INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team secured the MIAA’s automatic bid to the 2015-16 NCAA Championship Tournament on Sunday afternoon by winning the program’s fifth MIAA Tournament title. The Bearcats earned the Central Region’s No. 2 seed behind top seeded and host Augustana. The MIAA will have three representatives in the tournament. Along with Northwest, Nebraska-Kearney is the fourth seed and will face Fort Hays, the fifth seed.

Northwest’s first round game against No. 7 seed Ouachita Baptist is scheduled for Saturday, March 12, in Sioux Falls, S.D. The second round will be on Sunday, March 13 and the Sweet 16 round will be on Tuesday, March 15. The National Championship Elite Eight will be held in Frisco, Texas, starting on March 23rd. Northwest has advanced to the Central Region championship game each of the past two seasons.

Northwest is making its 16th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and the fourth appearance under head coach Ben McCollum (4-3 overall). McCollum, who is in his seventh season, was named the MIAA Coach of the Year after leading the Bearcats (25-5, 19-3) to the outright MIAA regular season title and MIAA Tournament title. Justin Pitts was named the MIAA Player of the Year and earned first team All-MIAA honors.

NCAA Central Region
1. Augustana (host)
2. Northwest Missouri
3. MSU-Moorhead
4. Nebraska-Kearney
5. Fort Hays State
6. MSU-Mankato
7.Ouachita Baptist
8. Harding

— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce, Northwest Athletics

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The math was elementary in Northwest Missouri State’s 61-53 victory over Nebraska-Kearney Sunday afternoon the championship game of the MIAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Municipal Auditorium.

All five players on the court for the Bearcats posed a danger to score.

“At this point I don’t even notice it because we do it in our sleep and in practice every day,” said Northwest junior Zach Schneider, who scored 11 points. “I go back and watch film and it is awesome the way we share the ball. It is tough to stop us when we do that.”

In contrast, Nebraska-Kearney had one player and when he picked up his fourth foul with 11:35 left, the Lopers were done. By the time Connor Beranek returned with just over 6 minutes left, Northwest held a 48-34 lead.

No way were the Lopers going to make up that ground against the best team in the MIAA.

“This means a lot,” Northwest coach Ben McCollum said. “Our kids have won a lot, but we haven’t won this. We needed to win in a tournament setting where it is three days, handling everybody’s runs and everybody’s best shots. We played three really good teams. I’m very proud of our team.”

It was the first conference tournament title for Northwest since the 2007-08 season when Hunter Henry scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

Showing that Northwest family spirit, Henry, who is now a teacher at his alma mater Shawnee Mission West, was in attendance to watch the Bearcats win their 15th straight game. Northwest heads into the Central Regional as one of the hottest teams in NCAA Division II.

“Anytime you can come into this building and win three games in three days, it is a huge accomplishment,” Henry said. “It is awesome to see Ben and Andy (Peterson) and some of the players I played with.

“This is one of the best Bearcat teams I have seen. Obviously, Justin Pitts was outstanding and Zach Schneider can shoot the ball. But they just guard so well. They keep you in front. They don’t foul you. They are really disciplined. It is good to see that group of guys have success.”

McCollum said players like Henry and others before him are the ones who started it.

“Culture never graduates,” McCollum said. “Our kids have embraced that and embraced the past and the history of the program and want to carry on that tradition.”

The victories have come in bunches because on the court the Bearcats are a tight-knit family. During the 15-game winning streak, each one of the starters has had a couple of games where they were the offensive star.

On Sunday, it was sophomore point guard Justin Pitts, who scored 20 points and consistently got other teammates involved.

“He is definitely the best player in Division II,” said Northwest sophomore Chris-Ebou Ndow. “It is great having him on the team. If he wants to, he could get 40 if he wanted to. He is an unselfish player. He wants to get assists, too and he does that every game.”

One example of it came early in the second half when Pitts found D’Vante Mosby cutting to the basket. Mosby converted the layup and gave Northwest a 38-26 lead.

“It is great, especially in today’s day and age,” McCollum said about his team sharing the basketball. “Kids today just don’t do that, they don’t necessarily want each other to do well. Our kids genuinely want each other to do well. They want the team succeed.”

The Bearcats increased their lead to 40-26 on a basket by junior Anthony Woods. Beranek responded with two straight baskets but then he picked up his fourth foul with the Lopers trailing 40-30.

“He is one of the top players in conference,” Schneider said. “He was conference player of the year last year. Chris and Anthony did an unreal job on him. But it was definitely big when he picked up his fourth foul.”

Over the next 7 minutes, Northwest maintained a 10 to 12 point lead. And when Nebraska-Kearney finally cut its deficit to nine, Schneider hit a three-pointer that increased the Bearcats’ lead to 53-41 with 2:23 left.

The Lopers were in scramble mode and closed to 56-51 with about a minute left. Pitts was fouled and he made both free throws for a seven-point lead.

In the end, Beranek won the battle of game-high scorer with 31 points, but Northwest won the game because Pitts, Schneider, Ndow, Conner Crooker and Brett Dougherty were all scoring threats. Stop one and four others will step up the Bearcats.

