EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The last time the Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team was in Evansville, the Bearcats left Hoosier State with valuable hardware.
As defending champions of NCAA Division II, the Bearcats wanted to make a strong impression in the quarter-finals on Wednesday in the Elite Eight. Ryan Hawkins took this message to heart.
Hawkins had 32 points on the 11-of-14 shootout with six ricochets as the northwest Missouri state drove No. 2 at the Ford Center to a 98-77 win over West Liberty No. 7. With the win, the Bearcats reach the semi-finals on Thursday.
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“It’s just fun to have another chance to play. It’s a win at this point or a trip home so you have to do your best,” said Hawkins. “We weren’t at our best, but we corrected it.”
It was an impressive all-round shooting performance for the Bearcats. Northwest Missouri shot 62 percent from the field, 45 percent from the 3-point field and 81 percent from the free throw line.
For a while, the Bearcats even had a 70 percent shooting share in the second half. A number that, if it had stood, would have been an elite eight record. Head coach Ben McCollum was impressed with the way the team managed to attack West Liberty’s press defense.
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“If you can get a team rotating a lot, it helps because you look a little easier in transition and kick-outs. I felt like our kids were playing evenly,” said McCollum. “We made recordings that we should be making. They are going to try to get you to do these ‘tweener’ recordings – I should or shouldn’t do it. If you have to think about it, you shouldn’t.” “
One player who didn’t have to think too much about the shots he made was Hawkins. He was able to cast a frank look at the press and knock them down at a steady pace.
At this point, it’s no surprise to McCollum that he’s performing at a high level in a win-or-go situation at home. It was the seventh time that he has scored over 30 points this season. These types of performances are the result of much of the behind-the-scenes work he has done over the past four years.
“He’s working on it, he deserves it,” said McCollum. “He’s in the gym all the time. He’s got great energy, a great attitude, guards to set him up. The offense is perfect for what he does. Nothing that rocks the earth has done him this well. It’s just work . “
Hawkins was one of four players to double-digit for the Bearcats. The team’s two starting guards – Trevor Hudgins (23 points) and Diego Bernard (14 points) – received high praise for directing the offense against the press.
But maybe there was a more impressive feat in defense of the team. West Liberty entered the game averaging 102 points per game. The 77 points they scored tonight was equivalent to the second lowest they’ve got for the entire season.
“I don’t think there is any rocket science to protect someone. You just have to be active and keep them out of the color,” said McCollum. “I felt that our children were up to the challenge.”
The Bearcats will face either Flagler or Truman State in Thursday’s late semifinals. You could potentially see a showdown in Missouri if the Bulldogs win.
But no matter what, the state of Northwest Missouri feels ready for any further task.
“You just have to survive,” said McCollum. “You just have to find one way to win the next.”
