Northwest Missouri State men, Central Missouri women claim MIAA titles in Kansas City

The Northwest Missouri State Bearcats were tested but claimed their fifth straight MIAA Tournament championship, and ninth overall, with a 78-76 win over Missouri Southern Sunday at Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium.

In a game that stayed closely contested throughout, No. 1-ranked, top-seeded and defending national champion Missouri State (31-1) got 31 points from Trevor Hudgins and 20 points with 10 rebounds from Diego Bernard. Wes Dreamer added 18 points.

Cam Martin matched Hudgins for high-scorer honors with 31; teammate Winston Dessesow added 23 for third-seeded and 22nd-ranked Missouri State (23-8). Elyjah Clark added 14 for the Lions.

Both teams head to the NCAA tournament later this week.

In the women’s final, Nija Collier scored 20 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to lead four Jennies in double figures as top-seeded Central Missouri beat No. 2 seed Emporia State 82-75.

It was the third time Central Missouri (27-4) and Emporia State (24-7) had met for the MIAA title, and Emporia had won both previous games. It was the 16th finals appearance for the Jennies, who lost to Fort Hays State in last year’s finale.

Megan Skaggs and Morgan Fleming added 19 points apiece for Central Missouri; Morgan VanHyft chipped in a dozen.

Central Missouri led 45-40 at halftime. Emporia State came back and built a 62-55 lead after three quarters but couldn’t hang on. Central Missouri outscored Emporia 27-13 in the final period to regain the advantage and claim the victory.

Senior wing Mollie Mounsey, named the tourney’s co-Most Outstanding Player, did all she could for Emporia, hitting seven 3-pointers en route to an MIAA title game-record 37 points. Her only teammate in double figures was fellow senior Morgan Laudan of Paola, Kansas, with 10.

Mounsey’s 87 points in the tournament broke the MIAA tournament record of 76, set by Emporia State’s Emily Bloss in 2001.

This story was originally published March 8, 2020 at 5:41 PM.