Northwest Missouri State Men's Basketball Game Notes (PDF)

Saturday, Jan. 4 | 3:30 p.m. | Bearcat Arena | Maryville, Mo.
Northeastern State at No. 2 Northwest Missouri State
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Monday, Jan. 6 | 7:30 p.m. | Bearcat Arena | Maryville, Mo.
Rogers State at No. 2 Northwest Missouri State
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NO. 2 NORTHWEST RETURNS TO MIAA PLAY SATURDAY, MONDAY
The No. 2-ranked Northwest Missouri State University men's basketball team (11-1 overall, 1-1 MIAA) returns to conference play with matchups in Bearcat Arena against Northeastern State (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.) and Rogers State (Monday, 7:30 p.m.).

BOBBY'S BIRTHDAY PARTY
Help us celebrate Bobby Bearcat's birthday this Saturday at Bearcat Arena.
    Bearcat Buddies members receive free admission into the basketball doubleheader with their member ID card.

NORTHWEST, NORTHEASTERN STATE ALL-TIME SERIES
Northwest holds an 11-1 lead in the all-time series vs. Northeastern State.
    The Bearcats have won 10 straight games against the RiverHawks. NSU is 0-3 in three previous trips to Bearcat Arena.

NORTHWEST, ROGERS STATE ALL-TIME SERIES
Northwest and Rogers State will be meeting for the first time.

HAWKINS CLOSING IN ON 1,000 CAREER POINTS
Junior forward Ryan Hawkins is closing in on becoming the 24th Bearcat to score 1,000 or more career points.
    Hawkins enters Saturday's game vs. Northeastern State with 982 points.

1,000 POINTS/500 REBOUNDS
Hawkins can also become only 13th Bearcat to post 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. Hawkins has 982 points and 527 rebounds.

Northwest's 1,000 Pts & 500 Rbs Club
Vic Coleman (1980-84)    1,759 pts/586 rbs
David Alvey (1973-77)    1,747 pts/677 rbs
Hunter Henry (2006-09)    1,592 pts/808 rbs
Joe Hurst (1982-86)    1,580 pts/777 rbs
Russ Miller (1976-80)    1,282 pts/837 rbs
Jeff Hutcheon (1985-89)    1,203 pts/519 rbs
Matt Redd (1996-99)    1,200 pts/571 rbs
Don Sears (1966-70)    1,154 pts/874 rbs
Dillon Starzl (2011-14)    1,153 pts/518 rbs
Chris Ebou Ndow (2015-18)    1,134 pts/654 rbs
Bob Sundell (1986-89)    1,082 pts/574 rbs
Rick Jolley (1993-96)    1,054 pts/574 rbs

HAWK LEADS THE 'CATS
Hawkins is leading the Bearcats in scoring at 24.0 points per game. Hawkins is shooting 57.8% from the field.
    Hawkins has buried a team-best 32 three-pointers and is 48-of-58 (82.8%) at the free throw line.
    Hawkins also leads the team in rebounding (7.0/game) and boasts a team-high 29 steals.
    Hawkins is tops in the MIAA in scoring, field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage and total steals.
    
SIZZLING SHOOTING
Northwest has shot 50% or better in nine of its first 12 games this season.

56.6% vs. Daemen (Nov. 1)
58.7% vs. Southern Nazarene (Nov. 2)
55.6% vs. MSU Moorhead (Nov. 9)
55.6% vs. Saint Mary (Nov. 14)
59.4% vs. William Jewell (Nov. 21)
54.3% at Lincoln (Dec. 5)
66.7% vs. Central Methodist (Dec. 16)
50.8% vs. Truman State (Dec. 20)
53.6% vs. Simpson (Jan. 1)

21 STRAIGHT WEEKS IN TOP 5
The Dec. 31 NABC Division II Top 25 poll marks the 21st straight week that Northwest has been ranked in the top five.

'CATS, MCCOLLUM ROLLING IN BIG VICTORIES
Northwest recorded its eighth victory by 20 or more points this season in a 101-66 triumph over Simpson on New Year's Day.
    Under head coach Ben McCollum the Bearcats are 97-2 in games decided by 20 points or more.
    Northwest has won 95 consecutive games when the final scoring margin is 20 or more points. The last time the Bearcats lost a game by 20 points or more came Jan. 20, 2010, when Missouri Southern posted an 88-63 win in Joplin, Missouri.

