MARYVILLE, Mo. –- The Northwest Missouri State women's basketball team secured a 71-67 victory over Livin' the Dream in an exhibition matchup on Monday night.
 
Caely Kesten led the way for the Bearcats with 14 points and six rebounds, while Aaliyah Riley and Avery Yosten each contributed 10 points to the win.
 
A familiar face was back on the court for the game, as former Bearcat Zoie Hayward suited up for Livin' the Dream. Hayward recorded two points, three rebounds, and two assists in her return to Bearcat Arena.
 
Livin' the Dream opened the scoring with a basket at the 9:22 mark of the first quarter, but Northwest quickly responded with an Aaliyah Riley layup to tie the game. The Bearcats then took control, building a 20-9 lead with 2:40 left in the quarter, and finished the period with a 26-15 advantage.
 
Early in the second quarter, Northwest stretched its lead to 33-18—its largest of the half—with 7:38 on the clock. Despite a late 6-0 run by Livin' the Dream, Sadie Maas connected with Brooklyn Stanley on a backdoor cut to halt the momentum. At halftime, the Bearcats held a 39-33 lead, thanks in part to 11 first-half points from Kesten and 10 from Riley. Transfer Emree Zars also made an impact, shooting 50% from the floor (3-of-6), including a three-pointer, while grabbing five rebounds. However, free throws played a role in tightening the game, with Livin' the Dream going 8-of-14 from the line compared to Northwest's 2-of-4.
 
Kylee Kopatich, a former Kansas Jayhawk, led Livin' the Dream with 12 first-half points.
 
Both teams attacked the basket in the second half, with Northwest maintaining a 48-39 lead after a pair of free throws by Evelyn Vazquez. Yosten knocked down her first three-pointer late in the third quarter, and Kendall Clatt added a pull-up three-ball to extend the lead to 58-44 heading into the final period.
 
Livin' the Dream made a push in the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to five points with five minutes to play. However, Yosten's clutch and-one and a three-pointer from Anastyn Pettlon helped the Bearcats hold off the rally, giving Northwest a 66-58 cushion with three minutes remaining. As the game clock ticked, Northwest secured a 71-67 exhibition win. 
 
Northwest shot 29-of-61 from the field (7-of-19 from three-point range) and dominated the paint, scoring 32 points inside. Defensively, the Bearcats forced 22 turnovers to seal the win.
 
The Bearcats will open their regular season at the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic in St. Joseph, Mo., where they will face the Ashland University Eagles at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2. Northwest will follow up with a game against 2023-24 national runner-up Texas Woman's at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3.