Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Tues., Feb. 26  | Missouri Western | 7:30 p.m. | Maryville, Mo.
WATCH | LISTEN | STATS

Thurs., Feb. 28  | at Washburn | 7:30 p.m. | Topeka, Kan.
WATCH | LISTEN | STATS

BEARCATS TO HONOR SENIORS, WRAP UP REGULAR SEASON
The No. 1-ranked Northwest Missouri State men's basketball team (27-0 overall, 17-0 MIAA) will wrap up the regular season this week with games on Tuesday and Thursday.
    Senior night is set for Tuesday in Bearcat Arena against Missouri Western. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m. following the women's game. Northwest will honor its two seniors - Joey Witthus and Dray Starzl - prior to the game.
    The Bearcats will complete their regular season slate Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in Topeka, Kansas, against the Washburn Ichabods.

SENIOR NIGHT
Seniors Dray Starzl (Kearney, Missouri/Kearney HS) and Joey Witthus (Chanhassen, Minnesota/Minnesota State Univ.) will play their final regular season home games on Tuesday vs. Missouri Western.
    Starzl has been a part of more wins than any player in Bearcat history. Following a redshirt season in 2014-15, Starzl has helped the Bearcats to a record of 116-11.
    Witthus leads the MIAA in three-pointers (85) and in three-point field goal percentage (.470). Witthus leads Northwest in scoring at 20.2 ppg this season.

SIX STRAIGHT MIAA CROWNS
Northwest became the first MIAA school win six consecutive regular season league titles.
    The Bearcats have won 19 MIAA regular season crowns.

MIAA Regular Season Titles
Central Missouri - 21
Southwest Missouri State - 19
Northwest Missouri State - 19
Southeast Missouri State - 12
Washburn - 10
Truman State - 9
Missouri Western - 5
Lincoln - 4
Southwest Baptist - 4
Missouri S&T - 2
Missouri Southern - 2
Fort Hays State - 1
Pittsburg State - 1

PERFECT MIAA SEASON
Northwest is the first MIAA school to ever start the league season 17-0. The 1929-30 Northwest squad finished its MIAA slate at 16-0.
    Only eight times in the MIAA's history have teams completed a perfect mark in league play.
    The last perfect regular season record in MIAA play came when Missouri State went 10-0 in 1966-67.

Perfect MIAA Seasons
Northwest Mo. St. (1929-30)    16-0
Central Missouri (1937-38)    10-0
Northwest Mo. St. (1939-40)    10-0
Southeast Mo. St. (1942-43)    8-0
Truman State (1947-48)    10-0
Missouri State (1951-52)    10-0
Missouri State (1965-66)    10-0
Missouri State (1966-67)    10-0

19 WINS IN MIAA PLAY
Northwest is looking to match the MIAA record for wins in a season. Missouri Southern (2010-11) and Northwest (2015-16) each won 19 MIAA games.
    Missouri Southern went 19-3 under head coach Robert Korn in 2010-11.
    Northwest went 19-3 under head coach Ben McCollum in 2015-16.

MIAA Record for Wins
19, Missouri Southern (2010-11)
19, Northwest Mo. St. (2015-16)
18, Central Missouri (2009-10)
18, Northwest Mo. St. (2016-17)
17, Southwest Baptist (2008-09)
17, Northwest Mo. St. (2018-19)

ONLY REMAINING PERFECT RECORD IN THE NATION
The Northwest Missouri State men's basketball squad (27-0 overall) is the only remaining undefeated team in the nation. In fact, Northwest is the only undefeated men's basketball program in all of NCAA Division I, II and III.
    The Bearcats also own the nation's longest active winning streak at 27 in a row.

Current Overall Win Streaks (DII)
1. Northwest Missouri State    25
2. Oakland City (Ind.)        16

BEST STARTS IN PROGRAM HISTORY
Northwest's 27-0 mark to begin the season is the second-best start to a season in program history.
    Henry Iba guided Northwest to a perfect 31-0 record in 1929-30 to set the Bearcat standard for best starts to a season.

