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Sat., March 16, 6 p.m. | Bearcat Arena | Maryville, Mo.
No. 1 Northwest vs. No. 8 Minnesota State, Mankato
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NO. 1 BEARCATS TO PLAY HOST TO NCAA CENTRAL REGION
The undefeated Northwest Missouri State University men's basketball team (32-0 overall) earned the No. 1 seed for the NCAA Central Region in the 2019 NCAA Division II Tournament.
    The Central Region will take place March 16 (four games), March 17 (two games) and March 19 (regional final) in Bearcat Arena in Maryville, Missouri. It is the third straight season that Northwest will serve as the region's host.

2019 NCAA Central Region
Sat., March 16
Noon: No. 3 Washburn vs. No. 6 Missouri Southern State
2:30 p.m.: No. 2 Northern State vs. No. 7 Southeastern Oklahoma State
6 p.m.: No. 1 Northwest Missouri State vs. No. 8 Minnesota State, Mankato
8:30 p.m.: No. 4 St. Cloud State vs. No. 5 Southern Nazarene
 
Sun, March 17
5 p.m.: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
7:30 p.m.: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4
 
Tues, March 19
7 p.m.: Regional Championship Game

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for the regional can be purchased online at http://nwmissouri.universitytickets.com/user_pages/event_listings.asp
    All seating for the regional will be general admission. Fans can purchase single session tickets in person at the Cashiering office. The Cashiering office, located on the first floor of the Administration Building, will be open until from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets early.
    Single session tickets can be purchased for $12 each for adults and $7 for students. Children 2 and under are free per NCAA policy. The ticket office will open 1 hour and 15 minutes prior to the start of each session.

WHAT AWAITS
Northwest will take on the No. 8 seed Minnesota State, Mankato, on Sat., March 16, at 6 p.m. in Bearcat Arena.
    The winner of the Northwest-MSU game will take on the winner of the No. 4 St. Cloud State vs. No. 5 Southern Nazarene on Sunday at 7:30 p.m.
    The regional final is set for Tuesday at 7 p.m.

19TH NCAA APPEARANCE
Northwest will be taking part in its 19th NCAA Tournament. It is the Bearcats's seventh trip to the NCAA Tournament for 10th-year head coach Ben McCollum.
    Northwest is 23-20 all-time in the NCAA Tournament with three appearances in the Elite Eight (2001-02, 2003-04, 2016-17).
    The Bearcats claimed the program's first national championship in the 2016-17 season.

FAMILIAR FOE
Northwest will meet Minnesota State, Mankato, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season.
    It will be the seventh all-time meeting between the Bearcats and Mavericks on the hardwood. The series is tied 3-3.
    This will mark the fifth meeting between the two schools in the last six years in the NCAA Tournament.

Northwest-MSU Series Results
MSU 60, Northwest 50 (3/10/18)
Northwest 82, MSU 60 (3/13/16)
Northwest 59, MSU 56 (3/14/15)
Northwest 71, MSU 66 (3/16/14)
MSU 82, Northwest 74 (11/27/93)
MSU 48, Northwest 45 (1949-50)

JOEY JOINS 1,000-POINT CLUB
Joey Witthus became the 23rd Northwest player to reach 1,000 points in a Bearcat uniform. Witthus has scored 1,019 points for Northwest. He tallied 782 points at Minnesota State before transferring prior to the 2017-18 season.
    Witthus ranks No. 22 among active NCAA Division II scorers with 1,801 points. He needs five points to surpass Washburn's Javion Blake as the MIAA's top active scorer.
    The Central Region will feature the nation's No. 2 active scorer in St. Cloud State's Gage Davis (2,574 points), No. 21 Blake (1,805 points) and No. 22 Witthus (1,801 points) and No. 46 Southern Nazarene's Jhonathan Dunn (1,514 points).

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 87-5 in Bearcat Arena over its last 92 home games. The Bearcats are 14-0 at home this year.
    Northwest's current 14-game home-court win streak ranks as the fifth-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 - 14-0

Current Home-Court Win Streaks
1. West Texas A&M - 23
2. Colorado School of Mines - 18
3. Missouri Southern - 17
    Oakland City - 17
5. Northwest Missouri State - 14

FOUR STRAIGHT MIAA
TOURNAMENT TITLES
Under the direction of 10th-year head coach Ben McCollum, the Bearcats became the first MIAA program to win four consecutive league tournament titles.

