JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The No. 21-ranked Northwest Missouri State University men's basketball team overcame a one-point halftime deficit as the Bearcats produced a 61-49 victory over the Lincoln Blue Tigers at Jason Gymnasium.
 
Northwest won its fourth straight game and tallied its 10th win in 11 tries in moving to 15-4 overall and 11-2 in the MIAA. Lincoln fell to 12-8 overall and 7-6 in league play. Northwest had defeated Lincoln 18 consecutive times.
 
Sophomore Bennett Stirtz made some key buckets in the second half and was perfect from the line as he drained all 13 of his free throw attempts. Stirtz collected his eighth career 20-point scoring game and his second straight with a 21-point effort against the Blue Tigers.
 
Junior Daniel Abreu tallied a season-high 19 points. It was the eighth double-figure scoring game this season for Abreu. Abreu also tied a career-high by knocking in a trio of three-pointers. Abreu added four rebounds and three steals in helping Northwest to the road victory.
 
Junior Isaiah Jackson put up nine points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals as he played 39 minutes.
 
The MIAA's leading scorer, senior Wes Dreamer, was limited to two points and eight rebounds to go along with two steals. Dreamer did not attempt a free throw for the first time this season.
 
Northwest opened the contest by scoring the first 12 points, which included nine from Daniel Abreu. The Bearcats controlled the opening 10 minutes of the contest building a 20-6 lead. However, Lincoln settled in and responded with a 19-2 run to take a 25-22 lead with 1:07 to play in the half. Lincoln's D.J. Richardson scored 12 of his 15 first-half points in the final 8:13 of the half.
 
Northwest made only one of its last nine field goal attempts in the first half. The Bearcats made their first three-pointer of the game then proceeded to miss their next seven attempts in the opening half. The Blue Tigers took advantage of the cold spell by the Bearcats to take a 27-26 lead to the intermission.
 
Abreu dropped in a 3-pointer to snap a streak of nine straight misses from deep by the Bearcats. Abreu's triple gave Northwest a 34-31 lead with 15:57 left in the game.
 
A Mitch Mascari three-pointer with 9:13 to play gave the Bearcats a six-point cushion at 42-36. Mascari extended his streak to nine straight games of at least one three-pointer made.
 
Abreu buried his third three-pointer of the game with 6:52 left to give the Bearcats a 45-38 advantage. Stirtz sank a pair of free throws with 4:32 left put Northwest up 47-41.
 
Richardson trimmed the lead back to four before Stirtz hit a driving layup with 3:04 left that lifted Northwest to a 49-43 advantage. Stirtz tallied another bucket with 2:19 to play which gave Northwest an eight-point lead at 51-43.
 
Abreu scored in the lane with 1:40 to play to stretch the margin to nine at 53-44. Northwest drained eight straight free throws in the final 1:16 to close out the 61-49 victory.
 
Northwest out-scored Lincoln in the second half, 35-22. The Bearcats were a perfect 14-of-14 at the line in the final 20 minutes.
 
The Bearcats took advantage at the line by sinking 21-of-25 free throws, while Lincon made 9-of-11 at the charity stripe. Northwest committed only seven turnovers, while forcing Lincoln into 13 miscues.
 
Northwest will return home to take on Nebraska-Kearney (Thursday, 7:30 p.m.) and Fort Hays State (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.) in Bearcat Arena.

NOTES: The Bearcats came into the game ranked No. 2 in the nation in scoring defense by allowing 60.1 points per game … following the win, Northwest is giving up only 59.5 points per game this season … it is the fifth time this season that Northwest has held an opponent to less than 50 points … Northwest is 181-6 under head coach Ben McCollum when the Bearcats hold the opposition to less than 60 points … Northwest has won 27 of its last 28 games vs. MIAA opponents … the Bearcats have compiled a record of 239-20 over the last eight seasons … head coach McCollum is 26-2 all-time vs. Lincoln.