Best Starts in School History
31-0 - 1929-30
27-0 - 2018-19
24-0 - 2016-17
20-0 - 1931-32
20-0 - 1939-40

BEST IN THE NATION
Northwest ranks No. 1 in the nation in three stat categories: assist-to-turnover ratio (1.92), scoring margin (+23.2) and turnovers per game (7.7).
    The Bearcats rank No. 3 in the nation field goal percentage (52.2 percent) and in three-point field goal percentage (42.3).

MISSOURI WESTERN GRIFFONS
Missouri Western (12-16 overall, 6-11 MIAA) begins the week tied with Southwest Baptist and Emporia State for 10th place in the league standings. The top 10 teams qualify for the MIAA Tournament in Kansas City on March 6-10.
    The Griffons have lost three of four but recorded  an 85-71 road victory at SBU last Thursday. Missouri Western is 7-5 away from home, including a 5-3 mark in MIAA road contests.
    Missouri Western is led in scoring by Lavon Hightower (18.6 ppg), Bryan Hudson (15.1 ppg), Tyrell Carroll (13.8 ppg) and Tyus Millhollin (10.4 ppg).

ALL-TIME SERIES
Northwest holds a 53-35 lead in the all-time series, including an 87-64 thumping of Missouri Western in St. Joseph on Jan. 19, for the Bearcats's 12th straight win between the two programs.
    The Bearcats have won 17 of the last 18 meetings with the Griffons. Northwest has won nine straight matchups in Maryville.
    Northwest head coach Ben McCollum is 17-2 all-time vs. Missouri Western.

WASHBURN ICHABODS
The Ichabods (21-5 overall, 14-3 MIAA) trails the Bearcats in the MIAA standings by three games. Washburn is one game clear of Missouri Southern in the battle for the No. 2 seed in the MIAA Tournament.
    If Washburn and Missouri Southern end the season tied, the Lions will be the No. 2 seed by virtue of their 89-86 win over the Ichabods in Joplin, Missouri, on Jan. 23.
    Washburn is 12-1 at home this season with its lone setback coming to Lincoln on Jan. 31 (L, 77-75).
    Washburn earned the No. 2 seed in the initial NCAA Central Region rankings last week.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Washburn owns a 63-45 lead in the all-time series. However, Northwest has won seven straight games vs. Washburn, including an 83-75 victory over the Ichabods in Bearcat Arena on Jan. 12.

DOUBLE-FIGURE WINS IN MIAA PLAY
Northwest has won by double figures in 15 of its 17 MIAA games. The only two times Northwest has won by single digits in league play have come against Lincoln (W, 85-75 - Dec. 6) and against Washburn (W, 83-75 - Jan. 12).
    In MIAA play, Northwest has a +20.5 scoring margin. The Bearcats are scoring 82.9 ppg and giving up 62.4 ppg in MIAA games.

EIGHT STRAIGHT 20-WIN YEARS
Northwest is one of five NCAA Division II programs to have reached the 20-win mark for the eighth straight season. Northwest, Bellarmine, Indiana (Pa.), Lincoln Memorial and West Liberty all have won 20 or more games in eight consecutive seasons.
    It also marks the 25th 20-win season in program history.

Northwest Coaching 20-Win Seasons
Steve Tappmeyer - 10
Ben McCollum - 8
Hank Iba - 3
Lionel Sinn - 3
Sparky Stalcup - 1

BEARCATS WIN AT A HIGH RATE
Northwest has posted a remarkable record of 89-5 (.947 win percentage) over the past three seasons. Northwest went 35-1 in 2016-17, 27-4 in 2017-18 and is 27-0 in 2018-19.

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 86-5 in Bearcat Arena over its last 91 home games. The Bearcats are 13-0 at home this year.
    Northwest's current 13-game home-court win streak ranks as the third-longest active current streak in NCAA Division II basketball.

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 - 13-0

Current Home-Court Win Streaks
1. West Texas A&M - 22
2. Colorado School of Mines - 16
3. Northwest Missouri State - 13

BEARCATS ON THE ROAD
Northwest and Queens College are tied for longest active road winning streaks in the country at 12 in a row.