Northwest in MIAA Title Games
1984 - UCM 70, Northwest 65
1989 - Northwest 82, UCM 77
1998 - MWSU 65, Northwest 52
1999 - Truman St. 70, Northwest 68
2000 - MSSU 90, Northwest 79
2001 - WU 81, Northwest 74
2002 - Northwest 71, MWSU 58
2004 - Northwest 78, WU 71
2008 - Northwest 57, ESU 51
2013 - UCM 79, Northwest 76 (OT)
2016 - Northwest 61, UNK 53
2017 - Northwest 69, UCM 61
2018 - Northwest 80, WU 74
2019 - Northwest 82, WU 53

LARGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY IN MIAA TITLE GAME
Northwest's 29-point victory margin (82-53) over Washburn is the largest ever in an MIAA Tournament championship game.
    The previous largest margin of victory in a title contest was a 26-point win by Pittsburg State over Missouri Southern in 2015 (91-65).

WITTHUS, HUDGINS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Senior Joey Witthus and redshirt freshman Trevor Hudgins were named to the MIAA All-Tournament team. Witthus was named the Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
    Witthus averaged 25.0 ppg and 5.3 rpg in helping Northwes to the title. Witthus buried 10 three-pointers and was 25-of-32 at the free throw line. Witthus scored 23 or more points in each of the three games - including a high of 27 in besting Emporia State, 82-79.
    Hudgins averaged 21.7 ppg, 6.3 apg and 2.7 spg as Northwest won its fourth straight crown. Hudgins shot 52.2 percent from the field and was 8-of-15 (53.3 percent) from three-point land. Hudgins tallied a tournament-best eight steals, including five against Lincoln in the semifinal triumph, 86-69.


Northwest's MOPs at MIAA Tournament
Kelvin Parker - 2004
Hunter Hunry - 2008
Justin Pitts - 2016
Justin Pitts - 2017
Justin Pitts - 2018
Joey Witthus - 2019

ONLY REMAINING
UNDEFEATED IN THE NATION
Northwest is the only remaining undefeated team in the nation at 32-0 overall. 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 32 in a row.

Current Overall Win Streaks (DII)
1. Northwest Missouri State    32
2. Oakland City (Ind.)        18
3. West Texas A&M        15
4. Davenport            14
5. Findlay            13
    Dixie State            13

BEST START IN PROGRAM HISTORY
Northwest's 32-0 mark to begin the season is the best start to a season in program history.
    Henry Iba guided Northwest to a perfect 31-0 record in 1929-30 to set the initial Bearcat standard for best starts to a season.

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

FOURTH TIME REACHING 30 WINS
Northwest has reached the 30-win mark for only the fourth time in program history. Northwest set its single-season win mark in 2016-17 when the Bearcats won 35 games en route to the national championship.

30-Win Seasons
35-1 - 2016-17
32-0 - 2018-19
31-0 - 1929-30
31-6 - 1930-31
BEARCATS OWN MOST MIAA TOURNEY TITLES
Northwest has won an MIAA-best eight tournament titles. Central Missouri is second on the list with six.

MIAA Tournament Titles
Northwest Missouri State - 8
Central Missouri - 6
Washburn - 5
Missouri Western - 4
Southeast Missouri State - 4
Missouri Southern - 3
Southwest Baptist - 2
Truman State - 2
Fort Hays State - 1
Missouri S&T - 1
Missouri-St. Louis - 1
Nebraska-Omaha - 1
Pittsburg State - 1

MAC IN MIAA TOURNAMENT
Northwest head coach Ben McCollum is 18-4 in the MIAA Tournament. He has guided the Bearcats to five appearances in the finals with four tournament championships.
    McCollum is also the all-time leader in winning percentage (.818) in MIAA tourney play.

