MARYVILLE, Missouri – The No. 1-ranked Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team bounced back from its first loss with a 92-71 trouncing of the Emporia State University Hornets at Bearcat Arena.
The Bearcats set season highs in points (92), three-pointers made (19) and field-goal shooting (61.2%) in the victory.
Junior Trevor Hudgins led all scorers with 26 points, while burying 8-of-10 three-pointers. Junior Diego Bernard tallied 19 points and was 6-of-8 from the field, including 5-of-6 from three-point range. Hudgins and Bernard combined to make 13-of-16 three-point shots in the victory.
Northwest came out blazing by making 12 of its first 13 field goals, which include making seven of its first eight three-point shots. The Bearcats led 45-38 at the break after having made 62.5% of their first-half field goals (15-of-24). Northwest sank 10-of-15 three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes – that included a perfect 4-for-4 from Bernard. Emporia State made 53.6% of its first-half field goals, but trailed by seven at the intermission.
The first half featured five lead changes and three ties. Northwest grabbed a 15-14 lead on an alley-oop dunk from freshman Byron Alexander with the assist from sophomore Wes Dreamer. Bernard buried a triple on the next Bearcat possession and the lead would not shrink to within four the rest of the way.
Northwest extended the lead to as many as 31 in the second half as shots continued to fall for the Bearcats. Northwest shot 60% (15-of-25) in the second half, which included 9-of-18 from three-point range.
Northwest will return to the court Thursday at Nebraska-Kearney. Tip is slated for approximately 7:30 p.m., following the women’s game, in Kearney, Nebraska.
NOTES: Northwest’s 19 three-pointers was one off the school record for most made in a single game … Northwest made 18 of its first 26 three-pointers in the game and finished 19-of-33 from distance … Northwest has won 85 of its last 88 home games … Northwest has played 161 games since last losing back to back games … Northwest’s last back to back losses came Dec. 18/Dec. 20 2015 at Lincoln and at Lindenwood … the Bearcats have not lost back to back home games since Jan. 22, 2011/Jan. 26, 2011 vs. Emporia State and Washburn … Northwest has defeated Emporia State seven straight times … the Bearcats have won 13 of the last 14 matchups with the Hornets … Northwest has posted a mark of 75-2 over the past three seasons … Northwest is 137-7 over the past five seasons … Northwest has won 55 of its last 57 games against MIAA opponents (regular season/postseason) … it is the 41st 20-point scoring game of Hudgins’s collegiate career … Hudgins has made at least one three-pointer in 31 consecutive games … Hudgins is the NCAA’s active career leader (all divisions) in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.43) … Hudgins has 432 career assists to go against 126 career turnovers … Bernard set a career-high with five made three-pointers … Bernard is shooting 66.7% from three-point range this season (12-of-18).