Current Road Win Streaks
1. Northwest Missouri State - 14
2. Queens - 13
3. West Chester - 8
4. West Liberty - 7

CONFERENCE WIN STREAK
Northwest has won 19 consecutive MIAA games dating back to the 2017-18 season. It is the longest active conference winning streak in the nation.
    Northwest set the MIAA record with 28 consecutive league victories from Jan. 13, 2016 through Feb. 23, 2017.

LAST 86 MIAA GAMES
Northwest is 79-7 in its last 86 MIAA games, dating back to the middle of the 2014-15 season, with six of those setbacks coming on the road.
    In that stretch, Northwest is 41-1 in Bearcat Arena in MIAA matchups with the only setback coming last year against Missouri Southern.

NORTHWEST AT NO. 41 IN MASSEY RATINGS
Northwest is ranked No. 41 among all NCAA collegiate basketball teams in the the Massey Ratings (www.MasseyRatings.com as of Feb. 24).
    Northwest is the highest rated NCAA Div. II team.

HUDGINS ONE OF D-II'S TOP FRESHMAN
Redshirt freshman point guard Trevor Hudgins ranks No. 2 in the nation among freshmen scorers (18.96 ppg). Walsh's J.T. Shumate is the top freshman scorer (19.0 ppg).
    Hudgins ranks No. 3 in the nation among freshmen in assists per game (5.4).
    He has scored 20 or more points in 15 games this season.
    Hudgins dished out a career-high 12 assists and scored 21 points in a 111-83 win over Pitt State.
    He ranks No. 4 in the MIAA and No. 8 in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.40).

HUDGINS'S TIES MIAA CONSECUTIVE FT MARK
Redshirt freshman Trevor Hudgins set the Northwest school record for consecutive free throw makes and tied the all-time MIAA mark with 36.
    Kelvin Parker held the Northwest record at 35, prior to Hudgins hitting 36 in a row.
    Hudgins missed his 37th free throw at Central Missouri on Thursday. Hudgins is tied with UCM's Reggie Soward. Soward also made 36 consecutive made free throws from Dec 12, 2004-Jan. 29, 2005.
    Northern Kentucky's Paul Cluxton holds the NCAA Div. II record with 98 consecutive free throws made in 1997.

TREVOR IS DISHING HIS WAY TO TOP 10
Trevor Hudgins has dished out a team-best 146 assists on the season to rank as the fifth-best single-season mark in Bearcat history.

Northwest Assists in a Season
1.     Justin Pitts (2017)    183
2.    Kelvin Parker (2004)    174
3.    Justin Pitts (2016)    160     
4.    Matt Wallace (2016)    151
5.    Trevor Hudgins (2019)    146
6.    James Williams (1984)    144
7.    Mark Yager (1980)    143
8.    Justin Pitts (2018)    140
9.    Victor Coleman (1982)    136
    DeShaun Cooper (2011)    136

WITTHUS FINDS HIS GROOVE
Senior Joey Witthus leads Northwest in scoring (20.2 ppg), three-pointers made (85) and three-point field goal percentage (47.0 percent). Witthus tops the MIAA in three-pointers made and three-point field goal percentage.

TRIPLE THREAT OF 30-POINT GAMES
Northwest has had three different players score at least 30 points in a game this season.
    Senior Joey Witthus has reached the 30-point mark in five games this season. Witthus posted a career-high 36 points vs. Pittsburg State (Jan. 31).
    The last Bearcat to score 30 or more points five times in a season was Justin Pitts in the 2016-17 season, which saw Northwest crowned national champs.

Northwest's 30-Point Games in 2018-19
36, Joey Witthus vs. Pittsburg State (1/31/19)
34, Joey Witthus at Central Oklahoma (1/5/19)
33, Joey Witthus vs. Ill.-Springfield (11/19/18)
32, Joey Witthus vs. Emporia State (1/9/18)
31, Ryan Hawkins at Northeastern State (1/3/19)
30, Trevor Hudgins at Fort Hays State (1/26/19)
30, Joey Witthus at Lincoln (2/9/19)

WITTHUS FILLS IT UP FROM DEEP
Senior Joey Witthus has connected on 85 three-pointers this season to ranks as the fifth-best single-season mark in Bearcat history.

