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It's amazing what one win can do for a team that's been scuffling as bad as Northwest Missouri State.
Just by beating Truman State on Abby Henry’s last-second shot and ending an eight-game losing streak, the Bearcats are suddenly of the belief they can get on a roll and make something out of this season.
"It definitely gave us a spark," said Northwest Missouri State freshman guard Ashleigh Nelson. "If we keep pushing and doing the things Stein (coach Gene Steinmeyer) tells us to do, I think we can get on a streak, starting with the game we won last weekend."
One of three teams in the MIAA with only one win, the Bearcats (3-11, 1-6) are by no means out of the picture when it comes to making the MIAA Tournament.
Currently, they're just a game back of Missouri Western for eighth place.
So if the Bearcats do happen to get hot, they can move up the standings in a hurry.
"The tournament is still in front of us," said Northwest Missouri State head coach Gene Steinmeyer. "There are a lot of games, but the only goal we have left is really to just get to the tournament. I really think that if we can put that recipe together, we'll be a dangerous team. The amazing thing is we've been playing better defense than last year. If we can just right the ship somehow offensively, there is still a lot of hope for this team, I'm not willing to write this season off and go recruit a bunch of kids. I like my kids."
To Steinmeyer's point, the Bearcats haven't scored more than 64 points but have only given up more than 71 once in conference play.
They rank ninth in the MIAA in scoring offense and 11th in scoring defense.
Northwest has displayed stretches of good play at the offensive end, mostly when its trying to play catch-up.
Another one came in the second half against Truman when the Bearcats scored 38 points and shot 53 percent. It followed a first half in which Northwest scored 20 points and shot 19 percent.
"I don't know how you go from 19 percent to 53 percent," said Steinmeyer. "It's the great mystery of basketball. My hope is now the other players have caught up and Abby (Henry) and Shelly (Martin) are about to catch fire again. That's my hope."
It's amazing what one win can do for a team that's been scuffling as bad as Northwest Missouri State.
Just by beating Truman State on Abby Henry’s last-second shot and ending an eight-game losing streak, the Bearcats are suddenly of the belief they can get on a roll and make something out of this season.
"It definitely gave us a spark," said Northwest Missouri State freshman guard Ashleigh Nelson. "If we keep pushing and doing the things Stein (coach Gene Steinmeyer) tells us to do, I think we can get on a streak, starting with the game we won last weekend."
One of three teams in the MIAA with only one win, the Bearcats (3-11, 1-6) are by no means out of the picture when it comes to making the MIAA Tournament.
Currently, they're just a game back of Missouri Western for eighth place.
So if the Bearcats do happen to get hot, they can move up the standings in a hurry.
"The tournament is still in front of us," said Northwest Missouri State head coach Gene Steinmeyer. "There are a lot of games, but the only goal we have left is really to just get to the tournament. I really think that if we can put that recipe together, we'll be a dangerous team. The amazing thing is we've been playing better defense than last year. If we can just right the ship somehow offensively, there is still a lot of hope for this team, I'm not willing to write this season off and go recruit a bunch of kids. I like my kids."
To Steinmeyer's point, the Bearcats haven't scored more than 64 points but have only given up more than 71 once in conference play.
They rank ninth in the MIAA in scoring offense and 11th in scoring defense.
Northwest has displayed stretches of good play at the offensive end, mostly when its trying to play catch-up.
Another one came in the second half against Truman when the Bearcats scored 38 points and shot 53 percent. It followed a first half in which Northwest scored 20 points and shot 19 percent.
"I don't know how you go from 19 percent to 53 percent," said Steinmeyer. "It's the great mystery of basketball. My hope is now the other players have caught up and Abby (Henry) and Shelly (Martin) are about to catch fire again. That's my hope."
Henry and Martin, the team's two leading scorers, have each been held in single-digits in the last two games. Martin hasn't reached double-figures in any of the last four games.
Now would be an ideal time for both to catch fire with three games ahead against three teams ranked sixth or below in the conference.
In other words, this is Northwest's time to strike.
"We got to prove a point we can get a on a streak," said Nelson. "It's a battle to get into the tournament. We definitely think we have the potential to do it."
Northwest's toughest game during the stretch will come tonight when they visit Central Missouri in Warrensburg.
Central Missouri (9-4, 3-4) is coming off its best conference win over Fort Hays State 76-66. The Mules had been 0-4 against the top five teams in the MIAA.
"It's a bad time to be playing them," said Steinmeyer. "They're back on track. Even though they got beat at Washburn, they played really well. They had a 20 point lead on a good Hays team. They've been off a week. They're rested, ready to get back in action. They shoot over 40 percent as a team from the outside and have a really good inside game. They're trouble."
Central is averaging 74.6 points per game and has four starters who rank at or near the top of the conference in various statistical categories.
Nicole Caddell, a 6-1 senior, ranks third in the MIAA in scoring with 16.5 points per game and is seventh in rebounding with 7.5 per game.
Junior Shaquanda Wiggins is right on Caddell's heels for the scoring lead with 16.4 per game. She's also shooting close to 58 percent from the field.
Senior Taylor Hanson is the MIAA leader in three-pointers made per game with 3.6 and is connecting at a 52.2 percent clip.
Point guard Alyssa Rhodes leads the MIAA in assists.