100-POINT MARK
Northwest has scored 100 or more points 14 times under head coach Ben McCollum.
    The Bearcats scored a 100-88 victory over No. 9 Southern Nazarene on Nov. 2 at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic at Civic Arena.
    Northwest reached the 100-point mark for the second time this season with a 102-59 triumph over William Jewell Nov. 21 at Bearcat Arena.
    The Bearcats blitzed Central Methodist with a 110-66 triumph at home on Dec. 16 for their third 100-point game of the 2019-2020 season.
    Northwest hit the 100-point mark again on New Year's Day in its 101-66 victory over Simpson.

100-Point Games under McCollum
105-55 vs. Manhattan Christian (11/16/09)
104-67 vs. Graceland (11/28/09)
105-59 vs. Waldorf (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)
100-88 vs. Southern Nazarene (11/2/19)
102-59 vs. William Jewell (11/21/19)
110-66 vs. Central Methodist (12/16/19)
101-66 vs. Simpson (1/1/20)

STILL SOME STREAKS ALIVE
Despite having its 46-game win streak, 24-game conference win streak and 16-game road win streak snapped, Northwest still possesses the longest win streak in the nation in neutral court games with 36.
    The Bearcats's 23-game home win streak ranks as tied for sixth-longest streak in the nation.  It ranks T-No. 2 among NCAA Division II teams.

Home Court
West Texas A&M (II) – 34
Gonzaga (I) – 31
Plattsburg State (III) – 28
Kansas (I) – 27
Pomona-Pitzer (III) – 27
Northwest Missouri State (II) – 23
Missouri Southern (II) – 23
St. Edward's (II) – 21
VCU (I) – 20
Swarthmore (III) – 20
Last loss - 3/10/18 vs. Minnesota State (L, 60-50)

Neutral Court
Northwest Missouri State (II) – 36
WashU (III) – 15
Claremont-M-S (III) – 10
Wittenberg (III) – 10
Virginia (I) – 8
Adelphi (II) – 7
Guilford (III) – 7
Scranton (III) – 7
Trinity (III) – 7
Last loss - 11/13/15 vs. Upper Iowa (L, 76-72)

38 WINS IN A ROW VS NON-CONFERENCE
REGULAR SEASON OPPONENTS
Northwest has won 38 straight games against regular season non-conference foes.
    The Bearcats are 10-0 against non-conference opponents this season.
    Northwest's last loss to a regular season non-conference opponent came on Nov. 19, 2015, when Augustana posted a 79-77 victory over the Bearcats in Sioux Falls, S.D.
    The Bearcats have also won 27 straight home games against regular season non-conference foes.
    The home streak dates back to Nov. 14, 2014, when MSU Moorhead scored a 75-66 win over Northwest in Bearcat Arena.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
Since the start of the 2011-12 season, Northwest has compiled a home mark of 115-9. Northwest is 6-0 at home this season. Northwest has won 23 consecutive home contests.

Year        Bearcat Arena Record
2011-12    12-1
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    17-0
2019-20    6-0

MOVE OVER AP, HAWK IS CLIMBING
Ryan Hawkins moved into the No. 10 spot on Northwest's all-time steals list with 131 career thefts.
    Hawkins had five steals in Northwest's 110-66 win over Central Methodist to move past the previous holder of the No. 10 spot - Andy Peterson. Peterson collected 125 career steals from 2005-2008. Peterson currently serves as Northwest's Director of Athletics.

Northwest Steals in a Career
1.     Scott Fleming (2000-2003)        305
2.    Kelvin Parker (2001-2004)        209
3.     Mark Yager (1979-1982)        188
4.    Justin Pitts (2014-2018)        186
5.    Victor Coleman (1981-1984)    174
6.    Matt Wallace (2011-2015)        158
7.    Gerald Harris (1986-1988)        153
8.    Hunter Henry (2006-2009)        146
9.    DeShaun Cooper (2009-2014)    132
10.    Ryan Hawkins (2017-pres.)        131

TREVOR IS SCORING, DISHING
Trevor Hudgins set a career-high with 13 assists in Northwest's 110-66 win over Central Methodist. It's the fourth time this season that Hudgins has surpassed double figures in assists.
    Hudgins has handed out 80 assists, which ranks No. 10 in the nation.
    Hudgins is averaging 16.7 points and 6.7 assists per game. He has a 5.00 assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranks No. 3 in the nation. Hudgins has 80 assists to go against 16 turnovers in 415 minutes of action.

