MARYVILLE, Mo. - The No. 1-ranked Northwest Missouri State State University men's basketball team used a strong defensive effort to score a 64-49 victory over the visiting Fort Hays State University Tigers in Bearcat Arena.

Northwest notched its 21st straight win overall and moved to 10-0 on the season with the 15-point win. The Tigers fell to 7-2 overall and 2-1 in MIAA play. Northwest is 4-0 in league action.

Senior Diego Bernard led all scorers with 23 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor. Bernard went 8-of-9 at the free throw line as well. Bernard added four rebounds, three assists and a steal.

Northwest made its first five field goals of the game and bounced out to an 11-2 advantage with 16:24 to play in the first half. FHSU settled in and drew even at 17-17 with 8:09 left before half. Northwest would limit FHSU to only two made field goals in the final seven minutes of the half to take a 30-26 lead at the break.

Northwest went up 33-26 following a triple from Wes Dreamer with 18:00 remaining in the game. FHSU responded with a 10-2 run to take its first lead of the game at 36-35 with 14:41 to play. The lead would be exchanged seven times until Bernard drained a three-pointer from the left corner with 7:50 left in the game. Bernard's triple gave Northwest a 44-42 advantage. The triple from Bernard ignited a 9-0 Northwest run that was capped by a pair of free throws following a technical foul on FHSU head coach Mark Johnson with 6:11 to play in the contest.

The Tigers would get as close as five at 50-45 with 5:11 to play before the Bearcats stretched it out to a double-figure cushion. Northwest closed the game on a 23-7 surge to score a 64-49 victory.

Northwest shot 51.3% from the floor (20-of-39) marking the eighth time in 10 games this season that the Bearcats have shot 50.0% or better. Northwest won the rebounding battle for the 10th straight time this season by tallying 27 rebounds to 26 for FHSU. Northwest went 19-of-24 at the free throw line, while FHSU went 7-of-10 at the charity stripe.

Northwest will be in action again next Saturday at Emporia State. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m. at White Auditorium in Emporia, Kan.

NOTES: Northwest has won 14 straight games vs. Fort Hays State ... Ben McCollum improved to 17-6 vs. FHSU ... Northwest is 152-13 at home since the start of the 2011-12 season ... Northwest is 101-10 at home in MIAA play since the start of the 2011-12 season ... since Jan. 14, 2015, Northwest is 109-6 at home, including a mark of 75-4 in home MIAA games ... Northwest is 141-8 overall over the past five seasons ... Northwest is 203-13 over the last seven seasons ... Bernard recorded his 15th career 20-point scoring game ... it is the fourth time this season that Northwest has held an opponent to less than 50 points scored in a game ... over the last nine seasons, Northwest is 162-20 in MIAA play ... over the last six seasons, Northwest has compiled an MIAA record of 112-10.