Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Tues., Dec. 18  | vs. Texas A&M-International | 5 p.m. | Maryville, Mo. (Bearcat Arena)
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NON-CONFERENCE TUNE UP BEFORE CHRISTMAS BREAK
The Northwest Missouri State men's basketball team will play a non-conference game Tues., Dec. 18, against Texas A&M-International. Tip is set for 5 p.m. in Bearcat Arena.

THE OPPOSITION
Texas A&M-International is a Division II school located in Laredo, Texas. The Dustdevils are members of the Heartland Conference.
    This will be the first matchup between Northwest and Texas A&M-International in basketball.

HOME-COURT ADVANTAGE
Northwest has enjoyed a tremendous home-court advantage in the last six-plus seasons in Bearcat Arena. Northwest has put together a mark of 78-5 in Bearcat Arena over its last 83 home games. The Bearcats are 5-0 at home this season.

Northwest in Bearcat Arena (since 2012-13)
2012-13 - 12-3
2013-14 - 12-1
2014-15 - 13-2
2015-16 - 13-0
2016-17 - 18-0
2017-18 - 12-2
2018-19 - 5-0

WELCOME BACK
Texas A&M-International head coach Joel Taylor began his coaching career at his alma mater Northwest Missouri State. While at Northwest, he helped the team to its first NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearance in school history. During his two-year playing career for the Bearcats, Taylor led the team the Sweet Sixteen as a senior captain in a season they started a then-school record 13-0.

CENTRAL REGION RANKINGS
Northwest holds down the top spot in the D2SIDA Central Region rankings that were released on Dec. 2. Northwest owns all six first-place votes in the region.

D2SIDA CENTRAL REGION
1.   Northwest Missouri State
2.   Missouri Southern
3.   Southern Nazarene
4.   Washburn
5.   Northern State
      Minnesota State, Mankato
7.   Sioux Falls
8.   Wayne State
9.   Pittsburg State
      St. Cloud State

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 receiving four first-place votes in D2SIDA's top 25.

FOUR IN DOUBLE FIGURES
Ten games into the 2018-19 season, Northwest has four players averaging double-figure scoring.
    Trevor Hudgins (19.9 ppg), Joey Witthus (19.6 ppg), Ryan Hawkins (15.8 ppg) and Diego Bernard (10.0 ppg) are also averaging double figures for the Bearcats.

HAWKINS DOUBLES UP
Sophomore forward Ryan Hawkins collected two double-doubles and averaged 16 points and 12.5 rebounds while shooting 71.4 percent from the field (57.1 percent from three-point range) in a pair of conference-opening wins for the Bearcats.
    Hawkins, who owns a league-leading five double-doubles, scored 18 points and secured 13 rebounds (five offensive) in an 85-78 win over Lincoln. Hawkins was 6-of-7 from the field, including 2-of-3 from three-point range against the Blue Tigers. Hawkins was perfect from the foul line in four attempts.
    Hawkins tallied 14 points and 12 rebounds in an 87-53 triumph over Lindenwood. Hawkins was 4-of-7 from the field and buried two three-pointers. Hawkins was 4-of-4 at the free throw line vs. the Lions.

HAWK TOPS MIAA IN BOARDS
Hawkins leads the MIAA in rebounding and ranks No. 3 in the nation in rebounding (11.0 rpg).
    Hawkins ranks No. 2 in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (8.80).
    He ranks No. 4 in the nation in total rebounds (110).
    Hawks ranks No. 3 in the MIA in field goal percentage (60.6).

MORE ON HAWK
Hawkins, the Atlantic, Iowa native, ranks third on the team in scoring at 15.8 points per game. Hawkins is 10-of-10 at the free throw line this season. Hawkins leads the Bearcats in steals (17).


GOOD START TO LEAGUE PLAY
Northwest opened up MIAA play with a pair of wins over Lincoln (85-78) and Lindenwood (87-53).
    Northwest has won its MIAA opener in each of the eight seven seasons. Bearcat head coach Ben McCollum is 8-2 in MIAA openers.

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.

TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
Northwest ranks No. 1 in the nation in fewest turnovers (8.1 per game).
    Northwest also ranks No. 3 in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.84).

THE NAME OF THE GAME
The goal in basketball is to outscore the opposition and Northwest is doing that better than anyone in the nation this season. Northwest ranks No. 1 in scoring margin (+22.9).

