Northwest Missouri State pushes past Black Hills State for spot in national title game
Northwest Missouri State stands one victory away from a third straight NCAA Division II men’s basketball championship.
The Bearcats defeated Black Hills State 70-57 in the semifinal round Thursday in Evansville, Indiana. The championship game is 2 p.m. Saturday and will air on CBS.
Northwest won despite a poor shooting game. The Bearcats (33-5) missed their first 10 three-point attempts until Trevor Hudgins knocked down a triple with 4:21 remaining in the first half.
Hudgins, who earlier in the week was named the NABC player of the year for the second straight season, finished with 11 points and was one of five Bearcats in double figures. Luke Waters led Northwest with 17 points.
Wes Dreamer’s putback beat the halftime buzzer and gave Northwest a 36-26 lead at the break.
Black Hills State closed to within four twice in the second half. But the Bearcats went on a 17-2 run, starting with a Hudgins three-pointer.
Northwest will attempt to become the first Division II program to win three straight NCAA titles. Coach Ben McCollum’s program has won titles in 2017, 2019 and 2021. The 2020 tournament was canceled because of the pandemic.
Since the 2016-17 season, Northwest has amassed a 192-13 record.