Games Notes (PDF)

Fri., Nov. 23 - Tabor at No. 2 Northwest Missouri State, 2 p.m. (Bearcat Arena - Maryville, Mo.)
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GAME DAY
The Northwest Missouri State University men's basketball team will return home to Bearcat Arena to take on the Tabor College Bluejays Friday at 2 p.m.

FREE ADMISSION WITH FOOD DONATION
Northwest will provide free admission to Friday's men's basketball game vs. Tabor at 2 p.m. in Bearcat Arena with the donation of a canned food or non-perishable food item.
    The donations will be passed along to the Pay-It-Forward food pantry on the Northwest campus.
    Seating for season ticket holders will be honored for the contest vs. Tabor.

THE OPPOSITION
Northwest is 3-0 all-time against Tabor College. The Bearcats scored wins over the Bluejays in 2007 (97-49), 1991 (62-52) and 1923-24 (54-19). Tabor is an NAIA school and is a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC).

CENTRAL REGION RANKINGS
Northwest holds down the top spot in the D2SIDA Central Region rankings that were released on Nov. 18. Northwest owns all six first-place votes in the region.

D2SIDA CENTRAL REGION
1.   Northwest Missouri State
2.   Southern Nazarene
3.   Sioux Falls
4.   Central Missouri
T5. Northern State
      St. Cloud State
7.   Minnesota State
8.   Missouri Southern
9.   Henderson State
10. Concordia-St. Paul

BEARCATS RANKED NO. 2
Northwest is ranked No. 2 in the nation in both Division II top 25 polls.
    Bellarmine is ranked No. 1 with 16 first-place votes in the NABC poll. Bellarmine is ranked No. 1 with 12 first-place votes in the D2SIDA poll.
    Northwest is recieving four first-place votes in D2SIDA's top 25.

NEUTRAL SITE STREAK IS ALIVE AND WELL
Northwest has won 26 straight games at neutral sites, including this past Monday's 85-66 win over Illinois-Springfield.
    Northwest has opened this season with five neutral site wins.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.

MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM WINS
Northwest has won 11 consecutive games it has played in Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.
    The Bearcats posted an 85-66 win over Illinois-Springfield on Monday in Municipal.
    The Bearcats have won three straight MIAA tournaments that have been contested in Municipal Auditorium.
    Northwest secured an 86-78 win over Washburn last season in the MIAA Basketball Challenge.

NOVEMBER BRINGS WINS
Northwest has won its last 21 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.

GLAD HE'S WITTHUS
Senior Joey Witthus poured in a career-high 33 points and add five assists with four rebounds in an 85-66 win over Illinois-Springfield.
    It marks Witthus's second career 30-point game as he tallied 30 points for Minnesota State vs. Missouri Southern (Nov. 12, 2016).
    Witthus is the fourth MIAA player to score 30 or more points this season.

30-Point Games in MIAA
49, Cam Martin (MSSU) vs. Minnesota St.
36, Javioin Blake (WU) vs. Okla. Baptist
33, Joey Witthus (NW) vs. Ill.-Springfield
30, Chris Rossow (SBU) vs. Drury

WITTHUS IN THE ZONE
Senior Joey Witthus is simply on fire over his last three games. Witthus is averaging 26.7 points per game, while shooting 59.6 percent from the field (28-of-47). Witthus has buried 15-of-25 from three-point range and is 9-of-11 at the free throw line. He has also dished out 12 assists.
    Witthus scored 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 6-of-11 from three-point range in a win over Winona State.
    Witthus put up 26 points on 9-of-10 shooting in a victory over Truman State. Witthus handed out five assists vs. the Bulldogs.
    Witthus tallied a career-high 33 points on 12-of-25 shooting vs. Illinois-Springfield. Witthus drained 7-of-12 from 3-point range to go along with five assists against UIS.
    It was Northwest's first 30-point game since Justin Pitts scored 31 points last season at Missouri Southern (Jan. 4, 2018).

WITTHUS FOR THREE
Joey Witthus has drained 216 career three-pointers to ranks as the fifth-best active career leader among Division II players.
    Witthus made 137 three-pointers in his first two collegiate seasons at Minnesota State, Mankato. Witthus has made 79 triples in time at Northwest.

