Box Score

MARYVILLE, Mo.-DeShaun Cooper scored a career-high 26 points and Elijah Allen netted 14 points and a career-high 16 rebounds to lead Northwest Missouri State to a 75-63 win against Missouri Western Wednesday night at Bearcat Arena.

Cooper made 17 (of 18) free throws, most by a Northwest player in eight seasons and three shy of the program record set in the mid 1970s. He made all 11 he took in the second half including eight in the final four minutes that helped seal the win.

Allen''s 16 rebounds are the most by a Bearcat since 2007. Allen has earned four double-doubles in his last six games and has 10 in his collegiate career. The Bearcats (4-7, 2-5 MIAA) limited the Griffons (5-7, 3-4) to six offensive rebounds and had a 46-36 edge on the glass.

Northwest never trailed and built a 30-14 lead behind three of the team''s four 3-pointers and seven straight points from Kyle Haake. The Bearcats, though, scored three points during the final nine minutes of the half and took a 33-27 lead into the break.

Allen and teammate Jake Reinders combined to score the first eight points of the second half to build the lead back to 14. The Bearcats led by nine points or more the rest of the way.

P''Allen Stinnett and Jonathan Phelps came in averaging nearly 20 points apiece to lead Missouri Western, but combined for 25 on 7-of-21 shooting Wednesday. Stinnett led the Griffons with 17 points. Phelps, the nation''s leading 3-point shooter, made 2-of-6 from behind the arc and had eight points.

Northwest has won consecutive games for the second time this season and improved to 4-1 on its home court. The Bearcats will go for their first road win of the year Saturday against Truman (3-8, 1-6) in Kirksville, Mo.