Northwest Missouri State wins 2021 DII men's basketball championship

Bench players haven't scored any points in this game. Meanwhile, four Bearcats starters have combined for 62.

Click or tap here for the complete box score.

Ryan Hawkins and Trevor Hudgins combined to score the first 19 points for the Bearcats. They both have 15 at the break. Qua Grant leads West Texas A&M with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting. 

Northwest Missouri State's size advantage was apparent. The Bearcats constantly fed Hawkins in the post and the forward took care of the rest. Wes Dreamer also got in on the action, and posted up Buffaloes guard Zach Touissiant on a mismatch. He backed his way into the paint and banked in a hook shot.

The Bearcats scored 20 points in the paint, while the Buffaloes managed 16. Northwest Missouri State closed the half on a 14-4 run.

This is a ball movement clinic by @NWBearcatMBB. pic.twitter.com/jBqnp2oX6O

— CBS Sports CBB (@CBSSportsCBB) March 27, 2021

Below are each team's stats after 20 minutes of play. 

Northwest Missouri State 48

West Texas A&M 29

Click or tap here for the complete box score.

No. 1 seed West Texas A&M can win its first-ever DII basketball title today.

We started with 48 teams and are down to two. By the end of the day, either West Texas A&M or Northwest Missouri State will be crowned DII men's basketball champions.

The top two seeds in this year's tournament will take the floor today with a chance to make history. No. 1 West Texas A&M, fresh off a game-winning buzzer beater in the semifinals, could win its first-ever DII men's basketball title.  As for the second-seeded Bearcats, no team has gone back-to-back in DII men's basketball since Cal State Bakersfield in 1993-94. 

How to watch

No. 1 seed West Texas A&M vs. No. 2 seed Northwest Missouri State | 12 p.m. ET | CBS

Tipoff is at noon ET on CBS. Stick around here for in-game updates. 

Northwest Missouri State Athletics

The 2021 DII men's basketball championship continued with the semifinals tonight. Below are the results from the two games.

• No. 1 seed West Texas A&M 87, No. 4 seed Lincoln Memorial 86
• No. 2 seed Northwest Missouri State 77, vs. No. 3 seed Flagler 46

A season unlike any other will conclude on Saturday, March 27, with the 2021 DII men's basketball championship game. Tipoff is scheduled for 12 p.m ET on CBS.

• No. 1 seed West Texas A&M vs. No. 2 seed Northwest Missouri State

To view the complete interactive bracket, click here.

The Bearcats made their first three field-goal attempts and jumped out to a 7-0 lead. But Flagler was able to settle in after two quick buckets from Jaizec Lottie (six points, two assists). 

Northwest Missouri State went on an 11-0 run midway through the first to grab a 28-14 advantage. The spurt was part of a larger 21-2 tear that spanned just over seven minutes. Ryan Hawkins leads all scorers with 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting.

The Saints trailed by as many as 22, but closed the half on an 8-2 run to make it a 40-24 deficit. Below are each team's stats at the break.

Northwest Missouri State 40

Flagler 24

Click or tap here for the complete box score. 

The Buffaloes picked up where they left off to begin the second half, and pulled within four points less than two minutes in. But Lincoln Memorial found its footing and quickly regained a double-digit lead on a Devin Whitfield free throw at 17:10. 

The Railsplitters, who are shooting 66.7 percent, currently lead 62-56 with 12:41 remaining. Joel Murray and Qua Grant each have 21 points to lead all scorers. 

Click or tap here for the complete box score. 

After leading by as many as 16, the Railsplitters have a 44-35 advantage over West Texas A&M at the break. The Buffaloes closed the first half on a 9-2 run to cut the deficit to single digits.

Joel Murray (18 points, two assists) and Qua Grant (11 points, four rebounds) scored all but six of West Texas A&M's 35 points. Lincoln Memorial center Jordan Guest has 14 points, seven boards, two assists and two blocks after playing the entire first half.

Below are each team's stats after one half of play.

Lincoln Memorial 44

West Texas A&M 35

Click or tap here for the complete box score.  

Lincoln Memorial holds an early 9-7 with 15:58 to play in the first half. Jordan Guest has five points, one assist and one rebound. Guest broke free off a pick-and-roll and finished with an uncontested dunk.

Early game flushes are always nice. @LMURailsplitter | @NCAADII pic.twitter.com/jaqYILskDP

— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) March 25, 2021

Click or tap here for the complete box score.  

West Texas A&M Athletics

The 2021 DII men's basketball championship continues tonight with the semifinals. Two games will be played, with the winners advancing to the title game on Saturday, March 26. Tonight's schedule is listed below.

• No. 1 seed West Texas A&M 87, No. 4 seed Lincoln Memorial 86
• No. 2 seed Northwest Missouri State 77, vs. No. 3 seed Flagler 46

Both games will be televised on CBS Sports Network. Live updates will be published here throughout the night.

To view the complete interactive bracket, click here.

