EMPORIA, Kansas – The No. 3-ranked Northwest Missouri State University men's basketball team produced its 13th consecutive road win and benefited from a Washburn loss to give the Bearcats a share of their eighth straight MIAA regular season crown.
Northwest prevailed in a 69-62 victory over Emporia State University at White Auditorium. Northwest has defeated Emporia State in each of the last eight matchups between the two programs.
The Bearcats (18-1 overall) extended the nation's longest active road winning streak to 17 in a row behind a game-high 34 points from senior
Ryan Hawkins. Hawkins was an efficient 14-of-22 from the field and secured his 25th career double-double with 10 rebounds.
Northwest built an 11-4 lead seven minutes into the contest. ESU's Austin Downing scored 11 of his squad's first 15 points to give the Hornets a 15-13 advantage with 10:11 to play in the opening half. Northwest responded with a 10-2 run that was capped by a
Wes Dreamer three-pointer from the right corner that gave the Bearcats a 23-17 lead with 7:51 on the clock.
Northwest extended the margin to 11 at 32-21 on a bucket from
Trevor Hudgins with 4:12 left in the first half. ESU would close the half on an 11-2 spurt to pull within two at the break, 34-32.
Northwest and Emporia State were deadlocked at 54-54 with five minutes to play, but the Bearcats closed the game on a 15-8 run to secure the road win.
Junior
Diego Bernard hit a driving left-hand layup to put Northwest on top for good at 56-54 with 4:50 to play. Sophomore
Luke Waters scored his 14
th and 15
th points of the contest off a brilliant pass from Bernard with 3:46 left to push the advantage to four, 58-54.
After an ESU three from Duncan Fort cut the Northwest lead to one, Hawkins went to work and scored the next seven points for the Bearcats. Hawkins's seven-point outburst left Northwest with a 65-59 lead with 1:51 to play. The Bearcats produced a defensive stop, which led to a layup from junior
Trevor Hudgins with 1:02 to play that put Northwest up eight, 67-59.
Northwest will remain in the state of Kansas and will travel to Topeka, Kansas, to take on the Washburn Ichabods on Saturday. Tip is set for approximately 3 p.m. in Lee Arena.
