ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The No. 1-ranked Northwest Missouri State University men's basketball team kept its record perfect on the season with an 81-78 victory over Northern State University at the Hillyard Classic.
Northwest finished its 2021-22 season with 11 straight wins and has added a trio of wins this season to move its winning streak to 14 in a row. The Bearcats also won their 24th consecutive game in the city of St. Joseph.
Senior
Diego Bernard, playing in his hometown, put up his second straight 20-point scoring contest this season. Bernard led all scorers with 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the floor. Bernard also added five rebounds and three assists to go along with a steal. Bernard earned his 13th career 20-point scoring game of his collegiate career.
Bernard was joined in double-figure scoring by
Daniel Abreu (19),
Bennett Stirtz (17) and
Luke Waters (11).
Northern State opened up a pair of five-point leads in the first half at 11-6 and 27-22 but could not hold off the top-ranked Bearcats. Northwest hit Northern State with a 13-4 run to close the first half with a 35-31 lead. The Bearcats held the Wolves to only two made field goals in the final 9:30 of the first half.
Northwest led by as many as 16 points in the second half before Northern State made a late charge to pull to within one at 76-75 with :15 left. Stirtz hit a layup and was fouled, which was ruled flagrant to give Northwest a free throw and the ball. Stirtz hit his free throw and Abreu then knocked down two more on the ensuing possession to give Northwest an 81-75 advantage. NSU buried another three-pointer with :05 left but Northwest inbounded the ball and ran out the clock for the victory.
The Bearcats shot better than 50% for the third straight game this season. The Bearcats shot 55.1% from the floor on 27-of-49 shooting. Northwest knocked in 21-of-27 free throws. Northwest sank six three-pointers, while NSU buried 12-of-26 from distance. Northwest won the rebounding battle, 28-23.
The Bearcats will match up against Minnesota Crookston on Saturday at 4 p.m. in St. Joseph.
NOTES: Northwest owns a 6-1 lead in the all-time series with Northern State … the Bearcats have defeated the Wolves in each of the last six meetings between the two programs … freshman
Bennett Stirtz has scored in double figures in each of his first three collegiate games … Stirtz led the team in rebounding against NSU with six …
Daniel Abreu tallied his first double-figure scoring effort this season … Abreu has 11 career games of scoring 10 or more points as a Bearcat … Northwest is 196-13 over the last seven seasons … Northwest has gone 134-8 over the past five years … Bernard has played in 139 career games, tying him with Trevor Hudgins for the school record in games played … Bernard is the eighth Bearcat to score 1,700 or more points in a career … Bernard has posted 1,715 career points, which ranks No. 7 on Northwest's all-time scoring chart.