2021 DII men's basketball quarterfinal: Truman vs. Flagler full replay

After three quarterfinal blowouts, the finale was worth the wait. No. 3 Flagler erased an 11-point deficit to beat No. 6 Truman, 70-69, on Wednesday. Saints' Jaziec Lottie scored 19 of his 29 points in the second half to help pull off the comeback. Cade McKnight posted a game-high 34 points on 11-of-18 shooting in a losing effort.

Flagler will face Northwest Missouri State tomorrow in the championship semifinals. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:45 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.

Here are the final stats for each team.

Flagler, 70

Truman, 69

Truman forward Cade McKnight was practically unstoppable in the first half, scoring 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting. But the Bulldogs only hold a 36-30 lead over Flagler at halftime. Truman players not named McKnight shot a combined 1-of-12. Jaizec Lottie leads the Saints with 10 points.

Here are each team's stats at the break.

Truman, 36

Flagler, 30

Click or tap here for the complete box score.  

No. 2 Northwest Missouri State gradually distanced itself from No. 7 West Liberty throughout the first half. Bearcats forward Ryan Hawkins led all scorers with 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. The Hilltoppers shot just 40 percent from the floor in the opening half.

Below are the first-half stats for each team.

Northwest Missouri State, 51

West Liberty, 32

Click or tap here for the complete box score. 

2021 DII men's basketball quarterfinal: Daemen vs. West Texas A&M full replay

No. 1 West Texas A&M put the game out of reach by halftime and cruised to a 97-83 victory over No. 8 Daemen on Wednesday. Buffaloes guard Joel Murray scored a game-high 31 points on 13-of-26 shooting. He also finished with six assists and five rebounds. Andrew Sischo led the Wildcats with 29 points and 16 boards. 

The Buffaloes shot 55.7 percent from the floor and 33 percent from beyond the arc. By comparison, the Wildcats made 55.6 percent of their field goals and 44.4 percent of their 3-pointers. 

West Texas A&M advances to face No. 4 Lincoln Memorial tomorrow in the championship semifinals. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network. 

Below are the final stats for each team.

West Texas A&M, 97

Daemen, 83

Click or tap here for the complete box score. 

2021 DII men's basketball quarterfinal: Colorado School of Mines vs. Lincoln Memorial full replay

Lincoln Memorial used a 14-0 run early in the second half to squash any hopes of a Mines comeback. The Railsplitters, who led by as many as 26, had three players score in double figures. Jordan Guest posted a game-high 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds. Colorado School of Mines was led by Brendan Sullivan's 21 points and four boards.

The Orediggers were no match for the Railsplitters' up-tempo offense. Lincoln Memorial constantly pushed the ball in transition, whipping it around before Mines could get back on defense. Julius Brown (13 points, four rebounds) used his speed and ball-handling ability to carve up Mines' interior defenders. Teammate Cameron Henry finished with 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists. 

Below are the final stats for each team. 

Lincoln Memorial, 90

Colorado School of Mines, 76

Click or tap here for the complete box score. 

It was the Cameron Henry show in the first half. The guard went on a 7-0 scoring run over 53 seconds to give Lincoln Memorial a 21-13 cushion at the 10:01 mark. Henry led all scorers with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting while adding three rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal.

Colorado School of Mines struggled from the outside, shooting 1-of-13 on 3-pointers in the first half. The Orediggers were led by Michael Glen's nine points on 4-of-7 shooting. He also finished with two boards and one assist. 

Below are the first-half stats for each team.

Lincoln Memorial, 45

Colorado School of Mines, 30

Click or tap here for the complete box score. 

On Tuesday, Northwest Missouri State defeated Northern State, 91-86, in overtime to advance to the Elite Eight. 

The Bearcats trailed 79-76 with seven seconds to play in regulation. That's when Trevor Hudgins hit a step-back 3-pointer that not only tied the game, but saved Northwest Missouri State's season.

Hudgins finished with 29 points on 8-of-16 shooting while adding three assists and three rebounds. He played all 45 minutes. 

You can watch his clutch shot below. 

Another look at the game tying 3 by Trevor Hudgins to go into OT!

🎥: @dyl_johnson3 pic.twitter.com/NS2Bp1AzvA

— Bearcat Basketball (@NWBearcatMBB) March 17, 2021

Seeding for the 2021 DII men's basketball Elite Eight was revealed today. West Texas A&M received the top seed, and will face No. 8 seed Daemen at 3:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 24.

Listed below are the seeds and matchups for the Elite Eight.

Elite Eight seeds

1. West Texas A&M (17-2)
2. Northwest Missouri State (25-2)
3. Flagler (17-2)
4. Lincoln Memorial (18-3)
5. Colorado School of Mines (18-2)
6. Truman (20-2)
7. West Liberty (18-4)
8. Daemen (10-5)

Elite Eight schedule

• No. 4 seed Lincoln Memorial vs. No. 5 seed Colorado School of Mines | 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 24
• No. 1 seed West Texas A&M vs. No. 8 seed Daemen | 3:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 24
• No. 2 seed Northwest Missouri State vs. No. 7 seed West Liberty | 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 24
• No. 3 seed Flagler vs. No. 6 seed Truman | 9:45 p.m. ET Wednesday, March 24

To view the complete interactive bracket, click here. 

