KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The No. 4-ranked Northwest Missouri State University men's basketball team will play for the MIAA Tournament championship for the ninth straight season after scoring a 76-59 triumph over the Washburn University Ichabods at historic Municipal Auditorium. 

Northwest (26-4 overall) won its 23rd consecutive MIAA Tournament game contested at Municipal Auditorium and advanced to the program's 19th title contest. 

The Bearcats won their 15th straight game overall. Northwest has won 21 of their last 22 games this season. 

Junior Mitch Mascari scored a game-high 19 points. Mascari buried a trio of three-pointers and was a perfect 10-of-10 at the free throw line. Mascari has made at least one 3-pointer in 17 of his last 18 contests.

Junior Daniel Abreu recorded his first career double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Abreu knocked in 7-of-10 field goals and notched three steals. Abreu went 2-of-4 from distance to extend his streak of making at least one three-pointer to seven straight games. 

Senior Wes Dreamer collected 13 points and seven rebounds. Dreamer knocked in a pair of triples. Dreamer has made at least one 3-pointer in seven consecutive games.  

Northwest made 30-of-38 free throws in the victory. It ranks as the second-most free throws made this season after the 'Cats made 32-of-37 against Missouri Southern (Nov. 30). Northwest holds the MIAA Tournament record for most free throws made in a game with 36 vs. Missouri Southern on March 1, 2007.

The Bearcats started slowly Saturday against the Ichabods. Northwest made one of its first 13 field goal attempts and faced a 17-7 deficit with 12:03 to play in the first half. Northwest responded with a 14-3 run to take a 21-20 advantage with 6:22 left in the half. The Bearcats led by as many as six in the first 20 minutes, but would only lead by two, 31-29, at the break as Washburn scored the final four points before intermission.

Northwest blitzed the 'Bods in the second half. Sophomore guard Bennett Stirtz secured a pair of steals, one of which led to a slam dunk and ignited the partisan Bearcat crowd in the arena. Northwest took a 53-34 lead with 13:48 to play when junior guard Isaiah Jackson scored off a Sam Ungashick turnover. Northwest scored 14 points off turnovers in the second half that led to the Bearcats out-scoring the Ichabods in the second half, 45-30.

Northwest will play the winner of the Fort Hays State-Pittsburg State in the 2024 MIAA title game on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.

NOTES: The 10-point deficit is the second-largest the Bearcats have overcome in a victory this season ... Northwest also trailed Washburn by 11 points in the squads' first meeting this season in Maryville (Dec. 13, 2023) ... Northwest is 56-26 all-time in the MIAA Tournament ... Northwest has won 26 of its last 27 games in Municipal Auditorium ... Northwest is 19-12 in MIAA semifinal games ... Northwest is 9-4 vs. Washburn in MIAA tourney games ... head coach Ben McCollum is 31-5 in MIAA tourney games ... McCollum trails only Washburn's Bob Chipman (34-20) for MIAA tournament victories ... McCollum has tied Chipman for the most MIAA title game reached (10) ... Wes Dreamer has scored 180 points in MIAA Tournament games to rank as the No. 6 scorer in tourney history ... Dreamer has tallied 60 career rebounds in MIAA tourney action, which also ranks sixth-best in tourney history.