SIX STRAIGHT MIAA CROWNS
Northwest became the first school in MIAA history to win six consecutive MIAA regular season titles.
    The Bearcats were a perfect 19-0 in MIAA games this season, becoming the first league school to finish undefeated since the 1966-67 Missouri State Bears went 10-0.
    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 complete the league season 19-0. The 1929-30 Northwest squad finished its MIAA slate at 16-0.
    Only nine times in the MIAA's history have teams completed a perfect mark in league play.

Perfect MIAA Seasons
Northwest Mo. St. (2018-19)    19-0
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 matched the MIAA record for wins in a season with its perfect 19-0 league mark.
    Missouri Southern (2010-11) and Northwest (2015-16) each won 19 MIAA games to set the league standard.
    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)
19, Northwest Mo. St. (2018-19)
18, Central Missouri (2009-10)
18, Northwest Mo. St. (2016-17)
17, Southwest Baptist (2008-09)


MIAA RECORD BOOK
Northwest is looking to challenge one of the oldest records in the MIAA.
    The Bearcats have a +21.6 scoring margin this season. The MIAA record for scoring margin in a season was set by MIssouri State in the 1959-60 season at +22.3.

3-POINT SCHOOL RECORD, MIAA RECORD
Northwest has broken the single-season school record and MIAA record for three-pointers made with 357 made triples this year.
    Southwest Baptist held the previous MIAA mark with 335 in both 2004-05 and 2008-09.

AMONG THE BEST IN THE NATION
Northwest ranks No. 1 in the nation in scoring margin (+21.9).
    Northwest ranks No. 2 in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.83) and turnovers per game (7.9).
    The Bearcats rank No. 3 in fewest turnovers (253) and scoring defense (62.3)
    The Bearcats rank No. 4 in field goal percentage (.515), in three-point field goal percentage (.416) and in three-pointers made (357).

SHOOTING IT WELL
The Bearcats are shooting 51.5 percent from the floor, which ranks No. 4 in the nation. Northwest has shot 50 percent or better from the field in 20 of its 32 games. Northwest has also shot 50 percent or better in six road games and on four neutral courts.

DOUBLE-FIGURE WINS IN MIAA PLAY
Northwest won by double figures in 16 of its 19 MIAA games. The three times Northwest won by single digits in league play came against Lincoln (W, 85-75 - Dec. 6), against Washburn (W, 83-75 - Jan. 12) and vs. Missouri Western (W, 70-68 - Feb. 26).
    In MIAA play, Northwest had a +19.7 scoring margin. The Bearcats scored 81.7 ppg and gave up 62.0 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 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 94-5 (.949 win percentage) over the past three seasons. Northwest went 35-1 in 2016-17, 27-4 in 2017-18 and is 32-0 in 2018-19.

29 IN A ROW ON NEUTRAL COURTS
Northwest has won 29 straight games on neutral floors. It is the longest active win streak among all NCAA Div. I, II and III schools.
    Villanova (Div. I) has won 19 straight, while WashU (Div. III) has won 15 consecutive contests on neutral courts.
    Northwest's last loss on a neutral floor came Nov. 13, 2015, vs. Upper Iowa (L, 76-72).

Current Neutral Win Streaks (DII)
1. Northwest Missouri State    29
2. Adelphi            7
    Alabama-Huntsville        7
    West Texas A&M        7
5. Rogers State            6

BEARCATS ON THE ROAD
Northwest finished a perfect 10-0 on the road in 2018-19 and extended its road win streak to 15 in a row - the longest active streak in the nation.

Current Road Win Streaks
1. Northwest Missouri State - 15
2. Queens - 14
3. Augusta - 9
    West Liberty - 9
5. Findlay - 8
    West Alabama - 8

CONFERENCE WIN STREAK
Northwest has won 21 consecutive MIAA games dating back to the 2017-18 season. It is the nation's longest active conference winning streak.
    Northwest set the MIAA record with 28 consecutive league victories from Jan. 13, 2016 through Feb. 23, 2017.

Current Conference Win Streaks
1. Northwest Missouri State - 21
2. West Texas A&M - 15
3. Dixie State - 13
    Davenport - 13
5. Six tied - 12

LAST 88 MIAA GAMES
Northwest is 81-7 in its last 88 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 42-1 in Bearcat Arena in MIAA matchups with the only setback coming last year against Missouri Southern.

