KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Small College Basketball has narrowed down its Watch List for the Bevo Francis Award of 2019 to 25 of the finest men’s basketball players in the country who compete in the affiliations of NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA Division I, NAIA Division II, USCAA and NCCAA.

Northwest Missouri State senior Joey Witthus (Chanhassan, Minnesota) and redshirt freshman Trevor Hudgins (Manhattan, Kansas) have both made the list on the cut down to the top 25 players.

Witthus, the MIAA player of the year and most outstanding player at the MIAA tournament, is averaging a team-best 20.9 points per game and shooting 50.5 percent from the field. Witthus has buried an-MIAA high 100 three-pointers, and he is shooting 45.5 percent from beyond the three-point arc. Witthus also leads Northwest in free throws made (133) and his shooting 84.2 percent from the free throw line.

Hudgins, the MIAA freshman of the year, is scoring 18.7 points per game and handing out 5.3 assists per game. Hudgins is shooting 53.7 percent from the field, including 48.0 percent from three-point range. Hudgins is making 81.8 percent of his free throws and tied the all-time MIAA record for consecutive free throws made at 36. Hudgins has scored 20 or more points 17 times this season. He has set the Northwest and MIAA freshman scoring record with 599 points.

This marks the fourth season of the Bevo Francis Award, as the award was previously given to Dominez Burnett of Davenport (Mich.) in 2016, Justin Pitts of Northwest Missouri State in 2017 and Emanuel Terry of Lincoln Memorial last season.

“On behalf of our National Awards Committee, the University of Rio Grande and Sheward Fulks Insurance, I congratulate the 25 players that have made the Watch List for the Bevo Francis Award.

“We have done a tremendous amount of research to create this very elite list. There are so many worthy candidates, and this is an extremely challenging process. This list consists of players that have been fantastic this season, have helped led their respective teams to a high level of success and fit the criteria for the Bevo Francis Award very well. Sincerely, we congratulate each and every one of them!”

Members of the Bevo Francis Award committee include the following coaches: Tobin Anderson – St. Thomas Aquinas (N.Y.), Gerald Holmes – Bloomfield (N.J.), Gary Stewart – Stevenson (Md.), Arlen Galloway – Wentworth (Mass.), Chris Briggs – Georgetown (Ky.), Bill Dreikosen – Rocky Mountain (Mont.), Klint Pleasant – Rochester (Mich.), Ryan Kane – Ripon (Wisc.), Mark Berokoff – Hillsdale Baptist (Okla.), Mike Donnelly – Florida Southern, Rhett Soliday – Vanguard (Calif.), Sam Hargraves – Alma (Mich.) and Ryan Looney – Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.).

The committee chose this elite group from over 1,100 colleges and universities and took into consideration individual statistics, previous awards, milestones and team success.

The list will next be narrowed down to the finalists that will be announced in a highlight video on April 6.

The 2019 Bevo Francis Award winner will be announced on April 8. The award will be presented to the winner on May 11 at the SCB National Awards Show in conjunction with the SCB Alumni Association’s Celebration of the Game event at the Crowne Plaza in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

Small College Basketball is very grateful to the University of Rio Grande and Sheward-Fulks Insurance for their sponsorship and support of the Bevo Francis award.

— Northwest Athletics —

Northwest Missouri State University head women’s basketball coach Austin Meyer has announced the addition of a fifth signee for the 2019-2020 recruiting class.

Chase Pfanstiel is a 5’7″ guard from Omaha, Nebraska. Pfanstiel averaged 14 points per game, 4.0 rebounds per game, 4.0 assists per game and shot 38 percent from three-point range for Millard West High School.

As a junior, Pfanstiel set the school record for assists in a season (108) as she earned all-state honors for head coach Marc Kruger.  Pfanstiel also played AAU for the OSA Crusaders and head coach Jason Ryan.