NCAA Div. II Assist to Turnover Ratio
1. Parker Chitty (Bellarmine)            6.50
2. Devin Whitelow (Winona State)        5.50
3. Trevor Hudgins (Northwest Mo. St.)    5.00
4. Tommy Lucca (Michigan Tech)        4.93
5. Luke Dyer (West Liberty)            4.73
6. Sukhman Bhinder (Lindenwood)        4.50
7. Mikey Howell (UC San Diego)        4.18
8. Ryan Bernstein (Kutztown)            4.09
9. David Moya (Barry)                3.86
10. Kylan Guerra (Jefferson)            3.84

DB HITTING ON ALL CYLINDERS
Over his last nine games, sophomore guard Diego Bernard is averaging 16.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 steals and is shooting 49.5% from the field. Bernard is 9-of-25 from three-point range and 39-of-48 (81.3%) from the foul line.
    He has scored 11 or more points in each of the last nine contests.

SHOOTING LIGHTS OUTS
Northwest has eight players shooting 48.5% or better from the field this season. As a squad, the Bearcats are shooting 53.3% from the field, 43.0% from 3-point range and 81.0% from the free throw line.

Name        FG%    3FG%    FT%    PPG
Hawkins    57.8    42.7    82.8    24.0
Hudgins    51.1    43.6    86.4    16.7
Bernard    49.3    32.3    77.4    15.8
Welty        53.3    52.3    93.8    8.5
Dreamer    52.4    38.5    78.9    8.0
Dougherty    61.2    50.0    63.6    7.8
Waters        48.8    40.0    1.000    5.5
Laing            48.5    44.4    50.0    4.5

BEARCATS TAKE CARE OF BASKETBALL
A staple of head coach Ben McCollum's coaching system is taking care of the basketball and limiting turnovers. Through 12 games in 2019-20, Northwest ranks No. 1 in the nation in turnovers per game (8.9).

NCAA Div. II Team Fewest Turnovers Per Game
1.    Northwest Mo. St.    8.9
2.    Shepherd    9.1
3.    Michigan Tech    9.2
4.    Winona State    9.8
5.    Simon Fraser    9.8
6.    Northern State    10.0
    UC San Diego    10.0
8.    Missouri-St. Louis    10.1
9.    Grand Valley State    10.3
10.    Northern Michigan    10.4

NO. 3 IN FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
The Bearcats have made 53.3% of their field goal attempts in 2019-20, which ranks No. 3 in the nation.

NCAA Div. II Team Field Goal%
1.     Bellarmine    57.2%
2.     Nova Southeastern    56.7%
3.     Northwest Mo. St.    53.3%
4.    Lincoln Memorial    52.3%
5.    Pittsburgh-Johnstown    52.0%
6.    Southern Indiana    51.9%
7.    East Central    51.6%
8.    UC San Diego    51.5%
9.    Charleston (W.Va.)    51.4%
10.    Belmont Abbey    51.4%

NO. 5 FROM DISTANCE
Northwest ranks No. 5 in the nation in three-point field goal percentage at 43.0%. Northwest has drained 130-of-302 three-pointers this season.

NCAA Div. II Team 3-Point Field Goal%
1.    Western Oregon    44.1% (101-229)
2.    Nova Southeastern    44.1% (100-227)
3.    West Liberty    43.5% (143-329)
4.    East Central    43.1% (88-204)
5.     Northwest Mo. St.    44.2% (130-302)
6.    Shepherd    42.7% (154-361)
7.     Bemidji State    42.3% (121-286)
8.    Chico State    42.2% (119-282)
9.    Walsh    42.1% (154-366)
10.    Drury    42.0% (100-238)

NO. 5 IN SCORING MARGIN
Northwest has been winning comfortably this season with eight of its 11 wins coming by 20 or more points. Northwest ranks No. 5 in the nation scoring margin (+25.6).