NORTHWEST AT NO. 50 IN MASSEY RATINGS
Northwest is ranked No. 50 among all NCAA collegiate basketball teams in the the Massey Ratings (www.MasseyRatings.com as of March 12).
    Northwest is the highest rated NCAA Div. II team.


TWO 500-POINT SCORERS
Senior Joey Witthus and redshirt freshman Trevor Hudgins have each surpassed the 500-point scoring mark this season. Witthus has scored a team-best 649 points, which ranks as the third-best single-season total in school history. Hudgins has posted 560 points, which is tied for the fifth-most in a single season.

Northwest Points in a Season
1.     Justin Pitts (2017)    754
2.    Justin Pitts (2016)    693
3.    Joey Witthus (2019)    649
4.    Kelvin Parker (2004)    620
5.    Glenn Phillips (1986)    599
    Trevor Hudgins (2019)    599
7.    David Alvey (1976)    571
8.    DeShaun Cooper (2014)    563
9.    Glenn Phillips (1987)    548
       Vic Coleman (1984)    548

Northwest Field Goals Made in a Season
1.     Justin Pitts (2017)    275
2.    Justin Pitts (2016)    253
3.     Glenn Phillips (1986)    247
4.    Vic Coleman (1983)    242
5.    Vic Coleman (1984)    236
6.    Trevor Hudgins (2019)    224
7.    David Alvey (1976)    215
8.    Joe Hurst (1985)    210
9.    Kelvin Parker (2004)    208
    Joey Witthus (2019)    208

TREV TOPS BEARCAT FROSH SCORING LIST
Redshirt freshman point guard Trevor Hudgins has scored more points as a freshman than any previous freshman player in the history of Bearcat basketball and the MIAA.
    Hudgins has scored 599 points, besting the previous freshman mark of 482 points by Justin Pitts in the 2014-15 season.

HUDGINS ONE OF D-II'S TOP FRESHMAN
Hudgins ranks No. 2 in the nation among freshmen scorers (18.7 ppg). Hudgins trails Walsh's J.T. Shumate (19.2 ppg) in freshmen scoring.
    Hudgins also ranks No. 3 in the nation among freshmen in assists per game (5.3).
    He has scored 20 or more points in 17 games this season, including a game-high 27 in the MIAA title win over Washburn, 82-53.
    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. 9 in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.15).

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 170 assists on the season to rank as the third-best single-season mark in Bearcat history.

Northwest Assists in a Season
1.     Justin Pitts (2017)    183
2.    Kelvin Parker (2004)    174
3.    Trevor Hudgins (2019)    170
4.    Justin Pitts (2016)    160     
5.    Matt Wallace (2016)    151
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 (20.9 ppg), three-pointers made (100) and free throws made (133). Witthus tops the MIAA in three-pointers made.

Northwest Free Throws Made in a Season
1.     Scott Fleming (2003)    187
2.    Scott Fleming (2001)    171
3.    Scott Fleming (2002)    158
4.    Kelvin Parker (2004)    149
5.    David Alvey (1977)    146
6.    David Alvey (1976)    141
7.    Hunter Henry (2007)    138
8.    DeShaun Cooper (2014)    135
9.    Sky Wilson (2004)    134
10.    Joey Witthus (2019)    133    

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 100 three-pointers this season to rank as the third-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.    Joey Witthus (2019)    100
4.    Zach Schneider (2016)    91
    Louis Jones (1989)    91
6.    Alex Sullivan (2013)    84
7.    Justin Pitts (2016)    80
    Justin Pitts (2018)    80
9.    DeShaun Cooper (2014)    72
    Conner Crooker (2015)    72

39+ 3-POINTERS FOR NORTHWEST STARTERS
Each of the five starters in the Bearcat lineup has drained at least 39 three-pointers this season.
    Joey Witthus (100), Ryan Hawkins (70), Ryan Welty (68), Trevor Hudgins (61) and Diego Bernard (39) have all drained at least 39 or more three-pointers this year.

HAWKINS DOUBLES UP
Sophomore forward Ryan Hawkins has collected a team-best 10 double-doubles. Hawkins has reached double figures in rebounds in 13 games. Hawkins holds the MIAA single-game lead in rebounds (18).

