Nov. 16 - Truman State at No. 2 Northwest Missouri State, 7 p.m. 
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HOME OPENER SET FOR FRIDAY
The No. 2-ranked Northwest Missouri State University men's basketball team (4-0 overall) will open its home season Friday at 7 p.m. against the Truman State Bulldogs.

MAC IS 7-2 IN HOME OPENERS
Northwest has won its last three home openers in Bearcat Arena. Head coach Ben McCollum is 7-2 in home openers.

THE OPPOSITION
Northwest and Truman State have met 196 times with the Bearcats holding a 102-94 edge in the series. Northwest scored a 90-70 win over Truman State last season in Bearcat Arena on Nov. 18, 2017.

BEARCATS MOVE TO NO. 2
Northwest moved up three slots in the D2SIDA Top 25 poll to No. 2. The Bearcats also received a pair of first-place votes. Bellarmine holds down the top spot with 11 first-place votes.

NEUTRAL SITE STREAK IS ALIVE AND WELL
Northwest has won 25 straight games at neutral sites. Northwest opened this season with FOUR neutral site wins at the Civic Arena in St. Joseph. The Bearcats were 7-0 in 2017-18 and 8-0 in 2016-17 on neutral site courts. The Bearcats won their final six neutral site games in 2015-16 following a season-opening 76-72 loss to Upper Iowa in St. Joseph on Nov. 13, 2015.

NOVEMBER BRINGS WINS
Northwest has won its last 19 straight games it has played in the month of November. Northwest was a 7-0 in the month of November in 2017-18. The Bearcats were a perfect 7-0 in November in its run to the national championship in the 2016-17 season.
    Northwest's last loss in November came Nov. 19, 2015 at Augustana. The Vikings scored a 79-77 win over the Bearcats in Sioux Falls, S.D.

HUDGINS STAYS HOT
Redshirt freshman guard Trevor Hudgins averaged 21.5 points, 7.5 assists, 1.5 steals and shot 65.5 percent from the field in leading Northwest to wins over Upper Iowa and Winona State.
    Hudgins scored 16 first-half points, en route to an 18-point night, in a 76-59 victory over Upper Iowa. Hudgins was 8-of-14 from the field, including 2-of-4 from three-point range vs. the Peacocks.
    Hudgins poured in 25 points - his third 20-point game of the season - in a 84-59 triumph over Winona State. Hudgins made 11-of-15 field goals and handed out a career-high 11 assists vs. Winona State.
    Hudgins is averaging 23.5 points per game through four contests this season. Hudgins is shooting 55.7 percent from the floor.

TREVOR WITH THE DISH
Trevor Hudgins handed out a career-high 11 assists in Northwest's 84-59 win over Winona State.
    It marked the first time since Justin Pitts handed out 10 assists vs. Southwest Baptist on Jan. 13, 2018, that a Beracat reached double figures in assists.

HAWKINS LOCKED IN
Sophomore Ryan Hawkins has buried an MIAA-best 17 three-pointers and is shooting 51.5 percent from beyond the arc. Hawkins is averaging 16.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.
    Hawkins scored a career-high 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against Upper Iowa .
    Hawkins then added his third career double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Winona State.

20 OR MORE WINS IN 7 STRAIGHT SEASONS
Northwest is one of five teams in the nation to have won 20 or more games in seven consecutive seasons. Northwest, Bellarmine, Indiana (Pa.), Lincoln Memorial and West Liberty have each surpassed the 20-win mark in each of the last seven years.

MIAA TITLE DEFENSE
Northwest has won five consecutive MIAA regular season titles under 10th-year head coach Ben McCollum. Missouri State under the direction of head coach Bill Thomas is the only other program to have won five straight MIAA regular titles (1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970).
    McCollum has also guided the Bearcats to three straight MIAA tournament championships. Southeast Missouri State also won three consecutive MIAA tournament titles in 1985, 1986 and 1987. No MIAA school has ever won four straight tourney crowns.

PRESEASON POLLS
Northwest was tabbed to win the preseason MIAA poll by the members of the media. The coaches MIAA preseason poll had Northwest in the No. 2 spot behind Missouri Southern.

2018-19 MIAA Media Poll
1.     Northwest Missouri (6) - 262
2.     Missouri Southern (10) - 261
3.     Washburn (3) - 237
4.     Central Missouri - 225
5.     Pittsburg State (1) - 212
6.     Fort Hays State (1) - 208
7.     Central Oklahoma - 163
8.     Lindenwood - 150
9.     Nebraska Kearney - 123
10.     Lincoln - 119
11.     Emporia State - 79
12.     Missouri Western - 66
    Southwest Baptist - 66
14.     Northeastern State - 35

2018-19 MIAA Coaches Poll
1.     Missouri Southern (6) - 157
2.     Northwest Missouri (7) - 155
3.     Washburn (1) - 132
4.     Central Missouri - 128
5.     Central Oklahoma - 118
        Pittsburg State - 118
7.     Fort Hays State - 104
8.     Lindenwood - 87
9.     Lincoln - 68
10.     Nebraska Kearney - 66
11.     Emporia State - 47
12.     Northeastern State - 40
13.     Southwest Baptist - 30
14.     Missouri Western - 24

LOCKDOWN DEFENSE, LIMITED MISCUES
Last season, Northwest Missouri State ranked No. 1 in the nation in scoring defense by limiting opponents to 59.8 points per game. Northwest also ranked No. 1 in the nation in fewest turnovers per game in 2017-18. Northwest averaged 8.7 turnovers game last season.

18 NCAA TOURNAMENTS
Northwest has earned 18 NCAA Tournament appearances with a recod of 23-20. Northwest has served as the NCAA Central Region host in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
    Northwest has made three Elite Eight appearances (2001-02, 2003-04, 2016-17).
    The Bearcats captured the program's first national championships in the 2016-17 season.

PRESS CONFERENCE TUESDAY AT PIZZA RANCH
Northwest head coach Ben McCollum will be available each Tuesday from Noon - 1 p.m. for a press conference at the Maryville Pizza Ranch.