. Northwest entered the second half with a 36-24 lead. Like the first half, Schneider started the second half with a three-pointer, which quickly pumped Northwest’s lead to 39-24.

“That was the coach message at halftime,” Schneider said. “That is one of our weaknesses. Sometimes we let teams crawl back in the game. This is going to help us down the stretch, closing out teams.”

Northwest kept rolling after it quickly moved its advantage to 15 points. The Bearcats got a stop and Ndow drained a long three-pointer that forced Hays to call a timeout barely a minute into the second half.

“Guys like me and D’Vante Mosby are starting to find our rhythm with the team,” said Ndow, who finished with 12 points. “As soon as we start getting into a rhythm with the team, we can be really good because guys like Zach, Pitts and Conner have been here for awhile. They know how to move the ball.

“It definitely helps when Zach shoots the ball like he did today. It opens everything up for the other guys.”

Several minutes the 52-34 lead, Crooker took over when Hays closed to 46-33. Crooker hit a three-pointer and followed that with consecutive two-point field goals that increased Northwest’s lead to 53-33. Crooker finished with a game-high 19 points.

The only drama left was when Schneider was going to break Meyer’s record. Schneider took care of that with more than 10 minutes left in the game.

“I came into such a great situation,” Schneider said. “The coaches put me in a great spot. The five seniors set screens and looked for me my freshman year. The situation I was put in I was built to succeed. That’s the best part about it.”

Meyer was happy for Schneider.

“He is a team guy,” Meyer said. “He wants to win. That’s what we all want to do. He works as hard as anybody. He is in the gym at 7 a.m. getting shots in and after practice getting shots in. He is a heck of a lot better three-point shooter than I ever was, and there is a reason for that. He works extremely hard for it.”

Northwest opened the game with five straight points and never trailed in the first half. The Bearcats held a 36-24 lead at halftime.

Schneider started the game with a three-pointer, which was a great sign for him and the Bearcats. Through most of December and part of January, Schneider struggled with his outside shooting. He broke loose on Thursday with several clutch three-pointers.

“The first semester I kind of shorted it up a bit,” Schneider said of his outside shooting. “It was coming off in different ways. I put it back on my fingertips. It feels good, like it did last year and my freshman year. I’m ready to roll for the rest of the year.”

Schneider was hot from the start on Saturday. His second three-pointer gave Northwest a 10-5 lead, his third one made it 26-14 and his fourth one in the first half put the Bearcats ahead 29-16.

As a team, Northwest shot well from the field, hitting 12 of 24 shots for 50 percent while holding the Tigers to 35 percent shooting.

Strong defense and good offense allowed Northwest to hold a double-digit lead the last 7 minutes of the first half.

— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce, Northwest Athletics

MARYVILLE, Mo. – For three quarters, Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball team nearly matched the No. 3 team in the country point-for-point. The Bearcats entered the fourth quarter trailing by just three to Fort Hays State.

But Northwest gave up the next seven points at the start of the final quarter and never recovered from it, falling 61-46 to Hays Saturday afternoon at Bearcat Arena.

“We can play with anybody when we are locked in,” Northwest interim head coach Buck Scheel said. “Defensively, for the most part, we played pretty solid.”

The Bearcats showed plenty of fight late in the third quarter when it trailed 38-31. The game appeared to be slipping away when a basket by senior Tember Schechinger, followed by two free throws by junior Shelby Mustain, pulled Northwest to within three at 38-35 to close out the third period.

Hays junior Jill Faxon shifted the momentum back to Hays at the start of the fourth quarter with a three-pointer. Hays added two more baskets, which gave them a 45-35 lead.

“We just can’t have that,” said Schechinger of the three-pointer. “No matter what point in the game, we can’t have that happen.”

The 10-point deficit was too much for the Bearcats to overcome against a team that is holding opponents to 55.7 points per game.

