(Maryville, MO) Northwest Missouri State’s men’s basketball team will be in action Wednesday night in the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Tournament. The Bearcats face West Liberty at 6:00 p.m.
The following is courtesy of Northwest Missouri State’s Sports information Department.
NORTHWEST TO MATCH UP WITH WEST LIBERTY IN ELITE EIGHT
The No. 2-seeded Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team (25-2 overall) will match up with the No. 7 seeded West Liberty University Hilltoppers (18-4 overall) in the Elite Eight Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Evansville, Indiana.
CATCH THE ACTION
The Elite Eight quarterfinal games will be streamed on NCAA.com. The games will also be broadcast live on the Bearcat Radio Network.
21ST NCAA APPEARANCE
Northwest is taking part in its 21st NCAA Tournament.
Northwest is 31-20 all-time in the NCAA Tournament with five appearances in the Elite Eight (2002, 2004, 2017, 2019, 2021).
The Bearcats have claimed two national championships with titles in 2017 and 2019.
Northwest in National Quarterfinals
2002 – L, 78-72 vs. Indiana Pa.
2004 – L, 88-81 vs. Southern Indiana
2017 – W, 79-70 vs. St. Thomas Aquinas
2019 – W, 55-51 vs. Mercyhurst
ELITE EIGHT EXPERIENCE
This will be Northwest’s fifth trip to the Elite Eight. Only West Liberty’s six trips to the Elite Eight are more than the Bearcat’s total.
Kentucky Wesleyan holds the record with 19 Division II Elite Eight appearances.
Elite Eight Appearances
6 – West Liberty
5 – Northwest Missouri State
4 – West Texas A&M
3 – Lincoln Memorial
2 – Colorado School of Mines
2 – Truman State
1 – Daemen
1 – Flagler
NORTHWEST VS. ELITE EIGHT PARTICIPANTS
Against this year’s Elite Eight field of teams, Northwest holds a winning record against Lincoln Memorial, Colorado School of Mines, Truman State and Daemen.
West Texas A&M holds a 2-1 series lead over Northwest with the last meeting coming on March 11, 2006, when Northwest posted a 66-51 win in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
Northwest and Truman State have met 195 times with the Bearcats holding a 102-93 edge in the series. The two programs faced each other for years as members of the MIAA. Truman State joined the GLVC in 2013.
Lincoln Memorial is the only opponent Northwest has faced at a previous Elite Eight. The Bearcats scored a 79-67 national semifinal win over the Railsplitters on March 23, 2017, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Northwest has never played West Liberty or Flagler.
Northwest All-Time vs. Elite Eight Field
vs. West Texas A&M – 1-2
vs. Flagler – 0-0
vs. Lincoln Memorial – 2-0
vs. Colorado School of Mines – 1-0
vs. Truman State – 102-93
vs. West Liberty – 0-0
vs. Daemen – 1-0
HIGH SCORING AFFAIR?
West Liberty leads the nation in scoring at 102.0 points per game, while Northwest ranks No. 21 in the nation at 82.6 points per game.
Northwest ranks No. 15 in the nation in scoring defense giving up 65.9 points per game. West Liberty ranks No. 166 in scoring defense by allowing 79.8 points per game.
GOOD LORD, BYRON DOES NOT MISS
Freshman forward Byron Alexander has taken 10 shots in two NCAA Tournament games and is a perfect 10-of-10 from the field.
Alexander scored a career-high 21 points in Northwest’s 91-86 overtime win over Northern State.
In fact, going back in his last seven games, Alexander has made 19 consecutive field goals attempts.
On the season, Alexander is shooting a team-best 79.4%. He has made 54-of-68 shots this year.
Alexander is averaging 5.6 points and 3.2 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per contest.
EIGHT STRAIGHT BIDS
The Bearcats have been selected to compete in eight consecutive NCAA tournaments.
Only West Liberty at 12 has a longer streak of consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances among Div. II teams. Colorado School of Mines has also earned eight straight NCAA bids.
Consecutive NCAA Appearances
12, West Liberty
8, Colorado School of Mines
8, Northwest Missouri State
OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY
The Bearcat men’s basketball squad ranks No. 1 in the nation among NCAA Division I and II schools in points per offensive possession (1.124) according to Synergy Sports Technology.
This year’s Elite Eight field contains four of the top ranked offenses in the nation.
Points Per Possession (NCAA Div. II)
1. Northwest Mo. St. 1.124
2. Lubbock Christian 1.114
3. Lincoln Memorial 1.071
4. Dallas Baptist 1.068
5. Charleston (W.Va.) 1.048
6. West Texas A&M 1.048
7. West Liberty 1.041
8. Lees-McRae 1.030
9. Seattle Pacific 1.026
10. Hillsdale 1.021
Courtesy: Synergy Sports Technology
Points Per Possession (NCAA Div. I)
1. Gonzaga 1.092
2. Liberty 1.042
3. Weber State 1.035
4. Colgate 1.033
5. Bellarmine 1.026
6. Iowa 1.021
7. Virginia 1.017
8. South Dakota State 1.013
9. Baylor 1.011
10. Loyola Chicago 1.006
Courtesy: Synergy Sports Technology
MCCOLLUM IN NCAA ACTION
It is the Bearcats’s ninth trip to the NCAA Tournament under 12th-year head coach Ben McCollum.
McCollum has guided Northwest to a mark of 20-5 in NCAA Tournament play.
Northwest has won 14 of its last 15 NCAA Tournament games.
40 WINS IN A ROW ON NEUTRAL COURTS
Northwest has won 40 straight games on neutral floors. It is the longest active win streak among all NCAA Div. I, II and III schools.
