Blunt, Hawley lead Senate high-five for Northwest Missouri State NCAA hoops champions
Northwest Missouri State’s men’s basketball team received a salute from the U.S. Senate on Monday.
Missouri’s Republican Senators, Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley announced that the Senate unanimously approved a resolution honoring the Bearcats for their recent success.
Coach Ben McCollum team won the NCAA Division II Championship in March, the program’s second straight NCAA title and third in five years. Northwest was ranked first nationally in 2020, but the tournament was called off because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Bearcats are 159-7 over the past five seasons and McCollum has won 300 games in his 12 seasons in Maryville, Mo.
“Through hard work and determination, the Bearcats are once again national champions,” Blunt said in a statement. “They finished another incredible season with a blow-out win in the national championship. Congratulations to the players, coaches, staff, and fans on this great achievement.”
“Congratulations to the 2021 men’s NWMSU Bearcats on their championship win! Their teamwork, discipline and dedication deserve to be celebrated,” Hawley said in the statement. “The entire Northwest Missouri State University community should be proud of the team’s accomplishments.”