WICHITA, Kan. – The Northwest Missouri State University men's basketball team bounced back with a 74-57 road win over the Newman University Jets Saturday at Fugate Gymnasium.
 
Northwest moves its season mark to 15-2 overall and 8-2 in MIAA play. Newman drops to 6-11 overall and 2-9 in league play. Northwest is 4-0 against Newman since the Jets joined the MIAA.
 
Senior guard Diego Bernard poured in 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting to go along with six rebounds, four assists and two steals in the win.
 
Bernard was joined in double-figure scoring by sophomore Mitch Mascari with 13 points, freshman Bennett Stirtz with 12 points and sophomore Daniel Abreu with 11 points. The Northwest bench out-scored the Newman bench, 20-5.
 
Northwest shot 53.1% from the field – marking the 13th time this season that the Bearcats have shot better than 50.0% in a contest.
 
Northwest had seven players score in the opening half led by nine points from Mascari. Mascari dropped in three first-half three-pointers as he made his sixth start of the season. Northwest connected on 60.9% of its first-half field goals, including 6-of-11 from three-point range. Northwest had 14 first-half field goals and 11 assists on those made shots. Northwest held a 37-28 lead at the break.
 
The Bearcats extended its lead to 12 points at 46-34 only to see the Jets produce an 8-2 run and cut the lead to 48-42. Northwest held a 59-51 with 7:30 left. The Bearcats stifled the Jets with a game-changing 15-1 run that put Northwest on top, 73-52, with 1:48 to go.
 
Northwest will return home to play a pair of games next weekend. Northwest and Central Missouri will match up Thursday at 7:30 p.m., followed by a Northwest contest with Lincoln on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
 
NOTES: Senior Diego Bernard started his 140th career game to set the Northwest record for career games started ... Trevor Hudgins held the previous mark of 139 career starts ... Bernard produced his 17th career 20-point scoring game and his sixth this season … Bernard has scored in double figures in 108 career games … freshman Bennett Stirtz secured a steal in the first half to extend his streak of games with at least one steal to 17 in a row to begin his collegiate career … Stirtz has recorded at least two steals in 13 of 17 games this season ... Northwest has won all eight of its MIAA games this season by 10 or more points – the only school in the MIAA to have done that this season ...