Gonzaga holds the current Div. I mark with eight consecutive neutral floor victories.
Washington University in St. Louis owns the active Div. III mark with 16 straight neutral floor wins.
Northwest’s last loss on a neutral floor came Nov. 13, 2015, vs. Upper Iowa (L, 76-72).
Current Neutral Court Win Streaks (All NCAA Divisions)
Northwest Missouri State (II) – 40
WashU (III) – 16
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (III) – 10
Wittenberg (III) – 10
Gonzaga (I) – 9
Adelphi (II) – 7
Flagler (II) – 7
Scranton (III) – 7
Trinity (III) – 7
Wisconsin-Oshkosh (III) – 7
Last loss – 11/13/15 vs. Upper Iowa (L, 76-72)
HAWK DABBLES IN DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Ryan Hawkins recorded a double-double in all three MIAA Tournament games. Hawkins had 25 points and 10 rebounds vs. Emporia State in the quarterfinal. Hawkins tallied 30 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in the semifinal vs. Central Oklahoma. Hawkins added 23 points and 10 boards in the MIAA championship game vs. Washburn.
Career Double-Doubles
Ryan Hawkins – 28
Trevor Hudgins – 8
Diego Bernard – 6
Wes Dreamer – 2
BEARCATS AMONG NATION’S LEADERS
Northwest is showcased quite highly among the NCAA Division II national leaders in a few statistical categories.
1st – Field Goal Percentage (53.4%)
2nd – Three-Pointers Made (288)
2nd – Three-Pointers Attempted (676)
2nd – Free Throws Made (404)
3rd – Three-Point Field Goal Percentage (42.6%)
4th – Total Steals (192)
5th – Scoring Margin (+16.7)
5th – Free Throw Attempts (505)
7th – Free Throw Percentage (80.0%)
7th – Total Assists (383)
10th – Total Rebounds (859)
13th – Rebound Margin (+7.0)
15th – Scoring Defense (65.9)
15th – Three-Pointers Made Per Game (10.7)
HAWKINS AMONG DIVISION’S ELITE PLAYERS
Senior forward Ryan Hawkins is considered among the elite NCAA Division II players in the nation and his name is scattered atop the active career leaders in numerous categories.
1st – Games Played (128)
2nd – Steals (221)
2nd – Rebounds (913)
4th – Field Goals Made (724)
4th – Total Points (2,015)
5th – 3-Point Field Goals Made (273)
6th – Double-Doubles (28)
HAWKINS BECOMES SIXTH MIAA PLAYER TO REACH 2,000 CAREER POINTS
Senior forward Ryan Hawkins became the sixth MIAA player to reach 2,000 career points. He joins Justin Pitts as the only two Northwest players to eclipse the 2,000-point mark.
MIAA’s 2,000 Point Scorers
1. Bill Fennelly (UCM, 1977-81) 2,819 pts.
2. Harold Robertson (LU, 1974-78) 2,551 pts.
3. Ron Nunnelly (UCM, 1981-85) 2,468 pts.
4. Justin Pitts (NW, 2014-18) 2,459 pts.
5. Cam Martin (MSSU, 2018-21) 2,155 pts.
6. Ryan Hawkins (NW, 2017-pr.) 2,015 pts.
TEAMMATES WITH 1,800 OR MORE POINTS
Northwest’s Ryan Hawkins and Trevor Hudgins are one of only two sets of teammates in the country who have scored at least 1,800 career points.
Hawkins has tallied 2,015 points, while Hudgins has registered 1,881 points.
UTSA’s Jhivvan Jackson is the nation’s active leading scorer with 2,551 points, while his teammate Keaton Wallace has posted 2,080 points.
BERNARD REACHES 1,000 PTS
Junior Diego Bernard became the 26th Bearcat to reach 1,000 career points in the program’s history.
This year’s Bearcat team possesses three 1,000-point scorers. Ryan Hawkins ranks No. 2 with 2,015. Trevor Hudgins ranks No. 3 with 1,881. Bernard ranks No. 19 with 1,192.
Bernard is the 11th Bearcat under head coach Ben McCollum to reach the 1,000-point mark.
Northwest’s 1,000 Point Scorers
1. Justin Pitts (2014-18) 2,459 pts
2. Ryan Hawkins (2017-pres.) 2,015 pts
3. Trevor Hudgins (2018-pres.) 1,881 pts
4. Victor Coleman (1980-84) 1,795 pts
5. David Alvey (1973-77) 1,747 pts
6. Scott Fleming (1999-2003) 1,727 pts
7. DeShaun Cooper (2009-14) 1,702 pts
8. Kelvin Parker (2000-04) 1,692 pts
9. Hunter Henry (2006-09) 1,592 pts
10. Joe Hurst (1982-86) 1,580 pts.
11. Conner Crooker (2012-16) 1,352 pts
12. Austin Meyer (2003-06) 1,294 pts
13. Ellijah Allen (2008-11) 1,289 pts
14. Zach Schneider (2013-17) 1,282 pts
Russ Miller (1976-80) 1,282 pts
16. Jeff Hutcheon (1985-89) 1,203 pts
17. Matt Redd (1996-99) 1,200 pts
18. Gerald Harris (1984-88) 1,198 pts
19. Diego Bernard (2018-pres.) 1,192 pts
20. Don Sears (1966-70) 1,154 pts
21. Dillon Starzl (2011-14) 1,153 pts
22. Joey Witthus (2017-19) 1,150 pts
23. Glenn Phillips (1985-87) 1,147 pts
24. Chris-Ebou Ndow (2015-18) 1,134 pts
25. Bob Sundell (1986-89) 1,082 pts
26. Rick Jolley (1993-96) 1,054 pts
