KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The University of Sioux Falls extinguished No. 1-ranked Northwest Missouri State University's 45-game neutral court win streak with an 83-77 victory over the Bearcats at the Central Region Challenge held at Municipal Auditorium.

Sioux Falls shot 44.4% from the field and knocked in 11-of-25 three-pointers in the victory. USF was led in scoring by 29 points from Matt Cartwright and 20 points from Jack Thompson. Cartwright knocked in 6-of-9 three-pointers in 37 minutes of action.

Northwest shot 35.8% from the floor and made only 9-of-34 three-point shots. The Bearcats went 1-of-12 from distance in the opening 20 minutes. Northwest drained 8-of-22 three-pointers in the second half. Bearcat junior guard Trevor Hudgins tallied 26 points on 8-of-22 shooting from the field. Hudgins sank 6-of-19 shots from three-point land in the contest. He handed out four assists and committed one turnover in 40 minutes of action. Redshirt freshman Daniel Abreu scored a career-high 17 points. Abreu made all eight of his free throw attempts and was 4-of-8 from the field.

Sioux Falls built a 15-point lead at 22-7 with 9:08 to play in the opening half. USF increased the lead to 17 at 26-9 with 7:32 on the clock. Northwest trimmed the lead to eight at 26-18 after a pair of free throws from Luke Waters with 5:38 left in the half. USF lengthened the margin back to 15 at the break as it closed the half on a 12-4 run.

The Bearcats whittled away at the margin and cut it to six to begin the second half. A conventional three-point play by Abreu left USF clinging to a 40-34 lead only two minutes into the second half. The Cougars nearly blew the Bearcats out of the building with a 20-3 run that gave USF a 60-37 lead with 10:45 left in the game.

Northwest trailed by single digits at 71-62 following a triple from Hudgins with 4:36 left. Northwest narrowed the lead to six in a pair of free throws from Diego Bernard with 3:08 to play in the contest. Hudgins was fouled attempting a three-point shot with 1:50 to play and he drained all three to cut the USF lead to 76-73. USF's Thompson drained a three of his own on the next possession to take the lead back to six. Waters made one of two at the line and then Northwest forced a turnover. Hudgins buried another three that left Northwest trailing 79-77 with 1:04 to play.

USF's Thompson drove for a layup, but it was blocked by Northwest's Diego Bernard and the Bearcats had possession down two with under 30 seconds to play. However, Hudgins turned the ball over and USF's Cartwright calmly drained two free throws with :16 left to give USF a four-point lead at 81-77. The Cougars made two more free throws with :03 left to give them the six-point win, 83-77.

Northwest returns to action Sunday at 12:45 p.m. against Arkansas-Monticello.