NCAA Div. II Team Scoring Margin
1.    Nova Southeastern    +29.1
2.    West Liberty    +26.7
3.    Bellarmine    +26.5
4.     Lincoln Memorial    +25.7
5.    Northwest Mo. St.    +25.6
6.    West Texas A&M    +24.6
7.    St. Edward's    +24.4
8.    Embry-Riddle    +23.7
9.     West Alabama    +22.7
10.    Walsh    +21.5

NO. 7 IN SCORING DEFENSE
The Bearcats have been in a lockdown defensive mode all season. As a result, Northwest ranks No. 7 in the nation in scoring defense.
    Saturday's game will feature the No. 5 scoring defense from Northeastern State (61.3 ppg) and No. 7 Northwest (62.8 ppg). Central Missouri ranks No. 8 to give the MIAA three of the top-10 scoring defenses in the country.
    Northwest has held five of its opponents to less than 60 points scored.
    
NCAA Div. II Team Scoring Defense
1.     West Alabama    53.5 ppg
2.    Missouri-St. Louis    56.7 ppg
3.    Bellarmine    60.0 ppg
4.    Miles    60.9 ppg
5.    Northeastern State    61.3 ppg
6.    Cal Poly Pomona    62.5 ppg
7.    Northwest Mo. St.    62.8 ppg
8.    Central Missouri    62.9 ppg
9.    Alabama Huntsville    63.3 ppg
10.    Southwest Baptist    63.4 ppg

WELTY'S THREE-POINT PRECISION
Senior Ryan Welty is the nation's active career leader in three-point field goal percentage among NCAA Division II players. Welty has made 51.0 percent of his three-point shots (207-of-406).
    Sophomore Trevor Hudgins ranks No. 9 by draining 96-of-212 three-pointers (45.3%).

NCAA II Active Career Leaders - 3-Point FG Pct.
1. Ryan Welty (Northwest Missouri St.)    .510
2. Trystan Pratapas (Mercyhurst)        .503
3. Mikkel Kolstad (Nova Southeastern)    .490
4. Dan Largey (Stonehill)            .462
5. Nick Smith (Nova Southeastern)        .459
6. Bryce Irsfeld (MSU Moorhead)        .458
7. Mason Baker (Colorado School of Mines)    .456
8. CJ Fleming (Bellarmine)            .454
9. Trevor Hudgins (Northwest Missouri St.)    .453
10. Chandler Jacobs (DBU)            .452
Minimum 80 3-pt FGs made

NCAA All Active Career Leaders - 3-Point FG Pct.
1. Alex Jacovides (Suffolk)            .511
2. Ryan Welty (Northwest Missouri St.)    .510
3. Trystan Pratapas (Mercyhurst)        .503
4. Luke Avdalovic (Northern Arizona)        .500
5. Nick Penny (Carroll)                .493
6. Mikkel Kolstad (Nova Southeastern)    .489
7. Ethan Feldman (NYU)            .480
8. Tyrell Gumbs-Frater (Coastal Carolina)    .468
9. Kyle Wagner (Simpson)            .464
10. Ladan Ricketts (Montana State)        .463
Minimum 80 3-pt FGs made

WELTY CLIMBS NORTHWEST'S 3-POINT CHART
Ryan Welty has made 207 career 3-pointers to rank No. 4 on Northwest's all-time 3-pointers made chart. Welty needs eight more makes to equal Austin Myer (2003-2006) for third place.

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
    Ryan Welty (2016-pres.)        205
6.    Scott Fleming (2000-03)        173
7.    Joey Witthus (2017-19)        172
8.    DeShaun Cooper (2009-14)    170
9.    Louis Jones (1987-89)        156
10.    Kelvin Parker (2001-04)        148

HAWKINS GAINS SECOND MIAA'S TOP WEEKLY HONOR
For the second time this season junior forward Ryan Hawkins has been named the MIAA men's basketball athlete of the week.
    Hawkins (Atlantic, Iowa) averaged 28.5 points per game and shot 70.6 percent from the field in leading Northwest to a pair of home non-conference victories. Hawkins went 24-of-34 from the field and 8-of-13 from three-point range in the two contests. Hawkins went for 32 points against Central Methodist and then followed that up with 25 points against Truman State.
    Hawkins shot 13-of-15 from the field (including 5-of-6 from 3-point range) and tallied five steals against Central Methodist. Hawkins drained 11-of-19 field goals and 3-of-7 three-pointers to go along with seven rebounds and four assists vs. Truman State.

