MARYVILLE, Mo. — After facing a 21-point first-half deficit, the Northwest Missouri State University men's basketball team came back to take a second-half lead only to see the Rogers State Hillcats pull away late for a 77-69 result. 

Despite a strong effort in the paint with 40 points, the Bearcats (11-13 overall, 4-9 MIAA) could not overcome Rogers State's (15-8 overall, 9-5 MIAA) advantage at the free-throw line, where they converted 27 of 35 attempts. This victory marked Rogers State's first win in Bearcat Arena, having lost its previous four encounters against Northwest.

Northwest Missouri State began the first half with a challenging start, finding themselves trailing 9–0 after a 3-pointer by Tim Jordan Jr. at 16:55. The team then sought to close the gap, with Presley Ibeh scoring a layup at 16:24 assisted by Royce Williams, breaking the initial scoring drought. Northwest trailed by as many as 21 points in the first half at 34-13. Despite struggling with shooting accuracy, converting 11 of 34 field goals, the Bearcats managed to find some rhythm with Ibeh hitting a 3-pointer at 5:32, assisted again by Williams, cutting into the deficit. The half concluded with Northwest Missouri State trailing by single digits at 38–29.

Northwest Missouri State narrowed the gap in the second half with a strong offensive showing, led by Robby Garcia's consistent scoring in the paint. Aiden Gair contributed with a key 3-pointer early in the half, helping to keep the game within reach. The Bearcats took their first lead of the game at 58-57 with 5:40 to play on a conventional three-point play from Robby Garcia. Rogers State closed the game on a 20-11 run to claim the 77-69 victory.

Robby Garcia led the team with 18 points, converting 8 of 13 field goal attempts. Gair added 14 points and contributed two assists. Williams recorded a double-double with 11 rebounds and six assists, despite being disqualified with five fouls. This marked Williams' third straight double-figure rebound game with a team-high 11 caroms. Jack Ratigan collected 10 rebounds and scored 10 points, tallying his third career double-double and providing a solid presence on both ends of the court.

The Bearcats will face Missouri Southern on Thursday, Feb. 12. The matchup is set to tip off at 7:30 p.m. in Joplin, Mo.