ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The No. 17-ranked Northwest Missouri State University men's basketball team moved to 3-2 on the year with a 71-41 victory over the University of Missouri-St. Louis Tritons at Moloney Arena in the Simon Athletic Center on the Maryville University campus.
 
Northwest improved to 3-2 on the season, while UMSL dropped to 2-4 overall. The Bearcats had four players reach double-figure scoring in Mitch Mascari (15 pts.), Wes Dreamer (15 pts.), Bennett Stirtz (15 pts.) and Daniel Abreu (10 pts.).
 
Dreamer collected team-highs in points (15), rebounds (7) and blocks (5). Stirtz handed out a team-best six assists to go against one turnover in 36 minutes of action. Northwest won the rebounding battle, 25-17.
 
Northwest shot a season-best 56.8% (25-of-44) from the field and 47.4% (9-of-19) from three-point range. UMSL was limited to 35.1% (13-of-37) from the floor. UMSL made only 5-of-20 shots from three-point range.
 
UMSL bounced out to a 13-11 lead with 13:16 to play in the half. The Bearcats then locked in defensively and continued burying in three pointers. The Bearcats closed the opening half on a 23-8 spurt. Northwest limited the Tritons to only two made field goals in the final 13 minutes of the first half. The key point in the spurt was a 17-2 Bearcat run that featured only two made free throws from the Tritons.
 
Northwest connected on four of its first five three-point shots to take a 14-13 lead with 12:32 left in the first half. Mascari buried his first three shots of the game from deep and would made a team-best four triples in the opening half. UMSL did not record a made field goal from the 13:16 mark to the 1:35 mark of the first half. Northwest's biggest lead of the first half was 13 points, which it held at the break, 34-21.
 
Northwest shot 57.1% in the first half (12-of-21 FGs), that featured 6-of-10 from three-point range. UMSL shot 37.5% in the opening half (6-of-16) and could manage only three made triples on 10 attempts. Mascari led all first-half scorers with 12 points.
 
The Bearcats took it right to the Tritons in the second half with a 5-0 run to begin the final 20 minutes that stretched the lead to 39-21. UMSL came back with a 7-0 run to cut the margin to 39-28 with 13:56 to play.
 
Mascari and Dreamer hit back-to-back triples to push the Bearcat lead to 20 at 54-34 with 10:06 to play in the second half. After an UMSL bucket, Dreamer sank his third three-pointer to move the lead to 21 at 57-36. Northwest held a 61-41 lead with 6:35 to play and would then hold UMSL scoreless the rest of the way. Northwest scored the final 10 points of the game for the 30-point margin at 71-41.
 
The Bearcats will return to action following next week when they initiate MIAA play. Northwest will play host to Missouri Southern on Thursday, Nov. 30, and Pittsburg State on Saturday, Dec. 2, at Bearcat Arena.
 
NOTES: Northwest leads the all-time series against UMSL, 24-10 … Northwest improved to 20-1 in its last 21 games after suffering a loss under the direction of head coach Ben McCollum … the Bearcats are 147-3 in games decided by 20 points or more under coach McCollum … Northwest has won 146 consecutive games when the final scoring margin is 20 or more points.