“We were struggling to get into a flow,” Scheel said. “We were getting looks, but we were passing up shooting opportunities and passing up post-entry opportunities. That’s not how we’ve been playing. We were very passive on offense and that let to our turnovers.”

Northwest didn’t help its cause by turning the ball over 30 times compared to only nine turnovers for Hays. The Tigers also pulled down 15 offensive rebounds. That combination allowed Hays to take 23 more shots.

“Offensively, we were just giving them the ball and more opportunities and they were capitalizing on those opportunities,” Scheel said. “Twenty-two points off of turnovers is going to hurt you.”

The focus for the Bearcats shifts to their next game. They will play at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at home against Missouri Southern. It was at Southern on Dec. 9 that the Bearcats started to gain confidence in their ability with a five-point loss.

“The Missouri Southern game turned us around as a team,” said Schechinger, who finished with her sixth double-double this season (13 points, 11 rebounds). “I think this is a game we can definitely get. If we don’t get it, it is going to be a big deal.”

Northwest played a gritty first half and went into halftime trailing only 27-23 against the highly-ranked Tigers.

The Bearcats showed their spunk late in the first quarter when they gave up six straight points and stared at a 13-7 deficit. Scheel called timeout. Northwest regrouped and scored the final five points in the first quarter and the first four points in the second quarter for a 16-13 lead.

Hays answered with the next six points to grab a three-point advantage. The Bearcats stayed close the rest of the second quarter, even pulling to 25-23 with less than a minute left in the quarter.

Both teams played solid defense. Northwest shot 37 percent from the field in the first half and Hays made 36 percent of its shots.

Schechinger played well in the first half for the Bearcats, making three of four shots from the field and pulling down five rebounds.

— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce, Northwest Athletics

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State’s men’s basketball team entered the final 4 minutes of its game against Nebraska-Kearney trailing by four points. The Bearcats needed to execute their offense to perfection in their final few possessions to pull out the win.

Northwest made each of those possessions count and came away with a thrilling 83-78 victory Thursday evening in front of 1,738 fans at Bearcat Arena.

“We made big plays and finally playing at home with the crowd here, it was fun going out playing for them,” said sophomore Justin Pitts, who scored a team-high 23 points. “It was a fun environment.”

The win lifted Northwest to 12-5 overall and 9-3 and in first place in the MIAA.

It looked a bit bleak for the Bearcats when they faced a 74-70 deficit. The Lopers were riding the energy of their leading scorer, senior forward Connor Beranek, who entered the game averaging 24.9 points per game.

At times, he was unstoppable inside and other times he was finding an open teammate who knocked down the shot. Beranek finished with 32 and senior forward Ethan Brozek added 23.

“He (Beranek) is really good,” said Northwest junior Zach Schneider. “He’s the player of the year coming back. He didn’t have a great game last year coming here. We knew coming in he was going to be a problem.

“Brozek is a first team All-MIAA. He is playing at that level this year. Their front line is tough. They are all really good. We obviously got to work on guarding guys like that because we are going to see other players like him down the stretch. I have nothing but respect for him. He is an awesome player.”

Junior Anthony Woods started the final 4-minute comeback with a tip in off a missed shot, making it 74-72.

After a stop, Schneider hit perhaps the biggest shot of the game for the Bearcats. He received a pass from Pitts behind the arc and drilled a three-pointer that gave Northwest a 75-74 lead with 1:47 remaining in the game.

“We went with a jet screen with J.P and me and they were having trouble switching that and that’s when I got wide open on that three and luckily I knocked it down,” said Schneider, who finished with 17 points, going five for six from behind the three-point arc.

“I haven’t been shooting it great this year. That was all the emotion coming out when I hit that shot. It was the biggest shot I hit in awhile. I can’t tell you how good that felt.”

Northwest solidified its lead with another basket by Woods, giving the Bearcats a three-point lead with 1:12 left.

“Woods had a huge cut to the middle and had a great finish,” Schneider said.

Nebraska-Kearney pulled to within one on two free throws by Beranek.