Northwest 3-Point Field Goals in a Season
1.     Zach Schneider (2017)    108
2.    Zach Schneider (2015)    101
3.    Zach Schneider (2016)    91
    Louis Jones (1989)    91
5.    Joey Witthus (2019)    85
6.    Alex Sullivan (2013)    84
7.    Justin Pitts (2016)    80
    Justin Pitts (2018)    80
9.    DeShaun Cooper (2014)    72
    Conner Crooker (2015)    72

34+ 3-POINTERS FOR NORTHWEST STARTERS
Each of the five starters in the Bearcat lineup has drained at least 34 three-pointers this season.
    Joey Witthus (85), Ryan Hawkins (64), Ryan Welty (58), Trevor Hudgins (51) and Diego Bernard (34) have all drained at least 34 or more three-pointers this year.

HAWKINS DOUBLES UP
Sophomore forward Ryan Hawkins has collected an MIAA-best nine double-doubles. Hawkins has reached double figures in rebounds in 12 games. Hawkins holds the MIAA single-game lead in rebounds (18).

HAWK TOPS MIAA IN STEALS
Hawkins leads the MIAA in steals (66). His 66 steals rank No. 9 in the nation. Hawkins has posted at least one steal in 25 straight games. He has been credited with at least two steals in 21 contests.

HAWKS ON THE BOARDS TOO
Hawkins ranks No. 3 in the MIAA in rebounding (9.3 rpg). He ranks No. 16 in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (7.41).
    He ranks No. 19 in the nation in total rebounds (250). His 250 rebounds rank as the third-best single-season total in Northwest history.

Northwest Rebounds in a Season
1.     Don Sears (1968)    305
2.    Byron Jackson (2004)    272
3.    Ryan Hawkins (2019)    250
4.    Russ Miller (1980)    248
5.    Joe Hurst (1986)    246
6.    Joe Hurst (1984)    238
7.    Hunter Henry (2009)    235
8.    Hunter Henry (2007)    234
9.    Hunter Henry (2008)    233
10.    Bo Pitts (1990)    225

DIEGO OFF THE BENCH
Freshman guard Diego Bernard has provided a spark off the bench. Bernard is averaging 11.8 points per game and has reached double-figure scoring in 21 of his last 23 contests.
    Bernard tallied a career-high 21 points at Nebraska-Kearney, then followed that up by scoring all 13 of his points in the final 8:07 against Fort Hays State.

A PAIR OF NO. 1 RANKED TEAMS
The Bernard family of St. Joseph, Missouri, boasts of two No. 1-ranked teams in NCAA Division II basketball. Diego is a freshman guard on the No. 1-ranked men's basketball team at Northwest Missouri State. His sister, Daejah, is a guard on the No. 1-ranked women's basketball team at Drury University in Springfield, Missouri. Drury is 26-0 on the season.

ALWAYS DEFENSIVE
Northwest ranks No. 1 in the MIAA in scoring defense by giving up 62.0 points per game. The Bearcats rank No. 4 in the nation in scoring defense.

SHOOTING IT WELL
The Bearcats are shooting 52.2 percent from the floor, which ranks No. 3 in the nation. Northwest has shot 50 percent or better from the field in 18 of its 27 games. Northwest has also shot 50 percent or better in six road games and on two neutral courts.

WITTHUS FOR THREE
Senior Joey Witthus has drained 280 career three-pointers to rank 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 143 triples in time at Northwest.

NCAA Active Career Leaders - 3-Pointers
1. Jarrett Brodbeck (Regis)        368
2. Jack Laffey (Adelphi)        330
3. Jason Jolly (Fairmont State)    312
4. Sawyer Glick (Emporia State)    296
5. Jonathan Lawton (Fla. Southern)    285
6. Kenny Hairston (Limestone)    284
7. Joey Witthus (Northwest Mo.)    280
8. Ryan Boulter (Merrimack)        279
9. Levi Holmes III (St. Michael's)    276
10. Elyjah Clark (Missouri Southern)    274

WELTY'S THREE-POINT PRECISION
Junior Ryan Welty is the nation's active career leader in three-point field goal percentage. Welty has made 53.4 percent of his three-point shots (165-of-309).