In addition to basketball, Pfanstiel helped Millard West to a district title in soccer and helped the squad become a state final contender.  She is an honor roll student and a four-time academic letter recipient.

2019-20 Bearcat Women’s Basketball Signees
Kayla Chapman           5’9″       G             Treynor, Iowa (Treynor HS)
Jayna Green                6’1″       G/F          Omaha, Nebraska (Millard North HS)
Savannah Guenther    5’11”      G             Grayslake, Illinois (Grayslake North HS)
Chaise Pfanstiel          5’7″        G             Omaha, Nebraska (Millard West HS)
Paityn Rau                  6’2″         F             Waukee, Iowa (Waukee HS)

Northwest Missouri State University senior closer Trevor Dudar has been named the MIAA Co-Pitcher of the Week for her performance in a three-game sweep of Southwest Baptist.

Dudar (Stillwater, Minnesota) recorded a save in all three of Northwest’s one-run wins over Southwest Baptist. He pitched 3 2/3 innings in the three games, gave up two hits, one earned run and struck out five batters.

Dudar came in during the eighth inning and got a five-out save in a 9-8 win in game one vs. SBU.

Dudar pitched the ninth inning of game two and struck out a pair in giving Northwest an 8-7 victory. Dudar struck out the side in order in the ninth on Friday in game three of the series to preserve a 2-1 Northwest victory.

As a result of his three saves, Dudar became the school’s all-time saves leader with 18. He was the Division II leader last season with 14 saves.

— Mizzou Athletics —

The undefeated Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team earned the No. 1 seed for the NCAA Central Region of the 2019 NCAA Division II Tournament.

The Central Region will take place March 16 (four games), March 17 (two games) and March 19 (regional final) in Bearcat Arena in Maryville, Missouri. It is the third straight season that Northwest will serve as the region’s host.

Northwest will be taking part in its 19th NCAA tournament. It is the Bearcats’s seventh trip to the NCAA Tournament under 10th-year head coach Ben McCollum. The Bearcats are 32-0 in 2018-19 and have won six consecutive MIAA regular season titles to go with the four straight MIAA tourney crowns. Earlier Sunday, Northwest secured the MIAA’s automatic bid the regional with an 82-53 win over Washburn in the tournament championship game.

Northwest will match up against No. 8 seed Minnesota State, Mankato, on Sat., March 16, at 6 p.m. in Bearcat Arena.

The Elite Eight will be held in Evansville, Indiana, on March 27-30 at the Ford Center.

Tickets for the regional can be purchased online starting at 10 p.m. Sunday evening. All seating for the regional will be general admission. Fans can purchase single session tickets in person at the Cashiering office. The Cashiering office, located on the first floor of the Administration Building, will be open until from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets early.

Single session tickets can be purchased for $12 each for adults and $7 for students. Children 2 and under are free per NCAA policy. The ticket office will open 1 hour and 15 minutes prior to the start of each session.

NCAA Central Region
1. Northwest Missouri State (Host)
2. Northern State
3. Washburn
4. St. Cloud State
5. Southern Nazarene
6. Missouri Southern State
7. Southeastern Oklahoma
8. Minnesota State

Saturday, March 16
Noon: No. 3 Washburn vs. No. 6 Missouri Southern (Session 1)
2:30 p.m.: No. 2 Northern State vs. No. 7 Southeastern Oklahoma State (Session 1)

6 p.m.: No. 1 Northwest Missouri vs. No. 8 Minnesota State, Mankato (Session 2)
8:30 p.m.: No. 4 St. Cloud State vs. No. 5 Southern Nazarene (Session 2)

Sunday, March 17
5 p.m.: Semifinal 1
7:30 p.m.: Semifinal 2

Tuesday, March 18
7 p.m.: Regional Championship Game

— Northwest Athletics —

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – The No. 1-ranked Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team became the first MIAA school to win four consecutive tournament championship titles with an 82-53 triumph over Washburn University.