Senior Connor Crooker answered for Northwest with a basket, pushing the Bearcats’ lead back to three at 79-76 with 34 seconds remaining. Twenty seconds later, Crooker made two free throws to give Northwest an 81-76 lead.

“We just trusted each other,” Schneider said. “This game was awesome. You are out there and you have nothing but respect for them, but you want to beat their butts, also. That was one of the most fun games I’ve played this year.

“Our mental toughness was what came out. We kept grinding and kept grinding and we finally got those two big stops at the end and got that score. That is what it is all about.”

Northwest led nearly the entire first half, but the Bearcats had to fight hard to stay ahead. They went into halftime with a slim 35-32 lead.

For most of the half, Northwest held either a two or a three-point lead. The Bearcats had one spurt, which was fueled by a three-pointer from Schneider, that gave the Bearcats a 30-23 lead.

Northwest’s lead increased to eight at 31-23 when Beranek fired up his team with some quick points and provided emotional energy. In a blink of eye, the Lopers were down just one at 31-30.

The Bearcats scored the next four points late in the first half, which allowed them to go into halftime ahead.

— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce, Northwest Athletics

MARYVILLE, Mo. – One play that exemplified the unified effort by Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball team occurred with 4:08 left in the third quarter.

Junior guard Jaylah Jackson found junior forward Shelby Mustain cutting to the basket. Jackson threw a perfect pass that led to a wide-open layup by Mustain. The play gave Northwest a 21-point lead Thursday evening at Bearcat Arena.

Northwest coach Scheel didn’t remember the play nor did senior Tember Schechinger. But Mustain, who was the recipient of several great passes, sure did.

“They were doing a great job,” said Mustain, who went six for eight from the field for 13 points. “We were patient. That was the biggest thing for us. We didn’t need to come down with 25 seconds on the clock and try to get a quick score.

“The guards were moving the ball and looking for their shots, too. I would step in or any post would step in and they were finding us and we were putting it in the basket.”

The Jackson-to-Mustain play caused Nebraska-Kearney to call timeout. But nothing was going to slow Northwest down from grabbing its first MIAA conference win of the season. In dominating fashion, Northwest beat Nebraska-Kearney 62-32 at Bearcat Arena. It was the fewest points Northwest has allowed since Nov. 11, 1998 (81-30 vs. William Penn).

“It feels great,” Mustain said. “Obviously, we had some dogfights earlier. It is nice to come in front of our fans and get a big win in conference. I don’t care what team it is, in the MIAA it is going to be tough.”

After the timeout, Northwest responded with a three-pointer from freshman Macy Williams. Williams showed hard work pays off. Two hours before the game, Williams was alone on the court, working on her dribbling and shooting. Williams, who scored the first basket for Northwest, ignited a 15-0 run in the first quarter.

“I’ve always done that since I was younger,” said Williams, who made both her shot attempts. “I like to get in there and get a feel for the gym and the atmosphere. It is different from practice. The bleachers are out. I try to get my mind right and focused.”

The victory by the Bearcats was truly a team effort. After Williams’ three-pointer that increased Northwest’s lead to 44-20, Mustain and sophomore Tanya Meyer each scored, putting Northwest ahead 48-20.

Williams said the Bearcats expected to win, just like all their other games.

“We were really excited after the game,” Williams said. “Losing is like a dagger in the heart. It is not like we stumbled upon and won. We have been expecting to win every single game. To finally get it is a totally different type of satisfaction.”

The Bearcats went into the final quarter with a 48-23 lead. They didn’t have to worry about last minute execution because they won the game by the way they played in the first three quarters.

Schechinger delivered the exclamation point on the victory when she hit a three-pointer with 44 seconds left for the final points of the game.

“I’m just extremely proud of the girls for carrying out the game plan and taking care of what we needed to do,” Scheel said. “I felt our past two or three days of practice were really good.

