EVANSVILLE, Indiana – The Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team captured the program’s third NCAA Division II national championship with an 80-54 victory over the West Texas A&M University Buffaloes Saturday in the Ford Center.
The Bearcats left no doubt they are the premier men’s basketball program at the Division II level by running roughshod through the Elite Eight. Northwest won its three games by a total margin of 78 points – setting the Elite Eight record that was set previously by Jefferson in the 1970 tournament (75 points).
The 26-point win ranks as the second-largest margin of victory in the championship game. North Carolina Central won the 1989 national title by a 27-point margin.
Senior Ryan Hawkins was named the Most Outstanding Player at the Elite Eight as he poured in a championship game-high 31 points and 18 rebounds. Hawkins buried 10-of-16 shots from the floor, including 2-of-3 from deep. He was 9-of-10 at the line.
Sophomore Wes Dreamer shouldered a heavy scoring load in the win over West Texas A&M as he tallied 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Dreamer connected on 3-of-5 from three-point land and snared his third career double-double with 11 rebounds.
Junior Trevor Hudgins, who was also named to the all-tournament team, contributed with 15 points, five assists and two steals. He finished his season with an NCAA-high 90 made three-pointers.
Sophomore Luke Waters was the fourth Bearcat in double-figure scoring with 13 points
West Texas A&M held a short-lived 6-2 lead nearly three minutes into the contest. Northwest responded to the deficit with a 9-0 that relied heavily on Hawkins and Hudgins. Hawkins buried a pair of free throws with 11:12 to play in the half and at that point Hawkins or Hudgins had scored all 19 of Northwest’s points.
The Bearcats opened up a working margin with a 19-6 run in which Dreamer scored the final eight points to give Northwest a 32-19 lead with 7:32 left in the half. Northwest continued to build on its lead and took a 19-point bulge into the locker room at 48-29. Northwest’s balanced offense featured 15 points from Hawkins and Hudgins, while Dreamer contributed with 12 first-half points. Northwest held West Texas A&M to its lowest first-half point total of the season at 29.
Northwest’s defensive prowess took over as West Texas A&M could muster only 10 points through the first 13:53 of the second half. While the Buffaloes were stumbling, the Bearcats were continuing to increase its lead. Northwest would lead by as many as 35 in the second half at 74-39 with 7:34 left to play.
The Bearcats shot 50% from the field (27-of-54) and knocked in 46.7% of their three-point shots (7-of-15). The Buffaloes struggled to find their mark shooting 31.3% for the game (20-of-64) and only 20.8% from three-point range (5-of-24).
West Texas A&M’s scoring duo of Qua Grant and Joel Murray combined to score 32 points in Saturday‘s championship game. Grant tallied 20 points (7-of-17 FGs), while Murray battled foul trouble and was limited to 12 points (7-of-17 FGs). The pair came into the contest averaging nearly 45 points per game.
Elite Eight All-Tournament Team
Ryan Hawkins, Northwest Mo. St. – Most Outstanding Player
Trevor Hudings, Northwest Mo. St.
Qua Grant, West Texas A&M
JoJo Murray, West Texas A&M
Jordan Guest, Lincoln Memorial
NOTES: Northwest is 3-0 in national championship games … Northwest is 34-20 all-time in NCAA Tournament play … Head coach Ben McCollum recorded his 300th career coaching victory in the win over West Texas A&M. McCollum has guided Northwest to a mark of 300-78 over 12 seasons … McCollum is 23-5 in NCAA Tournament play … McCollum is 35-3 as a coach in the month of March … Northwest has won 17 of its last 18 NCAA Tournament games … Northwest previously captured men’s basketball national championships in 2017 and 2019 … the Bearcat football program won NCAA Division II national titles in 1998, 1999, 2009, 2013, 2015 and 2016 … the Bearcats have won 43 straight games on neutral floors … Northwest is 97-3 over the past three seasons … Northwest is 159-8 over the last five seasons … Northwest’s 28 wins this season is the most of any NCAA Division II school … the 28 wins for the Bearcats ties them with Gonzaga for the most NCAA men’s basketball victories this season.
