WARRENSBURG, Mo. - The No. 21-ranked Northwest Missouri State University men's basketball team shot 60.5 percent from the field in rolling to a 76-54 victory over the University of Central Missouri Mules at the Multipurpose Building.

Sophomore guard Bennett Stirtz led all scorers with 22 points, as senior forward Wes Dreamer and junior guard Mitch Mascari each added 14 points. 

Stirtz welcomed the Central Missouri crowd with two triples and a slam to force the Mules to take a timeout with 15:04 to go in the first half. Northwest held an early 13-4 lead at the time. Isaiah Jackson knocked in his seventh three of the season to put the Bearcats on a 18-4 run. The Bearcats led 26-6 at the next media timeout with Stirtz leading the way with 10 points. 

Jalen Knott of Central Missouri capped off a quick 5-0 run with a three-pointer to cut the Bearcat lead to 28-14 with 4:39 to play. Stirtz then answered back with his third triple of the first half to boost the Bearcat lead up to 17. 

Northwest shot 60 percent from the field and from long range in the first half and led 34-18. Stirtz was a perfect 6-of-6 (4-of-4 3PT) in the opening half, tallying 16 first-half points. 

Mascari came out of the break on fire as he knocked down a trio of three-pointers. 

Northwest continued to be a dominant force on both ends of the floor as it stomped UCM, 76-54. 

The Bearcats shot a new season-best from beyoung the three-poitn arc at 52.4 percent. 

Northwest improves to 14-4 overall and 10-2 in the MIAA, as Central Missouri drops to 9-8 overall, and 4-7 in conference play. 

The Bearcats are back in action on Saturday at 3 p.m. against the Lincoln Blue Tigers at Jason Gymnasium in Jefferson City, Mo.