NCAA Active Career Leaders - 3-Pointers
1. Jarrett Brodbeck (Regis)        292
2. Jack Laffey (Adelphi)        260
3. Jason Jolly (Fairmont State)    244
4. Levi Holmes III (Saint Michael's)    220
5. Joey Witthus (Northwest Missouri)    216

HUDG IS HOT
Redshirt freshman guard Trevor Hudgins is tied for the lead in the MIAA in field goals made (52). Hudgins is shooting 52.2 percent from the field (52-of-99).
    Hudgins ranks third in the MIAA in scoring per game (22.7). Hudgins has scored 20 or more four times this season, including a career-high 28 points in the victory over Truman State.

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.

WELTY'S THREE-POINT PRECISION
Junior Ryan Welty is the nation's active career leader in three-point field goal percentage. Welty has made 52.4 percent his three-point shots (118-of-225).

NCAA Active Career Leaders - 3-Point FG Pct.
1. Ryan Welty (Northwest Missouri)    .524
2. Adam Bonk (Wisconsin-Parkside)    .482
3. Anthony Lee (Kutztown)        .480
4. Dan Largey (Stonehill)        .474
5. Adam goetz (Kentucky Wesleyan)    .470

HAWKINS SEEING DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Sophomore Ryan Hawkins tallied 18 rebounds against Illinois-Springfield - the most by an MIAA player this season.
    The 18 rebounds by Hawkins ranks as the second-highest rebound total in a game this season, trailing only Will Lienhard (Oklahoma Christian) who posted 21 rebounds vs. Texas A&M-Commerce on Nov. 9, 2018.
    Hawkins has registered three double-doubles, which ranks tied for the fourth-most double-doubles in the nation this season. Hawkins has four career double-doubles.
    Hawkins leads the MIAA and ranks No. 9 in the nation in rebounding at 11.3 boards per game. Hawkins has tallied 14 offensive rebounds and 54 defensive boards.
    The Atlantic, Iowa, native ranks third on the Bearcats in scoring (14.8 ppg). He leads the team in steals (11).

REBOUNDING WARS
Northwest has won the rebounding battle in each of its six games this season.

vs. Northern State - 46/41 (+5)
vs. Ferris State - 33/22 (+11)
vs. Upper Iowa - 36/29 (+7)
vs. Winona State - 28/26 (+2)
vs. Truman State - 30/29 (+1)
vs. Illinois-Springfield - 42-28 (+14)

HUDGINS TAKES MVP HONORS
Redshirt freshman guard Trevor Hudgins (Manhattan, Kansas) earned MVP honors after leading the Bearcats to a pair of wins over Northern State and No. 13 Ferris State in the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic. Hudgins averaged 25.5 points, 5.5 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals in the two games.

CENTURY MARK
Northwest tallied a 100-86 win over No. 13 Ferris State. It marks the first time reaching the century mark since scoring 103 points vs. Missouri Valley on Dec. 13, 2016.

CAREER-HIGHS ALL AROUND
A trio of Bearcats scored career highs in the victory over Ferris State.
    Junior Kirk Finley posted the first double-figure scoring game of his career with 17 points on the strength of five three-pointers.
    Sophomore Ryan Hawkins notched his first career 20-point game against Ferris State. Hawkins was 8-of-13 from the field, including 4-of-7 from deep.
    Redshirt freshman Trevor Hudgins upped his career mark by one point as he went for 26 against the Bulldogs. Hudgins was 7-of-11 from the floor and 10-of-13 from the free throw line.

CAN'T MISS 'CATS
Northwest began the Ferris State contest by making its first 10 three-point field goals. The Bearcats finished the game having drained 14 triples against the Bulldogs.

GETTING TO THE LINE
Northwest made 20 free throws in each of its first two games this season.
    The Bearcats went 20-of-28 against Northern State. Northwest followed that up with 20-of-23 at the line vs. Ferris State.

BRING ON THE BEST
The Bearcats began this season with wins over both teams that took part in the 2018 NCAA Division II national championship. Ferris State defeated Northern State in the title game in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Ferris State had won 27 consecutive games before falling to Northwest.

WORKING OVERTIME
Northwest opened the season with a 72-70 overtime win over Northern State. The Bearcats are 7-3 all-time under head coach Ben McCollum in overtime games.

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.

2019 MIAA TOURNAMENT
The MIAA Basketball post-season tournament will be held in Kansas City for the 17th consecutive season. For the first time, the field in Kansas City will include 10 men's and 10 women's teams and will be played over 5 days, March 6-10, 2019.  The winners of both the men's and women's tournament will receive the automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament.


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.