(Maryville, MO) The No. 2-seeded Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team (27-2 overall) will take on No. 1-seeded West Texas A&M (19-2 overall) in the 2021 NCAA Division II National Championship Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.
The Bearcats claimed national championships in 2017 and 2019.
Northwest in National Championship
2017 – W, 71-61 vs. Fairmont State
2019 – W, 64-58 vs. Point Loma
MARYVILLE, MISSOURI IS TITLE TOWN
The Bearcats have claimed NCAA Division II national championships in 2017 and 2019.
The Northwest football team owns six NCAA Division II national titles (1998, 1999, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016).
CATCH THE ACTION
The 2021 NCAA Division II National Championship will be broadcast live on CBS. The game will be broadcast live on the Bearcat Radio Network and Westwood One.
21ST NCAA APPEARANCE
Northwest is taking part in its 21st NCAA Tournament.
Northwest is 33-20 all-time in the NCAA Tournament with five appearances in the Elite Eight (2002, 2004, 2017, 2019, 2021).
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
ALL-TIME NORTHWEST VS. WEST TEXAS A&M
Northwest and West Texas A&M and will be squaring off for the fourth time on the hardwood.
The Buffs hold a 2-1 series lead but the teams have not met since the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
West Texas A&M is the only school competing at this year’s Elite Eight that Northwest does not hold the edge in the all-time series.
Northwest Results vs. West Texas A&M
L, 58-43 (1948-49)
L, 108-105 OT (Nov. 19, 1988)
W, 66-51 (March 11, 2006)
Northwest All-Time vs. Elite Eight Field
vs. West Texas A&M – 1-2
vs. Flagler – 1-0
vs. Lincoln Memorial – 2-0
vs. Colorado School of Mines – 1-0
vs. Truman State – 102-93
vs. West Liberty – 1-0
vs. Daemen – 1-0
20-WIN TEAMS IN NCAA DIVISION II
Northwest (27-2 overall) is one of five Division II school to reach 20 wins this season. Northwest leads all Division II men’s programs with 27 victories.
Colorado Mesa is 21-2, Truman State is 20-3 and Hillsdale is 21-3 and Washburn is 20-7.
West Texas A&M is 19-2 entering Saturday’s national title game vs. Northwest.
MCCOLLUM SEEKS 300TH WIN
Northwest Missouri State head coach Ben McCollum would secure his 300th coaching victory with a win Saturday over West Texas A&M in the 2021 NCAA Division II National Championship.
McCollum has led the Bearcat program for 12 years with a mark of 299-78.
His winning percentage of .793 ranks No. 4 among NCAA Division II coaches and No. 6 among all NCAA Division coaches (minimum of 10 years experience).
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 22-5 in NCAA Tournament play.
Northwest has won 16 of its last 17 NCAA Tournament games.
HAWKINS IN NCAA PLAY
Senior Ryan Hawkins is averaging a team-high 24.5 points per game in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Hawkins has knocked down a tournament-leading 17 three-pointers. He is shooting 48.6% from three-point range (17-of-35) throug four games.
Hawkins is also averaging a team-best 8.5 rebounds.
HUDGINS LEADS NCAA FIELD IN FREE THROWS
Junior point guard Trevor Hudgins leads the NCAA Tournament field with 19 made free throws in 19 attempts.
Hudgins is averaging 19.8 points per game through four NCAA Tournament games.
2ND-LARGEST NCAA TOURNEY WIN FOR ‘CATS
Northwest’s 31-point margin of victory over Flager (W, 77-46) is the second-largest for the Bearcats in NCAA Tournament history – trailing on the 41-point triumph over Washburn (85-44) in this year’s NCAA second-round game.
The 31-point win is the largest margin of victory ever in an NCAA Division II national semifinal.
FROM START TO FINISH
Northwest did not trail in its national semifinal victory over Flagler. It marked the 10th time this season that Northwest as won a game that it did not trail for a single second.
