2018-19 NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL GAME NOTES 2017 NCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 19 MIAA REGULAR SEASON TITLES 19 NCAA TOURNAMENTS 8 MIAA TOURNAMENT CROWNS 4 ELITE EIGHT APPEARANCES NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCAT STORYLINES ON THE AIR TV - CBS Sports Network NORTHWEST, SAINT ANSELM TANGLE IN FINAL FOUR Radio - KXCV (90.5 FM) The undefeated Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball Stats - www.BearcatSports.com team (36-0 overall) will take on the St. Anselm Hawks (26-5 overall) Thurs- day at 6 p.m. in the NCAA Division II national semifinals. The contest will take place in the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. SCHEDULE/RESULTS Date Opponent Time/Results HOW WE GOT HERE SCB Hall of Fame Classic (St. Joseph, Mo.) Northwest reached the national semifinal with a 55-51 win over Mercy- 11/3 vs. Northern State W, 72-70 OT 11/4 vs. #13 Ferris State W, 100-86 hurst. St. Anselm defeated Nova Southeastern, 91-81. Hillyard Tipoff Classic (St. Joseph, Mo.) 11/9 vs. Upper Iowa W, 76-59 RANKED FOE 11/10 vs. Winona State W, 84-59 11/16 Truman State W, 87-60 RANKED FOE MIAA Showcase (Kansas City, Mo.) Northwest will be matching up against the ranked opponent for only the 11/19 vs. Illinois-Springfield W, 85-66 third time this season. St. Anselm was ranked No. 20 in the latest NABC 11/23 Tabor (Kan.) W, 93-43 12/1 Midland W, 100-66 top 25 poll. Northwest scored a 100-86 win over No. 13-ranked Ferris 12/6 Lincoln* W, 85-78 State in the second game of the season. Northwest posted a 70-59 victory 12/8 Lindenwood* W, 87-53 over No. 13-ranked Southern Nazarene on March 17. 12/18 Texas A&M-International W, 85-46 12/30 Simpson W, 108-58 1/3 at Northeastern State* W, 105-70 SCHOOL RECORD FOR WINS 1/5 at Central Oklahoma* W, 78-67 The Bearcats set the school record and MIAA record for wins with 36 in 1/9 Emporia State* W, 79-59 1/12 Washburn* W, 83-75 their 55-51 win over Mercyhurst. The previous mark of 35 was set by the 1/19 at Missouri Western* W, 87-64 2016-17 squad that won the national championship. With two more wins, 1/24 at Nebraska-Kearney* W, 85-57 Northwest would tie the NCAA Division II record for wins in a season at 1/26 at Fort Hays State* W, 81-69 1/31 Pittsburg State* W, 111-83 38. Last season, Ferris State set the mark with 38 victories. 2/2 Missouri Southern* W, 82-62 2/7 at Lindenwood* W, 72-41 2/9 at Lincoln* W, 75-57 19TH NCAA APPEARANCE 2/13 Central Missouri* W, 67-50 Northwest is taking part in its 19th NCAA Tournament. It is the Bearcats’s 2/16 Southwest Baptist* W, 84-61 seventh trip to the NCAA Tournament for head coach Ben McCollum. 2/21 at Central Missouri* W, 64-49 2/23 at Southwest Baptist* W, 85-66 2/26 Missouri Western* W, 70-68 ELITE EIGHT EXPERIENCE 2/28 at Washburn* W, 72-49 Northwest is making its fourth trip to the NCAA Elite Eight. The Bearcats MIAA Tournament (Kansas City, Mo.) 3/7 Emporia State W, 82-79 previously qualified for the Elite Eight in 2002, 2004 and 2017. Northwest 3/9 Lincoln W, 86-69 captured the the 2017 NCAA Division II national championship. 3/10 Washburn W, 82-53 NCAA Tournament (Maryville, Mo.) BEARCAT STARTING FIVE 3/16 Minnesota State W, 91-62 3/17 Southern Nazarene W, 70-59 3/19 Missouri Southern W, 82-70 Elite Eight (Evansville, Ind.) 3/27 vs. Mercyhurst W, 55-51 3/28 vs. #20 St. Anselm 6 p.m. * - indicates MIAA game BOLD - home games in Bearcat Arena #1 Diego Bernard #12 Trevor Hudgins #30 Joey Witthus #33 Ryan Hawkins #44 Ryan Welty NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCAT MEN’S BASKETBALL NOTES TV/RADIO ROSTER #1 Diego Bernard #3 Xavier Rhodes #5 Kirk Finley #12 - Trevor Hudgins #24 Daric Laing #30 Joey Witthus Fr., Guard Fr., Guard Jr., Guard R-Fr., Guard So., Guard Sr., Guard St. Joseph, Mo. Kansas City, Mo. Blue Springs, Mo. Manhattan, Kan. Chariton, Iowa Chanhassen, Minn. #32 Tyler Dougherty #33 Ryan Hawkins #34 Dray Starzl #42 Luke Waters #44 Ryan Welty Head Coach Jr., Forward So., Forward Sr., Forward Fr., Guard Jr., Forward Ben McCollum Omaha, Neb. Atlantic, Iowa Kearney, Mo. Olathe, Kan. Parkville, Mo. 2018-19 Bearcat Roster No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown (High School/Last School) 1 Diego Bernard G 6-0 170 Fr. St. Joseph, Mo./Lafayette HS 3 Xavier Rhodes G 6-1 165 Fr. Kansas City, Mo./Rockhurst HS 5 Kirk Finley G 6-4 170 Jr. Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs HS 12 Trevor Hudgins G 6-0 180 R-Fr. Manhattan, Kan./Manhattan HS 24 Daric Laing G 6-2 175 So. Chariton, Iowa/Chariton HS 30 Joey Witthus G 6-7 220 Sr. Chanhassen, Minn./Minnesota State 32 Tyler Dougherty F 6-7 215 Jr. Omaha, Neb./Papillion-LaVista HS 33 Ryan Hawkins F 6-7 220 So. Atlantic, Iowa/Atlantic HS 34 Dray Starzl F 6-8 225 Sr. Kearney, Mo./Kearney HS 42 Luke Waters G 6-6 200 Fr. Olathe, Kan./Olathe Northwest HS 44 Ryan Welty F 6-8 190 Jr. Parkville, Mo. / Park Hill South HS Head Coach: Ben McCollum (10th year) Assistant Coaches: Zach Schneider, Xavier Kurth Athletic Trainer: Nick Peters @NWBearcatMBB nwbearcat_MBB WWW.BEARCATSPORTS.COM #OABAAB NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCAT MEN’S BASKETBALL NOTES 2019 NCAA Elite Eight Wed., March 27 Noon: No. 5 St. Anselm 91, No. 4 Nova Southeastern 81 2:30 p.m.: No. 1 Northwest Missouri State 55, No. 8 Mercyhurst 51 6 p.m.: No. 7 Southern Indiana 94, No. 2 West Texas A&M 84 8:30 p.m.: No. 6 Point Loma 87, No. 3 Queens, 74 Thurs, March 28 6 p.m.: No. 5 St. Anselm vs. No. 1 Northwest Missouri State 8:30 p.m.: No. 6 Point Loma vs. No. 7 Southern Indiana Sat, March 30 2 p.m.: National Championship Game NORTHWEST, SAINT ANSELM SCHOOL RECORD FOR WINS MIAA Standings TANGLE IN FINAL FOUR The Bearcats set the school record Conference Overall The undefeated Northwest Mis- and MIAA record for wins with 36 School W-L W-L Northwest 19-0 36-0 souri State University men’s basket- in their 55-51 win over Mercyhurst. Washburn 15-4 24-8 ball team (36-0 overall) will take on The previous mark of 35 was Mo. Southern 14-5 25-8 the St. Anselm Hawks (26-5 overall) set by the 2016-17 squad that won Fort Hays State 12-7 18-11 Thursday at 6 p.m. in the NCAA the national championship. Lincoln 10-9 18-12 Pittsburg State 9-10 17-13 Division II national semifinals. The With two more wins, North- Lindenwood 9-10 16-16 contest will take place in the Ford west would tie the NCAA Division Emporia State 8-11 14-16 Center in Evansville, Indiana. II record for wins in a season at 38. Northeastern St. 8-11 14-15 Southwest Baptist 7-12 14-16 Last season, Ferris State set the Central Missouri 7-12 14-14 HOW WE GOT HERE mark with 38 victories. Missouri Western 6-13 12-18 Northwest reached the national Neb.-Kearney 5-14 10-18 Central Okla. 4-15 11-17 semifinal with a 55-51 win over No. BEST START FOR NORTHWEST 8-seeded Mercyhurst. St. Anselm Northwest’s 36-0 start is the best in Ryan Welty has played 40 or defeated No. 4-seeded Nova school history. more minutes eight times. Southeastern, 91-81. Henry Iba guided Northwest to a perfect 31-0 record in 1929-30 WITTHUS EARNS NABC RANKED FOE to set the initial Bearcat standard ALL-AMERICA HONORS Northwest will be matching up for best starts to a season. Senior Joey Witthus (Chanhas- against the ranked opponent for sen, Minnesota) became the third only the third time this season. St. Best Starts in School History 36-0 - 2018-19 different Bearcat to earn NABC Anselm was ranked No. 20 in the 31-0 - 1929-30 All-America honors. latest NABC top 25 poll. 24-0 - 2016-17 DeShaun Cooper (2014) and Northwest scored a 100-86 win 20-0 - 1931-32 Justin Pitts (2017, 2018) are the 20-0 - 1939-40 over No. 13-ranked Ferris State in previous Bearcats to earn NABC the second game of the season. All-America status. Northwest posted a 70-59 victory 40-MINUTE MEN over No. 13-ranked Southern Naz- Trevor Hudgins has played 40 or more minutes six times this season 19TH NCAA APPEARANCE arene on March 17 in the NCAA Northwest is taking part in its 19th – including each of the last two Central regional. NCAA Tournament. It is the Bear- games (regional final win over Mis- cats’s seventh trip to the NCAA souri Southern and an Elite Eight NOT MANY MATCHUPS Tournament for 10th-year head win over Mercyhurst). This will mark the first-ever meet- coach Ben McCollum. Joey Witthus has seven ing between Northwest and St. Northwest is 27-20 all-time in games of 40 or more minutes Anselm on the hardwood. the NCAA Tournament. Northwest has not faced played. Point Loma and the Bearcats are Ryan Hawkins have played 40 more minutes on five occasions ELITE EIGHT EXPERIENCE 1-1 all-time vs.