Bearcat Juggernaut Downs Central 88-74; Magic Number reaches 2

Northwest fell into an early five point hole against Central but fought back to take the lead at halftime and used a strong second half to down the Mules in Warrensburg. Northwest had every right to be worried about the game since Central had erased a 16-point second half Northwest lead to go ahead before Shelly Martin's 3-pointer bailed them out. Central then missed two point blank looks at the basket before Northwest won by three. With the win, the magic number for Northwest falls to two. Any combination of Northwest wins and Washburn losses totaling two will hand Northwest its first MIAA crown since 1983-1984, when the late Wayne Winstead was coaching. Northwest has a home game tonight against Southwest Baptist and a road game against Missouri Southern. Washburn plays Emporia at home; a Northwest win over Baptist coupled with a Washburn loss to Emporia would give Northwest the title outright. Washburn then has a road game at tailender Lincoln; the Ichabods only beat Lincoln by 10 at home earlier this year.

The shot percentages were even for both teams but Northwest got more trips to the line and shot 18 for 23 from the line while Central only made nine free throws. Abby Henry was 9 for 12 from the line and led with 22 points; Gabby Curtis added 20 and Kyla Roehrig had 19. Shelly Martin and Gentry Dietz each had 12 as all five starters had 12 or more. Northwest won the battle of the boards as well, getting 44 to 32 for Central. Northwest collected a ton of second chance points, outscoring Central 19-4 in that category.

Northwest got a couple of early turnovers that led to Central baskets, but then Gabby Curtis hit a 3-pointer and Shelly Martin hit another as Northwest went back up 6-4. Central then went back up as Renae Shippy answered with a 3-pointer, Nicole Caddell got a free throw, and Alyssa Rhodes got a 3-pointer as Central led 13-8. Like Truman last Wednesday, Central was fighting for their playoff lives; with the loss, Central fell to one game ahead of Hayes and Truman and is alone in 7th place.

Northwest fought back as Kyla Roehrig got two free throws and then got a steal and fed Abby Henry. Henry missed the jumper, but then Kyla was there for the putback to put Northwest within one at 13-12. Shelly Martin then got a pass from Gabby Curtis for a 3-pointer to put Northwest in front at 15-13 with 12:51 left. The game was tied at 16, 18, and 20 but then like last time, Alexis Boeh came off the bench and sparked the Bearcats, putting them in front to stay after Central had missed a 3-pointer on the other end. Monai Douglass then hit Kyla Roehrig for a layup and then Gabby Curtis hit a free throw to make it 25-20 with 5:52 left.

Renae Shippy's layup made it 25-22, but then Kyla Roehrig put back her own miss to make it 27-22 and then Shelly Martin hit a 3-pointer to make it 30-22 following a block from Roehrig on the defensive end. Kyla Roehrig got a 3-point play and then Abby Henry got a steal to make it 35-24 before Central made a late run to close to 35-31 at halftime as Erin Redomnd, Kara Fleming, and Taylor Hanson all scored for the Mules.

Central had a chance to cut it to two during the opening possession, but Renae Shippy missed a layup and then Gabby Curtis scored in the paint to make it 37-31. Central missed another layup and this time it led to a transition 3-pointer from Abby Henry as Gabby Curtis got the board and found her open for the 3-pointer. Gentry Dietz's putback put Northwest back in double digits at 42-32.

Central kept hanging around as both teams were heating up the the second half, shooting in the 50's after shooting in the 30's in the first half. Rebecca Roberts' layup cut it to 44-37 with 17:22 left and Central had a chance to cut it to four with a 3-pointer but Kara Fleming's 3-pointer missed and Abby Henry got the defensive board and hit a 3 on the other end to make it 47-37. Central continued to hang around but then Abby Henry hit two free throws, got a steal, and then hit two more to make it 55-43. Gentry Dietz then hit Shelly Martin to make it 58-43 following another turnover as Northwest pushed it up to 15.

Saraethea Brown's 3-pointer following a steal cut Northwest's lead to 58-48 with 12:52 left, but then Abby Henry found Kyla Roehrig in for a layup and then Central turned it over again, leading to a 3rd chance putback from Kyla Roehrig to make it 62-48. Central was staying in it using the 3-point game and was hoping to duplicate their feat of last year by erasing another double digit lead, but Gabby Curtis drove in for a layup, got a steal, and got Abby Henry the ball for a layup to make it 74-59. Henry drew the foul and missed the 3-point try, but Shelly Martin kept the possession alive and Henry later got another free throw to make it 75-59. Northwest then extended their lead to 17 at 78-61 when Abby Henry converted another 3-point play and then Gabby Curtis got into the paint for a jumper to make it 80-61 with 6:46 left.

Northwest finally began cooling off and Central got shots from Rebecca Roberts and Kara Fleming and a pair of free throws from Taylor Hanson to fight back to within 84-72 with 4:07 left. Central had a chance to get under double digits as Kara Fleming missed a 3-pointer and then Central stole the ball in the post from Kyla Roehrig for another chance with just over three minutes. Renae Shippy then blocked Abby Henry's layup attempt following a steal from Roehrig but Henry stole it right back and got it to Gabby Curtis for the layup; once again, Curtis provided the dagger as she converted a 3-point play with 2:04 left to make it 87-72.