NCAA Active Career Leaders - 3-Point FG Pct.
1. Ryan Welty (Northwest Missouri)        .534
2. Mikkel Kolstand (Nova Southeastern)    .500
3. Dan Largey (Stonehill)            .476
4. Adam Bonk (Wisconsin-Parkside)        .474
5. Mason Baker (Colorado School of Mines)    .471
WELTY CLIMBS NORTHWEST'S 3-POINT CHART
Junior Ryan Welty has sank 165 career 3-pointers to ranks No. 7 on Northwest's all-time 3-pointers made chart.

Northwest 3-Pointers Made in a Career
1.     Zach Schneider (2013-17)        370
2.    Justin Pitts (2014-18)        271
3.    Austin Meyer (2003-06)        215
4.    Conner Crooker (2013-16)        205
5.    Scott Fleming (2000-03)        173
6.    DeShaun Cooper (2009-14)    170
7.    Ryan Welty (2016-pres.)        165
8.    Louis Jones (1987-89)        156
9.    Kelvin Parker (2001-04)        148
10.    Chris-Ebou Ndow (2015-18)    146
11.  Joey Witthus (2017-pres.)        143

MCCOLLUM RANKS NO. 8 IN WIN PERCENTAGE
Northwest head coach Ben McCollum ranks No. 8 among active NCAA Division II coaches in winning percentage with a minimum of 10 years as a head coach.
    McCollum has guided the Bearcats to a mark of 228-75 (.752 winning percentage) in his 10th season at the helm of the program.

NCAA Div. II Head Coach Win Percentage (Min. 10 yrs.)
1. Jim Crutchfield (Nova Southeastern)    .845 (399-73, 15 yrs.)
2. Josh Schertz (Lincoln Memorial)    .824 (286-61, 11 yrs.)
3. Scott Davenport (Bellarmine)    .772 (337-100, 14 yrs.)
4. Burt Paddock (Davenport)    .769 (283-85, 11 yrs.)
5. Jeff Young (Walsh)    .765 (352-108, 18 yrs.)
6. Ken Ammann (Concordia, Calif.)    .762 (464-145, 18 yrs.)
7. Rodney Watson (Southern Indiana)    .755 (222-72, 10 yrs.)
8. Ben McCollum (Northwest Mo. St.)    .754 (230-75, 10 yrs.)
9. Joe Lombardi (Indiana, Pa.)    .751 (298-99, 13 yrs.)
10. Steve Hesser (Drury)    .720 (319-124 15 yrs.)    

NO. 1 IN THE NATION
Northwest is ranked No. 1 in the nation in this week's NABC Division II Top 25 Poll.
    It is the third straight season that Northwest is ranked No. 1 in the nation.
    It marks the 21st time in school history that Northwest has been ranked No. 1 in the nation in the NABC poll.
    Northwest was first ranked No. 1 on Jan. 13, 2004.
    The Bearcats were ranked No. 1 for nine weeks during the 2016-17 season, which saw Northwest finish 35-1 and capture the program's first national title.
    Northwest was ranked No. 1 in the opening six weeks of the 2017-18 season.

Weeks Ranked No. 1 (NABC Top 25)
Jan. 13, 2004
Dec. 13, 2016
Dec. 27, 2016
Jan. 3, 2017
Jan. 10, 2017
Jan. 17, 2017
Jan. 24, 2017
Jan. 31, 2017
Feb. 7, 2017
Feb. 14, 2017
March 7, 2017
Nov. 21, 2017
Nov. 28, 2017
Dec. 5, 2017
Dec. 12, 2017
Dec. 26, 2017
Jan. 2, 2018
Feb. 5, 2019
Feb. 12, 2019
Feb. 19, 2019
Feb. 26, 2019

