KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A resurgent Missouri Western men's basketball season came to a close Saturday in the MIAA Championship semifinals. No. 1-ranked Northwest Missouri State (30-1) scored 51 second half points to come back and defeat the Griffons (18-13), 80-54 in Missouri Western's first trip to the round of four in 10 years.
 
Missouri Western took a 31-29 lead to halftime, its first halftime lead over the Bearcats in five years. MWSU shot 51.9% from the field in the first half and limited Northwest to 40% shooting. The Griffons forced six Northwest turnovers in the first half. MWSU started the game on a 9-0 run, shutting down Northwest on its first seven possessions of the game. The Bearcats answered with a 13-9 run, but MWSU came back to take the two-point lead to the half.
 
The second half was all Northwest. The Bearcats started the half on a 20-9 run and built its biggest lead of the game, 28 points, with less than a minute to play. Northwest shot 64.3% from the field in the second half and 57.1% from long range, making eight threes after halftime. 
 
NOTABLES

• Northwest pulled down 38 rebounds to 22 for the Griffons and had 22 assists with Northwest dishing out six.
• MWSU committed just seven turnovers, but Northwest scored 15 points off those giveaways.
• The lead changed five times with five ties.
• Tyrell Carroll led MWSU with 22 points, scoring 16 in the first half.
• Tyus Millhollin scored 14 points and had a team-high four assists.
• JaRon Thames finished with 11 points
• Beau Baker had a team-high five rebounds.