HAWKINS HITS FOR 40 AGAIN
Junior Ryan Hawkins scored a school-record 44 points in Northwest's 100-88 win over No. 9 Southern Nazarene (Nov. 2).
    Hawkins broke the previous mark of 43 set by Ed Maxwell vs. Southeast Missouri State in the 1963-64 season.
    Hawkins poured in 43 points in an 87-53 win at Lincoln (Dec. 5), becoming the first Bearcat player to record two 40-point scoring games.    

Northwest Single-Game Scoring Records
1. Ryan Hawkins, Southern Nazarene (11/2/19) - 44
2. Ed Maxwell, SE Missouri State (1963-64) - 43
    Ryan Hawkins, at Lincoln (12/5/19) - 43
4. David Alvey, William Jewell (Mo.) (12/1/75) - 42
5. Joey Witthus, Minnesota State (3/16/19) - 39
6. Glenn Phillips vs. Missouri Western (12/3/85) - 38
    Darrell Foster vs. Olathe Clippers (2/22/44) - 38
    Justin Pitts vs. Minnesota State (3/13/16) - 38
9. Justin Pitts vs. UNK (1/19/17) - 37
10. David Alvey, SE Missouri State (1/1 /76) - 36
    David Alvey, Central Missouri (1/25/75) - 36
    Joey Witthus, Pittsburg State (1/31/19) - 36

HAWKINS WITH TWO 40-POINT GAMES
Ryan Hawkins's 44-point outburst vs. Southern Nazarene (Nov. 2) is the fourth-highest total among NCAA Division II players this season. Minnesota-Crookston's Harrison Cleary scored 52 points vs. Wayne State (Dec. 14), Southeastern Oklahoma's Kevin Buckingham scorerd 46 points vs. Alaska-Anchorage (Dec. 20) and Livingstone's Roger Ray scored 45 points vs. Virginia State (Dec. 5) to out-score Hawkins.

Most Points Scored in a Game in 2019-20 - NCAA Division II
1. Harrison Cleary, Minnesota-Crookston vs. Wayne State (12/14/19) - 52 points
2. Kevin Buckingham, Southeastern Okla. vs. Alaska-Anchorage (12/20/19) - 46 points
3. Roger Ray, Livingstone vs. Virginia State (12/5/19) - 45 points
4. Ryan Hawkins, Northwest Mo. St. vs. Southern Nazarene (11/2/19) - 44 points
    Courvoisier McCauley, Lincoln Memorial vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (12/18/19) - 44 points
    Harrison Cleary, Minnesota-Crookston vs. Bemidji State (12/21/19) - 44 points
7. Ryan Hawkins, Northwest Mo. St. at Lincoln (12/5/19) - 43 points
    Shadeed Shabazz, Alaska-Fairbanks vs. Concordia Portland (12/7/19) - 43 points
9. Thomas Lang, Shepherd vs. Bowie State (11/9/19) - 42 points
    Zahrion Blue, Lincoln vs. West Chester (11/9/19) - 42 points
    Ashton Spears, St. Edward's vs. Texas A&M-Commerce (11/23/19) - 42 points
    Pat Dembley, Texas Permian Basin vs. Western New Mexico (11/23/19) - 42 points
    Brett Hanson, Florida Southern vs. Lindenwood (12/7/19) - 42 points
    David Simental, Colorado State-Pueblo vs. Fort Lewis (12/7/19) - 42 points

DOUBLE-DOUBLE FEVER
Diego Bernard posted back-to-back double-double performances with 20 points, 10 rebounds vs. St. Mary and 21 points and 11 rebounds vs. William Jewell.
    Bernard has registered three double-doubles in his collegiate career.

CHARITY STRIPE ADVANTAGE
Northwest has made 179-of-221 free throws this season, while the opposition has only attempted 144 free throws.

THIEVERY
The Bearcats have posted 101 steals through the first 12 games. Northwest has allowed only 48 steals this season.

IRON MEN
Northwest has four players averaging 32.0 minutes or more per game through the first nine contests.

Player            Minutes Per Game
Ryan Welty        34.6
Trevor Hudgins    34.6
Ryan Hawkins    33.4
Diego Bernard    32.1

FULL 40 MINUTES
Northwest has had eight instances this season of a player going the full 40 minutes.
    Trevor Hudgins has played the entire 40 minutes of three of the first four games.
    Ryan Welty played the full 40 minutes against Minnesota-Crookston and vs. Southern Nazarene.
    Diego Bernard played all 80 minutes against MSU Moorhead and Minnesota-Crookston.
    Ryan Hawkins played the entire 40 minutes vs. Southern Nazarene.
    