CENTRAL REGION RANKINGS
The first NCAA Division II men's basketball regional rankings were released today and the Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats are in the top spot in the central region.
    The top eight teams in each region will qualify for the NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament. Northwest has served as the central region host in each of the previous two seasons.
NCAA CENTRAL REGION (Feb. 20)
1. Northwest Missouri State
2. Washburn
3. Northern State
4. St. Cloud State
5. Missouri Southern
6. Southern Nazarene
7. Minnesota State, Mankato
8. Lincoln
9. Wayne State
10. Southern Arkansas

D2SIDA CENTRAL REGION (Feb. 24)
1.   Northwest Missouri State
2.   Southern Nazarene
3.   Northern State
4.   Missouri Southern
      Washburn
6.   St. Cloud State
7.   Southeastern Oklahoma State
      Wayne State
8.   Minnesota State, Mankato
10. Minnesota-Duluth

100-POINT MARK
Northwest has reached 100 points five times this season - the most times the Bearcats have reached 100 points in a single season.
    Northwest has scored 100 or more points 10 times under head coach Ben McCollum.
    The 111-point output is the most scored by a Northwest team since the Bearcats posted a 111-36 win over Principia College on Dec. 2, 2006.

100-Point Games under McCollum
105-55 vs. Manhattan 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)
108-58 vs. Simpson (12/30/18)
105-70 at Northeastern State (1/3/19)
111-83 vs. Pittsburg State (1/31/19)

WITTHUS EARNS 2ND MIAA PLAYER OF WEEK
Senior Joey Witthus was named the MIAA player of the week for the second time this season after he averaged 32.0 points per game and 7.0 rebounds. He shot 63.9 percent from the field and 64.3 percent from three-point range in leading Northwest to a pair of home MIAA victories.
    Witthus went for a career-high 36 points in Northwest's 111-83 win over Pittsburg State. Witthus buried 13-of-19 field goals, including 8-of-13 from three-point land vs. the Gorillas. Witthus grabbed four rebounds and handed out an assist vs. PSU.
    Witthus tied his career-high with 10 rebounds and scored a game-high 28 points in Northwest's 82-62 win over Missouri Southern. Witthus was 10-of-17 from the field and knocked in his only three-point attempt. Witthus also sank 7-of-8 free throws. He handed out two assists and secured two steals vs. the Lions.

TWO BEARCATS NAMED TO BEVO FRANCIS TOP 50 WATCH LIST
Small College Basketball has narrowed down its Watch List for the Bevo Francis Award of 2019 to 50 of the finest men's basketball players in the country who compete in the affiliations of NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA Division I, NAIA Division II, USCAA and NCCAA.
    Northwest Missouri State senior Joey Witthus and redshirt freshman Trevor Hudgins are both named on the top 50 watch list. Witthus and Hudgins have led the Bearcats to a No. 1 ranking in NCAA Div. II basketball and the only undefeated mark in all of NCAA basketball. Witthus is averaging a team-best 21.4 points per game. Witthus leads the MIAA in three-pointers made (77) and three-point field goal percentage (47.5 percent). Hudgins is the top scoring freshman in the nation at 18.9 points per game. Hudgins leads the MIAA in assists (5.7 apg).
    This marks the fourth season of the Bevo Francis Award, as the award was previously given to Dominez Burnett of Davenport (Mich.) in 2016, Justin Pitts of Northwest Missouri State in 2017 and Emanuel Terry of Lincoln Memorial last season.

WITTHUS EARNS MIAA PLAYER OF WEEK
Joey Witthus has been named the MIAA men's basketball player of the week.
    Witthus averaged 29.0 points per game, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in leading Northwest to a pair of home wins over Emporia State and nationally-ranked Washburn. 
    Against Emporia State, Witthus notched his third 30-point game of the season with 32 points. Witthus scored 16 consecutive points in the second half to turn a six-point game into a 15-point advantage for the Bearcats. Witthus went 11-of-22 from the field and drained five triples to go along with three rebounds, three assists and a steal. Witthus went 5-of-5 from the free throw stripe.
    On Saturday against Washburn, Witthus scored a game-high 26 points. Witthus was 7-of-15 from the field that included four buried treys. Witthus was 8-of-9 at the free throw line. He added five rebounds, three assists and two steals in the win to push the Bearcats win streak to 16 in a row.
    Witthus shot 48.6 percent from the field, 40.9 percent from three-point range and 92.9 percent from the free throw line.

