ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — For 21 minutes and 14 seconds, Griffon Men's Basketball led No. 3 Northwest Missouri in search of the potential upset bid of the decade on Saturday at the MWSU Fieldhouse.
Twelve minutes and 57 seconds of that lead took place in the first half, ending with a 31-26 Missouri Western lead thanks to an 11-0 run by the Griffons. However, a 9-0 Northwest late in the second half culminated with a Diego Bernard bucket that pushed the Bearcats' lead to 51-47, helping them take home the 68-59 win. Missouri Western (11-4, 7-12 MIAA) cut it to a 56-54 deficit with 4:34 to go, but Northwest (25-2, 18-2 MIAA) went on a 10-3 run carried by a 10-for-10 showing at the free-throw line in the final minutes helpedp extend the Bearcats' winning streak to 11 games.
JaRon Thames gave the Griffons the first lead of the afternoon with a layup 34 seconds into the game. Nearly 20 minutes later,
Will Eames helped MWSU preserve that advantage and earn its largest lead of the day at five on a jump shot with just 55 seconds to go in the half. However, Northwest started the second half on a 7-2 run to stifle the Griffs' momentum and eventually turn the tide in favor of the reigning national champions.
NOTABLES
- Taye Fields tallied his fourth double-double of the season, scoring 12 points and clearing 12 rebounds.
- Eames led all Griffons in scoring with 14 points; his third double-digit game in his last five outings.
- Swader scored 12 points, notching a game in double-figures for the first time since scoring 10 points vs. Friends on Dec. 28.
- Julius Dixon's 11-point game marks his seventh consecutive game scoring 11 points or more.
- MWSU out-rebounded Northwest, 29-28.
UP NEXT
Missouri Western waits until this upcoming Wednesday to face Newman (8-18, 4-16 MIAA) at 7:30 p.m. in St. Joseph at the MWSU Fieldhouse. Newman lost to Rogers State (14-12, 10-10 MIAA) on Saturday, 88-81, at home in Wichita, Kansas. The Jets defeated MWSU earlier this season in Wichita, 71-55.