40-Minute Men
Diego Bernard vs. MSU Moorhead
Diego Bernard vs. Crookston
Ryan Welty vs. Crookston
Trevor Hudgins vs. Crookston
Trevor Hudgins vs. Southern Nazarene
Ryan Welty vs. Southern Nazarene
Ryan Hawkins vs. Southern Nazarene
Trevor Hudgins vs. Daemen

WIN STREAK SNAPPED AT 46
Northwest's all-time longest win streak was snapped at 46 games in a 72-60 loss at Central Missouri.
    The 46-game win streak is also the longest win streak in the MIAA.

DREAMER NAMED MIAA ATHLETE OF WEEK
Freshman Wes Dreamer was named the MIAA's men's basketball athlete of the week.
    Dreamer went for a double-double with 29 points and 14 rebounds against Illinois-Springfield in Bearcat Arena (Nov. 27). Dreamer made 10-of-13 shots from the fied, including 7-of-10 from three-point range. Dreamer collected a career-high 14 rebounds to go along with three blocks.
    Dreamer is averaging 9.6 points per game and he is shooting 61.5 percent from the field (24-of-39). Dreamer is 11-of-22 from three-point range.

HAWKINS NAMED MIAA MBB PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior forward Ryan Hawkins was named the MIAA men's basketball player of the week.
    In four games, Hawkins averaged 27.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.3 steals, while shooting 56.3 percent from the field and 53.6 from three-point range.
    Hawkins made 36-of-64 field goals and was 15-of-28 from three-point range in the four wins. Hawkins was nearly automatic at the free throw line as he sank 24-of-26 (92.3 percent) of his foul shots over the four-game stretch.

DIEGO GOES FOR 24
Sophomore guard Diego Bernard scored a career-high 24 points in Northwest's 92-71 win over MSU Moorhead in St. Joseph.

HAWKINS EARNS MVP HONOR
For the second straight year a Bearcat captured the MVP honor as the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic.
    Junior Ryan Hawkins averaged 34.0 points and shot 68.6 percent from the field - including 70.0 percent from three-point range.
    Last year, Trevor Hudgins was named the MVP of the event.

TRIO NAMED TO ALL-TOURNEY TEAM AT SCB HOF CLASSIC
Ryan Hawkins, Diego Bernard and Trevor Hudgins were named to the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic All-Tournament Team.
    Hawkins earned tourney MVP honors after scoring a SCB Classic record 44 points against No. 9-ranked Southern Nazarene.
    Bernard averaged 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists, while he shot 66.7 percent from the field.
    Hudgins averaged 21.5 points, 8.0 assists with a 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Hudgins was also a perfect 13-of-13 at the free throw line.

NOVEMBER BRINGS WINS
Northwest has won its last 29 straight games it has played in the month of November. The Bearcats went 7-0 in November this season.
    The Bearcats went 7-0 in November in 2018-19. 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.

FOR OPENERS
Northwest has produced an 8-3 mark in season openers for head coach Ben McCollum.
    The Bearcats have won their last four season openers.

Season Openers Since 2009-10
W, 85-65 vs. Daemen (11/1/19)
W, 72-70 OT vs. Northern State (11/3/18)
W, 89-65 vs. Upper Iowa (11/10/17)
W, 87-52 vs. Upper Iowa (11/11/16)
L, 76-72 vs. Upper Iowa (11/13/15)
L, 75-66 vs. MSU-Moorhead (11/14/14)
W, 91-78 vs. Upper Iowa (11/9/13)
W, 86-65 vs. Graceland (11/11/12)
W, 66-62 at UMKC (11/11/11)
L, 72-67 vs. SW Minnesota St. (11/14/10)
W, 105-55 vs. Manhattan Christian (11/16/09)

PRESEASON NO. 1
Defending national champion Northwest Missouri State is atop the NABC/Division II pre-season for the second time in three years. Northwest is the only school to hold the top ranking in the pre-season poll after winning a national title over the last eight years.

NORTHWEST GOES TOE TO TOE WITH DUKE BLUE DEVILS
The defending NCAA Division II national champions gave the Duke Blue Devils everything they could and delighted the Bearcat contingent who trekked to Cameron Indoor Stadium with a strong finish in a 69-63 exhibition game loss.