HAWK TOPS MIAA IN STEALS
Hawkins leads the MIAA in steals (71). His 71 steals rank No. 16 in the nation and is the fifth-best single-season total in Bearcat history.

Northwest Steals in a Season
1.     Scott Fleming (2001)    97
2.    Benji Burke (1990)    80
3.    Scott Fleming (2002)    78
4.    Scott Fleming (2000)    74
5.    Ryan Hawkins (2019)    71
6.    Gerald Harris (1988)    70
7.    Mose Howard (2006)    69
    Kelvin Parker (2006)    69
9.    Shakey Harrington (1998)    67
10.    Orlando Johnson (1993)    66

HAWKS ON THE BOARDS TOO
Hawkins ranks No. 3 in the MIAA in rebounding (9.3 rpg). He ranks No. 21 in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (7.13).
    He ranks No. 15 in the nation in total rebounds (287). His 287 rebounds rank as the second-best single-season total in Northwest history.

Northwest Rebounds in a Season
1.     Don Sears (1968)    305
2.    Ryan Hawkins (2019)    287
3.    Byron Jackson (2004)    272
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 24 of 32 games this season.
    Bernard tied his career high in scoring with 21 points in Northwest's 86-69 MIAA semifinal tournament victory over Lincoln.

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 31-0 on the season.

WITTHUS FOR THREE
Senior Joey Witthus has drained 295 career three-pointers to rank No. 6 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 158 triples in time at Northwest.

NCAA Active Career Leaders - 3-Pointers
1. Jarrett Brodbeck (Regis)        376
2. Jack Laffey (Adelphi)        337
3. Jason Jolly (Fairmont State)    322
4. Sawyer Glick (Emporia State)    306
5. Jonathan Lawton (Fla. Southern)    297
6. Joey Witthus (Northwest Mo.)    295
7. Ryan Boulter (Merrimack)        292
8. Kenny Hairston (Limestone)    289
9. Elyjah Clark (Missouri Southern)    280
10. Andrew Scott (Oakland City)    279

WELTY'S THREE-POINT PRECISION
Junior Ryan Welty is the nation's active career leader in three-point field goal percentage. Welty has made 52.2 percent of his three-point shots (175-of-335).

NCAA Active Career Leaders - 3-Point FG Pct.
1. Ryan Welty (Northwest Missouri)        .522
2. Mikkel Kolstand (Nova Southeastern)    .491
3. Miguel Arnold (Augusta)            .477
4. Dan Largey (Stonehill)            .476
5. Adam Bonk (Wisconsin-Parkside)        .473

WELTY CLIMBS NORTHWEST'S 3-POINT CHART
Junior Ryan Welty has made 175 career 3-pointers to ranks No. 5 on Northwest's all-time 3-pointers made chart. Joey Witthus has drained 154 from distance to rank No. 8 on Northwest's career list.

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.    Ryan Welty (2016-pres.)        175
6.    Scott Fleming (2000-03)        173
7.    DeShaun Cooper (2009-14)    170
8.    Joey Witthus (2017-pres.)        158
9.    Louis Jones (1987-89)        156
10.    Kelvin Parker (2001-04)        148

MCCOLLUM RANKS NO. 7 IN WIN PERCENTAGE
Northwest head coach Ben McCollum ranks No. 7 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 235-75 (.758 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 (402-74, 15 yrs.)
2. Josh Schertz (Lincoln Memorial)    .817 (286-64, 11 yrs.)
3. Scott Davenport (Bellarmine)    .774 (342-100, 14 yrs.)
4. Burt Paddock (Davenport)    .769 (286-86, 11 yrs.)
5. Jeff Young (Walsh)    .767 (356-108, 18 yrs.)
6. Ken Ammann (Concordia, Calif.)    .760 (465-147, 18 yrs.)
7. Ben McCollum (Northwest Mo. St.)    .758 (235-75, 10 yrs.)
8. Rodney Watson (Southern Indiana)    .755 (225-73, 10 yrs.)
9. Joe Lombardi (Indiana, Pa.)    .754 (304-99, 13 yrs.)
10. Steve Hesser (Drury)    .721 (323-125 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 23rd 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
March 5, 2019
March 12, 2019

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.

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.

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.

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

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.