HAWKINS NAMED MIAA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Northwest Missouri State University sophomore Ryan Hawkins has been named the MIAA co-player of the week. Hawkins shared the honor with Lincoln's Terrance Smith.
    Hawkins (Atlantic, Iowa) averaged 26.0 points per game, 4.3 steals per game and shot 66.7 percent from the field (including 52.2 percent from 3-point range) in a trio of Northwest Missouri State victories.
    Hawkins went for a career-high 31 points on 10-of-13 shooting (5-of-7 3-point FGs) in a 105-70 win at Northeastern State. Hawkins added five steals and a block while also draining all six of his free throw attempts in the Bearcats's road victory.
    He scored 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting and chipped in with eight rebounds and two steals in a 78-67 road triumph at Central Oklahoma.
    Hawkins posted a then-career-high 29 points, eight rebounds, six steals and a block in a 108-58 victory over Simpson on Dec. 30. Hawkins went 11-of-16 from the field, including 5-of-8 from three-point range against the Storm.

16 STRAIGHT DECEMBER WINS
Northwest has won its last 16 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).

NORTHWEST WITH 25 ASSISTS VS DUSTDEVILS
Northwest was credited with 25 assists in its 85-46 win over Texas A&M-International. It was the most assists by a Bearcat team since it put up 25 assists vs. Baker on Nov. 24, 2009.

25+ Assists since 2000
27 vs. Manhattan Christian (Dec. 8, 2001)
27 vs. Central Missouri (Feb. 6, 2002)
27 vs. University of Saint Mary (Nov. 15, 2005)
26 vs. Calvary Bible College (Dec. 5, 2002)
25 vs. William Woods (Dec. 17, 2008)
25 vs. Baker (Nov. 24, 2009)
25 vs. Texas A&M-International (Dec. 18, 2018)

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

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.

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 five 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.

NORTHWEST ATHLETICS APP AVAILABLE
Northwest Missouri State athletics is partnering with From Now On and is introducing a new Bearcat athletics app.
    The Bearcat athletics app is available for download from the App Store or Google Play.
    The Bearcat app will provide a landing spot for all fans including students, alumni, Bearcat Booster Club members, season ticket holders and Bearcat Buddies. The app offers live stats, season stats, push notifications with score updates, information on Bearcat teams, rosters and schedules as well as marketing/promotional tools, fan guides, merchandise, maps of home venues and a rewards feature. The rewards feature allows fans to check-in at games and events, receive points and later use the points for prizes and game day experiences.

MIAA TOURNAMENT TICKETS AVAILABLE
Tickets to the 2019 MIAA Men's and Women's Basketball Championships at Municipal Auditorium are available for sale.  Fans can purchase tickets at the Municipal Box office or through Ticketmaster.  Tickets can also be purchased on the campuses of all fourteen-member institutions of the MIAA.
    This year will mark the 17th consecutive year the event has been held at historic Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City.   For the first time, the 2019 championships will see the tournament field expand to 10 men's and 10 women's teams and will be held over five days beginning on Wednesday, March 6 concluding with the championship games on Sunday, March 10.
    Also new in 2019 is that both men's and women's game will be held during all five days of the event.  The men's games will be played during the day sessions and the women's games will be held during the evening session.

TICKET PRICES (all tickets are General Admission):
$75 All-Tournament Ticket (includes all 18 games over 5 days)
Discount price of $50 if purchased at one of the MIAA schools
Single Session Tickets (two games per session)
$20 Adults
$5 Students (with school ID)
Children 6 & under are admitted at no charge

For more information about the 2019 MIAA Men's and Women's Basketball Championships visit Championship Central or call the MIAA at (816) 421-6422.