“This is a special group of guys,” Ndow said. “I wouldn’t ask for any other teammates. We are so together on and off the court. I love being a part of it.”

In the first half, Northwest made Nebraska-Kearney work hard for every basket and was efficient on offense and that added up to a 32-22 lead.

The Bearcats never trailed in the first half, taking a 6-1 lead on two baskets by Crooker and one by Pitts. Northwest maintained at least a three-point lead the rest of the half.

After Nebraska-Kearney closed to 10-7, the Bearcats went on a 8-2 run for an 18-9. Three different players scored the eight points for Northwest. The Bearcats slowly extended their lead to 32-20 late in the first half. For the half, Northwest shot 55.6 percent from the field, going 15 for 27.

— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce, Northwest Athletics

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum always says winning the first game of a postseason tournament is difficult.

Five minutes into the second half, it looked like the Bearcats were going to prove him wrong. They held a 14-point lead against Lindenwood Friday evening in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Tournament.

McCollum, though, earned his third MIAA coach of the year award for having insight. He was right again.

“Postseason is so difficult, and Lindenwood is really good,” McCollum said. “A ninth seed? Come on. Those guys are good. We knew they would stick around. They are well-coached. They have tough kids.”

After Lindenwood senior Cory Arentsen scored his 34th point, Northwest held a slim one-point lead with 45 seconds left in the game.

Ten seconds later, sophomore Justin Pitts showed why he was selected MIAA Player of the Year. Pitts drove into the paint and made a layup.

“We were trying to go 2-for-1,” said Pitts, who finished with 22 points. “With 45 seconds left, coach Mac told me to get a good shot. We had Zach set a ball screen and I went to score.”

The Bearcats then played tough defense on Arentsen, forcing a turnover that sophomore Chris-Ebou Ndow retrieved and called timeout.

Two free throws by junior Zach Schneider with 22 seconds left sealed Northwest’s 62-57 victory. The Bearcats, 23-5 and winners of their last 13 games, return to action 8:15 p.m. Saturday in the semifinals.

“I have kind of learned with this team that when we get a 14-point lead and I think this is going to be a nice, comfortable win, the team makes darn sure they put me through pain. I think they talk in the huddle, ‘Watch coach Mac, this is going to be fun when we let them back in the game.’ No. Our kids did a good job.”

With 14:39 left, Northwest was cruising along after Ndow hit back-to-back three-pointers, increasing the Bearcats’ lead to 44-30.

“I thought they were at a breaking point and I was hoping that it wouldn’t tighten up,” McCollum said.

Ndow knew the game wasn’t over.

“Cory is a really good player and the first half he had was unbelievable,” Ndow said. “For him to have 21 in the first half is crazy so no, I didn’t think the game was over.”

Lindenwood called timeout. It worked. The Lions went on a 17-4 run and closed to 49-47.

“We gave up a big offensive rebound and then somebody hit a three off that and that kind of changed the momentum back in their favor,” McCollum said.

Northwest maintained a two-to-five point lead until 45 seconds remained when Arentsen made his final basket of the game, pulling the Lions to within one at 58-57.

“This guy (Arentsen) was a monster,” Lindenwood coach Lance Randall said. “I don’t know if I ever coached a player with the combination of heart and talent. His will to win is beyond reproach.

“Credit to Northwest. They are a heck of an offensive team and I thought defensively, they made it difficult for us to score. They came up with some big plays at crucial times. There is a reason Pitts is the player of the year.”

Arentsen came out on fire for Linwood, picking up where he left off when he scored 46 points at Northwest February 6. At one point in the first half, Arentsen had 17 points and Northwest had 14.

“I try to be the best player I can every night,” Arentsen said. “I rise to the occasion for the bigger games. I know teammates are going to ride on me. I accept that challenge.

“Their (Bearcats) defense was pretty good on me and played me tough. It is something about the big game I really enjoy.”

The one problem for the Lions with Arentsen’s hot start was nobody else was scoring or even putting up a shot.

“Chasing him around took every bit of energy I had,” Ndow said. “Trying to play offense after that was tough. I tried to calm down a little bit.”

Northwest kept its composure, weathered Arentsen making his first eight shots and responded to a 19-12 deficit. Led by the playing making ability of Pitts, the Bearcats went on a 14-2 run and took a 26-21 lead.

The Bearcats maintained the five-point advantage the rest of the first half and went into halftime ahead 30-25.

Still, it was an amazing first-half performance by Arentsen, who went 9 for 12 from the field and scored 21 points. His teammates only added four more points.

“That Arentsen kid is pretty good,” McCollum said. “We had a tough time stopping him.”

In stark contrast, Northwest had four players score at least four points, led by Pitts with 10.

Rebounding was the key to the Bearcats taking a halftime lead. Northwest pulled down eight more boards and that help contribute to taking nine more shots.

“I didn’t think we were clicking offensively, but what we did do is increase our possessions with turnovers and offensive rebounds,” McCollum said. “We did an excellent job of that and then we just toughed it out.”

— Northwest Athletics —