The Northwest Missouri State Bearcats have won their third men’s basketball national championship since 2017, dominating Saturday’s final against West Texas A&M, 80-54.
Ryan Hawkins had a superb game for the Bearcats with 31 points, adding 18 rebounds, leading a Northwest side that shot 50 percent (27-of-54) from the field and 7-of-15 from three-point range.
Wes Dreamer had 19 points and 11 rebounds for NWMSU, with Trevor Hudgins scoring 15 and Luke Waters 13 points.
The Bearcats became the first team to win back-to-back NCAA Division II championships since Cal State-Bakersfield in 1993-94, giving head coach Ben McCollum his 300th career victory.
Hawkins was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Elite Eight Tournament in Evansville, Indiana, joined on the five-man team by Northwest’s Trevor Hudgins, West Texas A&M’s Qua Grant and JoJo Murray, and Jordan Guest of Lincoln Memorial.
