Story Headlines- The Northwest Missouri State men's basketball team defeated Graceland University, 91-68, on Saturday afternoon at Bearcat Arena.
- The win moves Northwest to 5-1 on the season. The game for Graceland was an exhibition contest for the Yellow Jackets.
-
Zach Schneider tied a career-high with five three-pointers. Nine differenent Bearcats recorded two or more field goals in the win.
Key Northwest Statistics- Schneider scored 15 points, all coming on three pointers. He previously hit five three's against Northeastern State last season (1/13/14).
-
Justin Pitts had a team-high 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting. She also grabbed five rebounds, dished off five assists and recorded two steals.
-
Grant Cozad shot 4-for-6 from the field and finished with 11 points. He was 3-for-4 from the charity stripe.
-
Conner Crooker had a game-high six assists to go along with 10 points and four rebounds. He hit a pair of three pointers in the second half.
- The Bearcats shot 64.3 percent (36-for-56) from the field and connected on 13 three pointers.
- Northwest outrebounded the Yellow Jackets, 35-23. The Bearcats forced 17 turnovers and had six steals.
- Northwest held a 42-22 edge in points in the paint.
- The game was tied just once and Graceland did not hold the lead in the game at any point.
Key Sequence- With 6:02 left in the first half, Graceland's Austin Danner connected on a three pointer to tie the game, 27-27. But the Bearcats finished out the half strong, scoring 15 unanswered points in a three minute stretch. Pitts hit a layp followed by an
Anthony Woods three pointer. A couple minutes later, Crooker found Schneider for a three pointer to make it 35-27. After forcing a pair of turnovers, Pitts hit a jumper and Crooker made a layup to give Northwest a 12 point lead, 39-27. After a missed Yellow Jacket three, Pitts responded with a triple of his own to push the lead to 15 at 42-27. After a pair of Graceland free throws, Schneider closed out the half with a three pointer on a pass from Pitts to give Northwest a 45-29 halftime lead.
Up Next- The Bearcats begin MIAA play on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at Emporia State at 7:30 p.m.
