MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Northwest Missouri State University men's basketball team lost only its third home-opening game since 1980 as the visiting Missouri Western Griffons claimed a 70-66 triumph in Bearcat Arena.
 
The Griffons had dropped 15 consecutive games in Bearcat Arena prior to Tuesday's win. The loss also snapped Northwest's 16-game winning streak vs. MIAA opposition and halted its 12-game home winning streak, which ranked tied for fourth in the nation among NCAA Div. II squads.
 
MWSU'S Zane Nelson knocked down a step-back three-pointer with 12.9 seconds left to lift the Griffons to the four-point road victory.

Jack Ratigan posted a career-high 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the floor. Marcus Glock notched a career-best 15 points on 4-of-4 shooting, including 3-of-3 from three-point range. Spencer Schomers netted 10 points and a team-best seven rebounds.

The Griffons scored the first six points of the game but the Bearcats chipped away at the early deficit as the squad turned to Glock off the bench. Glock buried a trio of three-point shots to give Northwest its first lead of the game at 16-15 with 13:10 to play in the half. 

The contest was knotted at 20-20 when MWSU used a 10-0 spurt to take a 30-20 advantage with 6:44 left in the first half. A 9-2 Bearcat run pulled the home team to within 35-32 on a conventional three-point play from Schomers with 1:36 left in the opening 20 minutes. MWSU got the final bucket of the first half to take a 37-32 lead to the break.

Northwest opened the second half with an 11-2 scoring advantage to take its largest lead of the contest at 43-39 with 13:25 left in the game. MWSU head coach Will Martin called a timeout that led to a 16-1 run for the Griffons and gave the visitors an 11-point bulge at 55-44 with 9:22 remaining in the contest. Northwest answered back with eight straight points that was started by a steal and layup by Emorie Knox. Knox's bucket ended a 4:42 stretch that the Bearcats went without a made field goal. Knox's play spurred the Bearcats to an eventual 13-2 run that left the game deadlocked at 57-57 with 4:48 to play.

The Griffons would have an answer with a 10-2 run that ended with MWSU's Zion Swader scoring five points in a 15-second stretch. Swader's three-pointer with 2:25 left gave MWSU a 67-59 lead. Knox hit both free throws in a 1-and-1 situation. Ratigan hit the first of a 1-and-1, but Luke Moustakas tapped in the missed free throw to make it a 67-64 lead for MWSU with 1:37 remaining. Ratigan scored in the paint with :39.3 left to slice the MWSU lead to one at 67-66, before Nelson hit his stepback triple to secure the 70-66 Griffon victory.

Northwest will hit the road for a matchup Thursday at Emporia State. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m. at White Auditorium following the women's game that will begin at 5:30 p.m.