---

By David Boyce  |  2018 Bracket  |  Printable Bracket  |  Northwest Regional Homepage  |  Purchase Tickets Here

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Twenty-three seconds into the second half, Northwest Missouri State's 6-foot-7 senior forward Brett Dougherty picked up his third foul in the championship game of the MIAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
 
Eleven seconds earlier, Northwest 6-7 junior guard Joey Witthus got his third foul. That meant Northwest had two key starters out with much of the second half left to play.
 
One thing that helped was the Bearcats held an 11-point lead at the time.
 
But the biggest key was Northwest's next-man-up mentality that has gotten the Bearcats through the late portion of the regular season when senior point guard Justin Pitts and senior forward Chris-Ebou Ndow missed a few games because of injuries.
 
On this early Sunday evening, the next-man-up was Brett's younger brother, 6-7 sophomore forward Tyler Dougherty.
 
"In the championship, I got a third foul really early so he had some big minutes," Brett said. "He was ready to go every time he got in. It is not easy to do because on any given day, he doesn't know how much he is going to play. We need guys to do that for us to be successful."
 
Tyler made his presences felt several minutes later when he grabbed an offensive rebound and then scored to give Northwest a 51-40 lead and slow down a rally by Washburn.
 
Northwest went on to win 80-74. In the game, Tyler logged only 10 minutes, but scored five points and grabbed two rebounds.
 
"I know my role. It is to get in there and play really hard and bring some energy," Tyler said. "I am not in there very long. I try to get O-boards and hustle plays, and I am there for layups sometimes. I don't do much more."
 
The things Tyler does on the court is more than enough. Role players accepting their roles is one reason the Bearcats earned the No. 1 seed in the Central Region and will play host in the eight-team field. Northwest, 27-3, will take on Minnesota State, 22-9, in the first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament.
 
"He brings a lot of energy in the game that we need," Northwest coach Ben McCollum said of Tyler. "He brings a lot of effort. He gets a lot of hands on balls on O-boards. He waits for his time and that is great."
 
Tyler is one of many examples on the 2017-18 Bearcats who understand what it means to be part of a team. It is not about how many points you score or how many minutes you play. The players for Northwest learn what their roles are and then give everything they have to make it work in a team concept.
 
Tyler's mom, Corinne Dougherty said the traits her sons have learned in the Bearcat culture will serve them well once they graduate.
 
"Coming into this program, understanding the process and knowing their role is so huge," Corinne said. "They are learning. They understand it.
 
"I am so very proud of them because they are both, academically and athletically, they are doing what they are supposed to do."
 
The Dougherty brothers are having a blast. Sometimes when brothers are close in age there is a somewhat heated rivalry between the two.
 
"They get along well, which is even more impressive," McCollum said.
 
Brett and Tyler agree that Brett is quieter of the two. Brett said Tyler is goofy and has a lot of fun.
 
"I am more outgoing," said Tyler, "but we have the same sense of humor. We are both pretty sarcastic. He is pretty quiet. I am loud."
 
Overall, this is an experience neither will forget. They both got to be part of a national championship team a year ago. And now they are hoping to make a run at another one in Brett's final season.
 
"It is awesome," Brett said of having his brother as a teammate. "In the summers, it doesn't take a lot of motivation to workout because we are both there. We can workout together. He and I get along great. I kind of take it for granted because people don't get to do that, but it is really fun."
 
The best part is they are there for each other for the good times and bad.
 
"We have played together forever, since we were in YMCA ball," Tyler said. "We know what each other is thinking. I can pick him up when he is down and he can do the same for me. It is really fun."