Box Score

MARYVILLE, Mo.-Northwest Missouri State got a career-high 22 points from junior Kyle Haake on senior night to help beat Southwest Baptist 87-77 Wednesday night at Bearcat Arena. Sophomore DeShaun Cooper added 21 points to help keep the Bearcats in contention for an MIAA tournament berth.

Northwest (10-15, 8-13 MIAA) needs a win against MIAA-champion Missouri Southern (3 p.m.) in Joplin, a Nebraska-Omaha win against Pittsburg State in Omaha (3:30 p.m.) and a Missouri Western win against Southwest Baptist in Bolivar (7:30 p.m.) to claim the eighth seed of next week''s MIAA tournament. All three games will be played Saturday.

Northwest''s two seniors, Elijah Allen and Arunas Simanavicius, combined for 29 points, 11 rebounds and six assists Wednesday. Both were honored in a pre-game ceremony.

Kurt Koenig scored 21 points off the bench to lead four Southwest Baptist players in double figures. Tomas Brock scored 16 points, Ryan Dougherty had 11 and Lane Barlow added 10 for the Purple Bearcats.

Northwest saw a 13-point, halftime lead cut to three points three times in the game''s final four minutes but held on to end a seven-game losing streak to Southwest Baptist.  Allen hit a jumper in the lane and Jake Reinders got an easy two points after Cooper set him up for a layup with a minute to go that made it 82-75. Allen and Simanavicius made free throws to close it out and received standing ovations as they made their final exit in front of the home crowd.

But Haake was the difference Wednesday. He came in averaging six points per game and left with his first collegiate double-double after hauling in a career-high 10 rebounds. Haake made 3-of-6 three-pointers and scored 15 second-half points. He finished 9-of-13 from the floor.