MARYVILLE, Mo. - The top two teams in the MIAA got after it for 50 minutes in Bearcat Arena before the No. 16-ranked Northwest Missouri State University men's basketball team prevailed over the No. 24-ranked Fort Hays State University Tigers.

Northwest won its sixth consecutive game and opened up a two-game lead in the MIAA standings following Saturday's triumph over the Tigers. Northwest is 17-4 overall and 13-2 in MIAA play. FHSU fell to 16-5 overall and 11-4 in league action. Northwest has won seven straight over FHSU in Bearcat Arena. 

Junior Isaiah Jackson collected his first career double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds, while senior Wes Dreamer notched a game-high 20 points. Jackson's conventional three-point play with 7.9 seconds left in the first overtime allowed the Bearcats to tie the game and force a second overtime session. Jackson and Dreamer accounted for all 13 of Northwest's overtime points.

The lead changed hands seven times in the first nine minutes of the game. Northwest used a 10-2 spurt to open up a 19-12 advantage with 8:47 to play in the half. Junior Daniel Abreu knocked in three foul shots to give the Bearcats their largest lead of the game at 22-14 with 7:53 left in the half. The Tigers played the final 8:47 of the first half with point guard Kaleb Hammeke on the bench with three fouls. Even with Hammeke on the bench, the Tigers were able to whittle the lead down to two at 28-26 with :53 left before intermission. Dreamer knocked in a bucket with :21 left before half to give the Bearcats a four-point edge at the break, 30-26.

The Tigers took their first lead of the second half at 35-34 with 16:37 on the clock. It was FHSU's first lead since taking a 10-9 edge. Junior Spencer Schomers capped a 9-2 Bearcat run that put Northwest up six at 43-37 with 10:47 remaining in the second half. Hammeke answered with a three only to have Mascari do the game. FHSU's Elijah Nnanabu buried a three to cut the lead to 46-43 with 6:19 to play, but again the Bearcats answered with a triple from Dreamer to take the lead back to six with 5:43 to play. 

The Bearcats would make only one more field goal in the final 5:43 - a Bennett Stirtz floater with 2:09 to play - as FHSU battled back. Hammeke evened the game at 51-51 with 50.8 left in regulation. Northwest committed a shot clock violation with 20.8 left to give FHSU a final shot. Hammeke worked the clock down and misfired on a three at buzzer to force overtime.

FHSU scored the first four points of overtime to take its largest lead of the game at four, 55-51. Northwest returned the favor by scoring the next four points from Dreamer and two free throws from Jackson. Hammeke made a driving layup with :44.0 left to give the Tigers a two-point lead, 57-55. Dreamer turned it over on Northwest's next possession giving the ball back to FHSU. Northwest had Hammeke trapped in the corner, but the FHSU guard unloaded a deep pass to teammate Bjarni Jonsson. Jonsson caught the ball in the front court without a Bearcat defender around him, but he chose to dribble to the corner and got fouled, rather than take an easy layup. It would prove fateful as Jonsson missed the second free throw leading the Tigers up by only three at 58-55 with :18.8 left in overtime. 

Following a timeout from head coach Ben McCollum, Northwest was able to tie the score. The possession started on the perimeter but after the defense eliminated any three-point opportunities, Jackson drove to the basket and drew a foul as he made a layup. FHSU's Shaun Riley committed the foul that allowed Jackson to make the game-tying free throw with :07.9 left. FHSU again had the last possession and last shot but after a scramble on a loose ball at the top of the key, Hammeke's shot missed to the right and it forced a second overtime.

Jonsson made his first three-pointer of the day to open the scoring in the second overtime. Jonsson's triple gave FHSU a 61-58 lead with 2:21 remaining in double overtime. It would prove to be FHSU's final points of the day. Under heavy duress, Dreamer sank a game-tying triple on the next Bearcat possession with 1:50 to play. Dreamer also scored the go-ahead bucket in the paint with :50 left to give Northwest a 63-61 lead. Hammeke missed on a potential three-point shot and had to commit his fifth foul forcing Jackson to the line. Jackson made one of two at the line to give Northwest a 64-61 lead with :14.6 remaining. Jonsson could not connect on a game-tying three-pointer and Dreamer grabbed the miss to clinche the double-overtime home win for the Bearcats.

Northwest will travel to Emporia State on Wednesday and Washburn on Saturday.

NOTES: Northwest has won 20 straight home games against MIAA foes ... Northwest is 9-0 at home this season and has won 24 of its last 25 contests in Bearcat Arena ... Northwest holds a 24-11 lead in the all-time series with Fort Hays State ... Northwest has won 16 of its last 17 matchups with Fort Hays State ... head coach Ben McCollum is 19-7 vs. FHSU ... over the last eight seasons, Northwest is 143-14 in MIAA play ... over the last 11 seasons, Northwest is 193-24 in league play ... the Bearcats have won 29 of its last 31 games vs. MIAA opponents ... overall, Northwest is 241-20 over the last eight seasons ... McCollum tallied win No. 234 in MIAA play - tying him with Missouri Southern's Robert Corn (234 wins) for No. 3 on the MIAA's all-time conference wins chart ... only Bob Chipman (Washburn - 352 wins) and Tom Smith (UCM/Missouri Western - 281) have won more MIAA games than McCollum ... Dreamer captured his 25th career 20-point scoring game ... Dreamer moved to No. 9 on Northwest's all-time scoring list with 1,698 points ... Dreamer surpassed Kelvin Parker's career total of 1,692 points from 2000-2004 ... Dreamer is four points away from tying No. 8 DeShaun Cooper (2009-14) with 1,702 points ... it was Northwest's first double-overtime game since dropping a contest with Truman State on Feb. 15, 2012, 94-87.