JOPLIN, Mo. – The No. 2-ranked Northwest Missouri State University Bearcat men's basketball team secured a 71-64 victory in an ultra-competitive MIAA matchup with the Missouri Southern Lions at the Leggett and Platt Athletic Center.
 
Northwest (23-3 overall, 16-2 MIAA) secured its ninth straight victory against Missouri Southern (13-10 overall, 10-7 MIAA).
 
Junior guard Trevor Hudgins led all scorers with 26 points. Hudgins went 8-of-17 from the floor and 3-of-7 from three-point range. He also drained 7-of-8 free throws.
 
Junior guard Diego Bernard notched a 19-point performance on the strength of 13-of-14 at the free throw line. Bernard also nabbed three steals in the victory.
 
The Bearcats took care of business at the free throw line by making 22-of-25. The Lions went 12-of-16 at the charity stripe.
 
Northwest also won the rebounding battle, 30-27.
 
Northwest did not trail in the contest. The Bearcats built a 9-2 lead less than five minutes into the matchup. Following an Isaiah Jackson bucket, Northwest held its largest lead of the game at 20-7 with 9:38 left in the first half. Northwest enjoyed a 38-32 lead at the break.
 
The Bearcats led by as many as 13 in the second half at 62-49 after a pair of free throws from Wes Dreamer with 4:33 to play. The Lions trimmed the lead to four at 68-64 with :42.1 remaining, only to have Bernard add three free throws to close out the 71-64 triumph.
 
Northwest will be back at home Thursday playing host to the Emporia State Hornets. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m. in Bearcat Arena.
 
NOTES: Wes Dreamer played his eighth career 40-minute game … Trevor Hudgins logged his 42nd career 40-minute contest … Hudgins posted his fifth straight 20-point game … Hudgins has tallied 69 career 20-point games … Hudgins has scored in double figures in 68 consecutive games … Hudgins has reached 10 or more points in 119 of his 126 collegiate games … Northwest is 120-6 over the past four seasons … Northwest is 182-11 over the last six seasons. Read Full Article