“I knew prepping for Kearney they (Lopers) were going to have a tough time playing with us with just how our presence in practice was carrying over day by day. I knew offensively we would be able to get good looks. Our guards did a great job of getting it in the post.”

Now the goal for Northwest is to bottle up this performance and unleash it again Saturday afternoon when Fort Hays State, one of the top teams in the MIAA, plays at Bearcat Arena. Tipoff is at 1:30 p.m.

“We have to have the same focus and not get comfortable,” said Schechinger, who finished with a game-high 20 points. “We have to keep taking steps. Like coach said in the locker room, this is the start of our climb. I really think we can carry this momentum over to practice tomorrow and bring that energy to Saturday and really give Fort Hays a tough time.”

Northwest gave up the first four points of the game, went on a 15-0 run and cruised into halftime with a commanding 29-12 lead.

The Bearcats were tough on defense in both quarters, allowing just six points to the Nebraska-Kearney in each 10-minute period. It was the fewest points Northwest gave up in a quarter and a half this season. The Lopers were four for 21 from the field for 19 percent.

“We were just working hard,” Schechinger said. “We wanted them to fight for anything they were going to get. We knew that our defense would lead to our offense so we wanted to focus on that.”

The good times started rolling for Northwest when Meyer hit a three-pointer as the shot clock was winding down. The trey gave the Bearcats a 5-4 lead. Senior Taylor Shull made a basket followed by a field goal from Jackson, making it 9-4.

When Schechinger hit a three-pointer, she became the fourth different player to score during the run. The run concluded with a three-pointer by Jackson.

Northwest took a 15-6 lead into the second quarter and proceeded to duplicate the first quarter, outscoring the Lopers 14-6. Seven of the eight players who saw action for Northwest in the first half scored.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team withstood a late rally to knock off Washburn on the road, 62-56.

The Bearcats improve to 11-5 this season and remain tied atop the MIAA standings at 8-3. The Ichabods, meanwhile, fall to 10-6 overall and 6-5 against conference foes.

Anthony Woods led the team with 16 points.  Conner Crooker chipped in 15 points and three assists. The senior scored 11 of his points after intermission, helping the Bearcats maintain the lead.

Northwest held the Ichabods to 35 percent shooting on the day (21-for-60). The Bearcats knocked down 46.9 percent of their shots (23-of-49).  The Bearcats were dominant in the paint, outscoring Washburn 38-20 while blocking four shots.  Northwest grabbed 10 more rebounds than the Bods, 41-31.

The Bearcats took control of the game early on, scoring nine of the first 11 points. After Washburn dropped in a bucket on its first possession, Zach Schneider quickly answered with a three-pointer from the left corner. Anthony Woods laid in a basket with the right hand on the next possession. Chris-Ebou Ndow followed with emphatic slam after Brett Dougherty grabbed an offensive board. Anthony Woods added a jumper in the paint, giving the Bearcats a 9-2 lead four minutes into the game.

After the Ichabods closed the gap to 12-7 over the next few minutes, Northwest scored 14 straight to grab a commanding 26-7 lead. Crooker hit short jumper from the right side before Dray Starzl made a steal. Dougherty battled for a layup and made the ensuing free throw after getting fouled two possessions later, followed by another left-handed finish down low for the sophomore forward. Later, Schneider knocked down a triple from the right wing and Ndow made a second-chance layup to round out the five minute, 39 second scoring run.

The Ichabods narrowed the margin to two with just under ten minutes to play, but the Bearcats fought back with a 15-3 run to all but seal the decision. Woods opened the rally with a jumper from the right elbow with 9:01 to play before Crooker dropped in a floater in the lane. Woods made the score 47-39 with a nifty turnaround jumper from close range and followed that up by drilling a three from the right wing two possessions later. Dougherty’s back-to-back layups with 3:13 to play stretched the lead to 56-42.

The Bearcats will return home to face off with Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday, Jan. 21. Tipoff is tentatively set for 7:30 following the women’s contest at 5:30.

— Northwest Athletics —