West Texas A&M Athletics

The third round of the 2021 DII men's basketball tournament concluded on Tuesday night. Seven games were played, with the winners moving on to the Elite Eight.

Below are the results from the regional finals:

• No. 1 seed Flagler 89, No. 2 seed Alabama Huntsville 75 
• No. 3 seed West Liberty 78, No. 1 seed Hillsdale 61
• No. 2 seed Lincoln Memorial 102, No. 4 seed Emmanuel (GA) 67
• No. 2 seed Daemen 71, No. 1 seed St. Thomas Aquinas 70
• No. 2 seed Northwest Missouri State 91, No. 1 seed Northern State 86 (OT)
• No. 1 seed Truman 65, vs. No. 2 seed Michigan Tech 62
• No. 1 seed West Texas A&M 101, vs. No. 2 seed Lubbock Christian 92

To view the complete interactive bracket, click here. 

Colorado School of Mines Athletics Colorado School of Mines is the first team to advance to the 2021 DII men's basketball Elite Eight.

The regional finals began with a single game on Monday night. No. 2 Colorado School of Mines handled No. 5 Northwest Nazarene, 84-52. The Orediggers are the first team to punch their ticket to the 2021 Elite Eight.

• No. 2 seed Colorado School of Mines 84, No. 5 seed Northwest Nazarene 52

To view the complete interactive bracket, click here. 

Oklahoma Baptist Athletics No. 6 seed Oklahoma Baptist advanced to the second round after winning its NCAA tournament debut.

The 2021 DII men's basketball championship continued Saturday with 14 first-round games and two second-round games. Colorado Mesa became the first No. 1 seed to fall in its second-round game against Northwest Nazarene. No. 6 seed Oklahoma Baptist was among Saturday's highlights, topping No. 3 seed Arkansas-Monticello 76-57 in the Bison's first-ever NCAA tournament game. 

• No. 3 seed West Liberty 94, No. 6 seed Malone 89
• No. 6 seed Tusculum 65, No. 3 seed Carson-Newman 63 (OT)
• No. 5 seed Caldwell 65, No. 4 seed Dominican (NY) 62 
• No. 5 seed West Georgia 79, No. 4 seed Valdosta State 75
• No. 2 seed Colorado School of Mines 83, No. 3 seed Biola 52
• No. 6 seed Oklahoma Baptist 76, No. 3 seed Ark.-Monticello 57 
• No. 5 seed MSU Moorhead 84, No. 4 seed Wayne State (NE) 72
• No. 5 seed Ashland 76, No. 4 seed Wayne State (MI) 61
• No. 4 seed Mercyhurst 62, No. 5 seed Fairmont State 58
• No. 4 seed Emmanuel (GA) 80, No. 5 seed Queens (NC) 78
• No. 3 seed Bloomfield 71, No. 6 seed Nyack 58
• No. 3 seed Lee 72, No. 6 seed Georgia Southwestern 69
• No. 5 seed Northwest Nazarene 74, No. 1 seed Colorado Mesa 54
• No. 3 seed Southern Indiana 62, No. 6 seed Lewis 60
• No. 3 seed Washburn 72, No. 6 seed Missouri Western 46
• No. 5 seed DBU 83, No. 4 seed Southern Arkansas 61

To view the complete interactive bracket, click here. 

Fresno Pacific Athletics Fresno Pacific will face Biola to open the 2021 DII men's basketball tournament on Friday.

The 2021 DII men's basketball tournament begins today with two first round games. Fourteen more first round games will be played tomorrow. 

Below is the schedule for tonight's action. This will be updated as games go final:

• No. 3 seed Biola 76, No. 6 seed Fresno Pacific 74
• No. 5 seed Northwest Nazarene 85, No. 4 seed Point Loma 73

The winner of the Northwest Nazarene-Point Loma game will face Colorado School of Mines in the second round tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET, while the winner of the Fresno Pacific-Biola game will face Colorado Mesa at 10:45 p.m. 

To view the complete interactive bracket, click here. 

Shortly before the selection show on March 7, the No. 1 seeds for all eight regions will be revealed on Twitter at 9:30 p.m. ET. 

The 2021 DII men's basketball championship will begin with the regional quarterfinals on Saturday, March 13. It will continue with the semifinals on Sunday, March 14, and the regional championships on Tuesday, March 16. 

Winners from those eight regions will qualify for the 2021 DII men's basketball Elite Eight, which will take place from March 24-27 at Ford Center in Evansville, Ind. The quarterfinals of the Elite Eight will stream live on this page beginning at 12 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 24. 

Northwest Missouri State won the most recent national championship in DII men's basketball. Watch the Bearcats capture the 2019 title right here. 

Below is the complete championship history for DII men's basketball. 

**Student-athletes declared ineligible