REALLY GOOD FROM DEEP
Northwest ranks No. 1 in the nation three-point field goal percentage (45.7 percent).
    Northwest ranks No. 5 in the nation with 118 made 3-pointers.
    Northwest possesses the top two three-point percentage shooters in the MIAA. Joey Witthus ranks No. 1 in the league at 53.3 percent (32-of-60), while Ryan Hawkins ranks No. 2 in the MIAA at 47.5 percent (28-of-59).

ALWAYS DEFENSIVE
Northwest ranks No. 1 in the MIAA in scoring defense by giving up only 64.0 points per game.
    The Bearcats rank No. 12 in the nation in scoring defense.

SHOOTING IT WELL
The Bearcats are shooting 51.9 percent from the floor, which ranks as the 12th-best total in the nation.
REBOUNDING WARS
Northwest has won the rebounding battle in each of its 10 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)
vs. Tabor - 39-26 (+13)
vs. Midland - 31-26 (+5)
vs. Lincoln - 34-28 (+6)
vs. Lindenwood - 33-26 (+7)

14 STRAIGHT DECEMBER WINS
Northwest has won its last 14 games in the month of December. Northwest was 5-0 in December in both the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.
    The Bearcats won their last game in December in the 2015-16 season. Northwest's last loss in the month of December came Dec. 20, 2015, at Lindenwood (L, 68-52).

WITTHUS IN THE ZONE
Senior Joey Witthus is simply on fire over his last six games. Witthus is averaging 22.0 points per game, while shooting 57.7 percent from the field (45-of-78). Witthus has buried 26-of-45 shots from three-point range (57.8 percent) and is 16-of-19 at the free throw line. He has also dished out 18 assists.

WITTHUS FOR THREE
Joey Witthus has drained 227 career three-pointers to ranks No. 7 among the Division II active career leaders.
    Witthus made 137 three-pointers in his first two collegiate seasons at Minnesota State, Mankato. Witthus has made 90 triples in time at Northwest.

NCAA Active Career Leaders - 3-Pointers
1. Jarrett Brodbeck (Regis)        306
2. Jack Laffey (Adelphi)        284
3. Jason Jolly (Fairmont State)    256
4. Kenny Hairston (Limestone)    230
5. Elyjah Clark (Missouri Southern)    229
6. Ryan Boulter (Merrimack)        228
7. Joey Witthus (Northwest Missouri)    227
8. Jonathan Lawton (Fla. Southern)    225
9. Drew Geubert (Sioux Falls)        224
10. Levi Holmes III (Saint Michael's)    223

HUDGINS IS SCORING, DISHING
Redshirt freshman Trevor Hudgins leads the Northwest in scoring (19.9 ppg) and assists (6.1 apg).
    Hudgins leads the MIAA in assists per game. He ranks No. 7 in the MIAA in field goal percentage (52.1 percent).

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 Bearcat 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 52.9 percent his three-point shots (127-of-240).

NCAA Active Career Leaders - 3-Point FG Pct.
1. Ryan Welty (Northwest Missouri)    .529
2. Adam Bonk (Wisconsin-Parkside)    .491
3. Anthony Lee (Kutztown)        .478
4. Dan Largey (Stonehill)        .476
5. Kevin Krieger (Minnesota State)    .456

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 marked Witthus's second career 30-point game as he tallied 30 points for Minnesota State vs. Missouri Southern (Nov. 12, 2016).

SECOND TIME REACHING CENTURY MARK
Northwest has reached 100 points two times this season - the first time since 2013-14 that Northwest has scored 100 or more points twice in the same season.
    Northwest has scored 100 or more points seven times during head coach Ben McCollum's coaching tenure.

100-Point Games under McCollum
105-55 vs. Mahanattan Christian (11/16/09)
104-67 vs. Graceland (11/28/09)
105-59 vs. Waldord (12/16/13)
104-69 at Southwest Baptist (1/16/14)
103-58 vs. Missouri Valley (12/13/16)
100-86 vs. Ferris State (11/3/18)
100-66 vs. Midland (12/1/18)

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.
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.

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.

NOVEMBER BRINGS WINS
Northwest has won its last 22 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.

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.

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

18 NCAA TOURNAMENTS
Northwest has earned 18 NCAA Tournament appearances with a record 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.