The 29-point margin is the largest ever in an MIAA Tournament championship game. The previous largest margin of victory in a title contest was a 26-point win by Pittsburg State over Missouri Southern in 2015 (91-65).

Northwest (32-0 overall) shot 50.9 percent from the field and made 14 three-pointers en route to the crown. Redshirt freshman Trevor Hudgins scored a game-high 27 points and dished out eight assists.

Senior Joey Witthus tallied 25 points and became a member of Northwest’s 1,000-point scoring club. Witthus has recorded 1,019 points in two seasons as a Bearcat. Witthus did a lot of the heaving lifting in the opening half as he poured in 18 points in the opening 20 minutes.

“I think it’s extremely special,” head coach Ben McCollum said. “When you are 32-0 and now you’ve won four straight tournaments with six straight regular season – it’s unheard of. Being 32-0 with younger kids and a group that didn’t have a lot of experience that says a lot about the kids in our program their mental toughness. The reason it’s so difficult, because human nature sets in. It is so difficult to fight human nature with youth.”

Northwest led 39-25 at the break. The Bearcats led by as many as 34 points in the second half.

NOTES: Northwest has won 29 consecutive neutral floor games … Northwest has won eight MIAA Tournament titles overall – the most in the league’s history … Joey Witthus was named the tournament MVP … Trevor Hudgins earned a spot on the all-tournament team.

— Northwest Athletics —

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – The No. 1-ranked Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team advanced to the program’s 14th MIAA Tournament championship game with an 86-69 victory over the Lincoln University Blue Tigers on Saturday at Municipal Auditorium.

Northwest matched the program’s best ever start to a season with victory No. 31. The 1929-30 Bearcats finished their season at 31-0 under head coach Henry Iba.

All five Northwest starters scored in double figures with senior Joey Witthus (23) and freshman Diego Bernard (21) leading the way. It’s the first time since Jan. 31 against Pittsburg State that Northwest had five players reach double figures. Redshirt freshman Trevor Hudgins scored 17 points, handed out seven assists and tallied five steals.

Lincoln (18-12 overall) scored the game’s first six points only to see Northwest come roaring back with a 27-2 run. Northwest buried four of its first five three-point attempts and turned a 6-0 deficit into a 27-8 lead with 12:37 left in the opening half.

The Bearcats led by as many as 22 in the opening 20 minutes at 43-21 with 1:16 left before halftime. Northwest would lead 43-26 at the break.

Northwest extended the lead back to 22 points in the second half at 60-38 on a three-pointer from sophomore Ryan Hawkins with 14:36 to play in the game. Lincoln would pull to within 14 points on two occasions in the second half, but could get no closer.

Northwest shot 50.0 percent from the field, while limiting Lincoln to 43.9 percent shooting. Northwest out-rebounded Lincoln, 38-31.

Northwest will take on the winner of the Washburn-Pittsburg State game in Sunday’s MIAA Tournament championship game. Tip is set for 1 p.m. at Municipal Auditorium.

NOTES: Northwest has won 28 straight games on neutral floors – the longest active streak in the nation … Northwest has won a league-best seven MIAA Tournament titles … Northwest will look to become the first MIAA school to win four straight postseason tournament crowns on Sunday.

— Northwest Athletics —

BOLIVAR, Missouri – The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team completed a three-game road series sweep of Southwest Baptist with a 2-1 victory on Friday afternoon.

Sophomore pitcher Max Spitzmiller had a strong showing on the mound for the Bearcats (9-10, 5-4 MIAA), tossing seven innings while giving up one earned run on six hits and striking out seven Southwest Baptist hitters.

For the two squads, scoring runs was very hard to come by. Southwest Baptist finally broke the scoreless tie in the third inning after senior catcher Hunter Hisky hit an opposite field home run down the right field line. This would be Southwest Baptist’s only run scored on the afternoon.

