MARYVILLE, Mo – The No. 1 ranked Northwest Missouri State University men's basketball team continued its non-conference campaign with an 82-58 win over the Morningside University Mustangs.
 
Northwest extended the nation's longest active winning streak to 17 in a row. Northwest is 6-0 this season. Morningside drops to 6-2 overall.
 
Sophomore guard Mitch Mascari came out on fire to start the game with 17 first-half points, making 6-of-8 shots from the field including 5-of-6 from deep in the first 20 minutes of play. The sophomore from Geneva, Ill finished with a game high 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the floor and 7-of-10 from three setting a new career high in points previously set vs West Texas A&M earlier in the year.
 
Northwest led 45-29 at the break, shooting 59.4% from the field in the first half. Northwest outscored the mustangs by 12 points in the paint in the first half and held an 11-0 advantage in points off turnovers. Northwest only turned it over twice in the first 20 minutes.
 
Northwest shot a blistering 62.5% in the second half and 60.7% for the game. Northwest has shot better than 50% from the field in five out of six games this year.
 
Senior Luke Waters finished with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting and two rebounds.
 
Freshman Bennett Stirtz lit up the stat sheet with nine points, five rebounds, five assists and a game high four steals.
 
The Bearcats open up conference play Thursday December 1^st at Missouri Southern in Joplin, Mo at 7:30 PM.
 
NOTES: Northwest is 137-8 over the past five seasons ... the Bearcats are 199-13 over the last seven years ... Northwest is 152-5 when holding the opposition to 59 points or less for head coach Ben McCollum ... Northwest is 134-3 in games decided by 20 or more points under McCollum ... Northwest has won 132 consecutive games when the margin has been 20 or more.