HUDGINS BUSTS OUT FOR 27
Trevor Hudgins scored a game-high 27 points against the No. 4-ranked Duke Blue Devils.
    Hudgins went 9-of-18 from the floor, including 7-of-13 from three-point range against Duke. He also handed out a team-high four assists.

HAWK HANGS WITH DUKE
Junior forward Ryan Hawkins put up 16 points and nine rebounds against the Duke Blue Devils. He also caught the eye of Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski.
    "The kid, Hawkins is a good player too," Krzyzewski said in the postgame press press conference.

THREE-BALL
Northwest drained 15-of-34 three-point shots against Duke. Meanwhile, the Bearcats limited the Blue Devils to 2-of-16 shooting from beyond the three-point arc.

109 WINS OVER LAST FOUR SEASONS
Northwest has been playing on a different level the last four seasons. The Bearcats have posted a record of 109-6 since the start of the 2016-17 season. Northwest went 35-1 in 2016-17 and won the national title. The Bearcats went 27-4 in 2017-18, before going 38-0 and winning their second national crown in 2018-19.

20+ WINS IN 8 STRAIGHT SEASONS
Northwest is one of five NCAA Division II teams in the nation to have won 20 or more games in eight consecutive seasons. Northwest (8), Bellarmine (11), Indiana Pa. (11), Lincoln Memorial (10) and West Liberty (15) have each surpassed the 20-win mark in at least eight straight seasons.

19 NCAA TOURNAMENTS
Northwest has earned 19 NCAA Tournament appearances with a recod of 29-20. Northwest has served as the NCAA Central Region host in 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19.
    Northwest has made four Elite Eight appearances (2001-02, 2003-04, 2016-17, 2018-19).

MIAA REIGN CONTINUES
In 2018-19, Northwest became the first school in MIAA history to win six consecutive MIAA regular season titles. The Bearcats also became the first MIAA program to win four consecutive league tournament titles in 2018-19.

PRESEASON POLLS
Northwest has been picked to win the preseason MIAA coaches and media polls.

2019-20 MIAA Media Poll
1.     Northwest Missouri (19) - 279
2.     Missouri Southern (1) - 259
3.     Washburn - 238
4.     Fort Hays State - 198
5.     Pittsburg State - 183
6.     Lincoln - 156
7.     Central Missouri - 140
8.     Emporia State - 123
9.     Missouri Western - 120
10.    Newman - 103
11.    Rogers State - 102
12.    Northeastern State - 88
13.     Nebraska-Kearney - 64
14.    Central Oklahoma - 46

2019-20 MIAA Coaches Poll
1.     Northwest Missouri (13) - 169
2.     Missouri Southern (1) - 157
3.     Washburn - 131
4.     Fort Hays State - 124
5.     Northeastern State - 99
6.     Central Missouri - 96
7.     Lincoln - 93
8.       Pittsburg State - 92
9.    Rogers State - 68
10.    Emporia State - 66
11.    Newman - 61
12.     Missouri Western - 58
13.     Central Oklahoma - 44
14.    Nebraska-Kearney - 16

MCCOLLUM RANKS NO. 4 IN WIN PERCENTAGE
Northwest head coach Ben McCollum ranks No. 4 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 251-76 (.768 winning percentage) in his 11th season at the helm of the Northwest program.

NCAA Div. II Head Coach Win Percentage (Min. 10 yrs.)
1. Jim Crutchfield (Nova Southeastern)    .845 (413-76, 16 yrs.)
2. Josh Schertz (Lincoln Memorial)    .821 (298-65, 12 yrs.)
3. Scott Davenport (Bellarmine)    .777 (352-101, 14 yrs.)
4. Ben McCollum (Northwest Mo. St.)    .768 (252-76, 11 yrs.)
5. Jeff Young (Walsh)    .767 (366-111, 17 yrs.)
6. Burt Paddock (Davenport)    .766 (295-90, 12 yrs.)
7. Rodney Watson (Southern Indiana)    .760 (237-75, 11 yrs.)
8. Ken Ammann (Concordia, Calif.)    .758 (474-151, 19 yrs.)
9. Joe Lombardi (Indiana, Pa.)    .757 (314-101, 14 yrs.)
10. Mike Jones (Mississippi College)    .756 (335-109, 17 yrs.)
Source: NCAA Statistics

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.