Northwest evened it up in the sixth with a run of its own. Senior outfielder Derek Hussey led off with a single to center field. Hussey advanced to second on a ground out by senior infielder Logan Rycraft. With one out, senior catcher Jay Hrdlicka hit his sixth double of the season to right center, scoring Hussey.

Junior Ethan Griswold and freshman Max Ross both pitched in the eighth for Northwest, neither allowing a hit. Griswold walked two, but Ross got out of the jam with a strikeout.

The Bearcats scored the go-ahead and winning run in the top of the ninth when senior catcher Alixon Herrera crossed home plate on an RBI single by sophomore infielder Matt Gastner.

Senior pitcher Trevor Dudar walked onto the mound in the ninth to complete his fourth save of the 2019 season. Dudar struck out the side to end the ball game.

NOTES: Hrdlicka notched his third three-hit game of the season … Hrdlicka is currently on a five game streak reaching base … Northwest has five players with 20 or more hits this season in Hrklicka (24), Hussey (24), Connor Quick (23), Herrera (22) and Mondesi Gutierrez (20) … Dudar has struck out 15 batters in 10 1/3 innings worked this season.

— Northwest Athletics —

TAHLEQUAH, Oklahoma – The Northeastern State University Riverhawks completed a two-game series sweep of the Northwest Missouri State University softball team on Friday afternoon.

Northeastern State notched a 6-1 win in the opener. The Riverhawks tallied a 10-1 victory in six innings on the second game of the day.

GAME ONE
The Bearcats tallied six hits in the opening game but could not push across a run against Northeastern State starting pitcher Gail Young. Young struck out five and walked three.

Northwest’s Olivia Daugherty went for 3-for-3 at the plate and Kiana Baderdeen went 2-for-3 to tally five of the Bearcats’s six base hits.

GAME TWO
Northwest scratched four hits and a run in the back half of the doubleheader. However, Northeastern State turned a 2-1 game into a 10-1 victory with an eight-run sixth.

Northeastern took the 1-0 lead in the first. The Bearcats answered in the top of the fourth with an RBI from Karli Allen that plated Sydne Brashear.

Up next for the Bearcats will be a scheduled home series against Southwest Baptist on March 15, Central Missouri on March 16 and Missouri Western on March 19. Stay tuned to Northwest athletics for the latest schedule changes.

NOTES: Kaitlyn Weis leads the squad with a .417 average, 4 home runs, and 12 RBI … Regan Thompson leads with a 4.20 ERA in six plate appearances.

— Northwest Athletics —

PITTSBURG, Kansas – Northwest began competition at the 2019 NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships today in Pittsburg, Kansas. Kevin Schultz kicked off the meet for the Bearcats with his events in the heptathlon. He is currently second, with three events remaining tomorrow. He has 3,117 points and trails the leader Valentin Charles (Texas A&M-Kingsville) by 135 points. He ran a 60m of 7.34s, long Jump of 7.09m, shot Put of 11.76m and a high jump of 2.13m.
Omar Austin qualified for the finals of the 400m with the seventh-best prelims time (47.48). Austin placed twelfth in the 200m prelims (21.69). Marcus Klein placed 13th in the long jump of 7.22m and Karim Achengli placed ninth in the 5,000 meters with a run of 14:15.27.

For the women, Jordan Hammond placed fourteenth in the 60m hurdles with a run of 8.94 seconds and Mercedes Isaacson-Cover placed tenth in the long jump with a jump of 5.71m.

Tomorrow Hammond will start her pentathlon at 10 a.m. with the 60m hurdles. Schultz will compete in the conclusion of the heptathlon which begins at 12 p.m. with the 60m hurdles. Issacson-Cover will start the triple jump at 5:55 p.m. and Austin will compete in the 400m finals at 6:10 p.m. The Bearcats will close the meet with the men’s 4x400m relay at 8:00 p.m.

— Northwest Athletics —