ABERDEEN, South Dakota – The Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team used a 24-0 run in the first half to cruise to an 85-44 victory over the Washburn University Ichabods in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Central Region Tournament.

Northwest (24-2 overall) posted its largest margin of victory in an NCAA Tournament game at 41 – besting the previous mark of 29 in a 91-62 win over Minnesota State in 2019. The 44 points is also the fewest Northwest has allowed in an NCAA Tournament game – previous mark was 47 vs. MSU Moorhead in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
Washburn took a 4-2 lead on a three-pointer from Jalen Lewis with 16:19 to play in the game. Then the Northwest offense and defense took over. The Bearcats lit into the Ichabods with a 24-0 run to take a 26-4 lead with 9:19 left in the opening half. Senior Ryan Hawkins buried all four three-point attempts he took in the run. Lewis scored again with 8:52 to play to cut the Northwest lead to 26-7. All told, the Ichabod scoreless stretch lasted 7:33.

Northwest would lead by as many as 30 in the opening half at 44-14. Northwest took a 44-16 lead into intermission. The Bearcats shot 60.0% in the first half on 15-of-25 field goals. The Ichabods made only five shots and shot 22.7% from the field, including 18.2% from three-point range. Hawkins led all scorers with 18 first-half points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field. Hawkins was 4-of-7 from three-point range.

The Bearcats came out just as hot in the second half and blitzed the Ichabods with a 28-3 run to start the half. Northwest took a 72-19 lead with 11:09 left in the game. Northwest scored the first 12 points of the half, Washburn’s Connor Deffebaugh made a three and then Northwest proceeded to score 16 straight points.

A three-pointer by Daniel Abreu with 6:50 left gave Northwest a 54-point lead at 80-26. The Bearcats would finish off the Ichabods, 85-44.

Northwest shot 55.6% from the field for the game. The Bearcats drained 11 three-pointers.

Hawkins led all scorers with 27 points. Hawkins buried a team-high seven three-pointers and was 8-of-13 from the field, including 7-of-11 from deep. Hawkins added a team-high eight rounds, five assists and two blocked shots.

Junior Trevor Hudgins scored 14 points and handed out a team-high eight assists to go along with three steals. Sophomore Wes Dreamer connected on 7-of-12 field goals for 17 points and six rebounds. Freshman Byron Alexander came off the bench to score eight points and grab five rebounds.

Washburn was limited to 32.6% from the field and made only 7-of-21 three-point shots. Washburn’s first-team all-MIAA guard Tyler Geiman was held to five points on 2-of-14 shooting from the floor.

Northwest committed two turnovers in the game, while Washburn was credited with 17 turnovers.

The Bearcats will meet the Northern State Wolves Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the 2021 NCAA Central Region Tournament final. The winner will advance to the Elite Eight set for March 24-27 in Evansville, Indiana.