No. 1 Northwest Missouri State downs No. 17 Missouri Southern at the buzzer for 7th-straight MIAA title

It's been quite the week for the defending DII college basketball champions. One day after earning the No. 1 seed in the Central Region, Northwest Missouri State took it to the wire against No. 17 Missouri Southern, with a dramatic Trevor Hudgins buzzer-beater giving the Bearcats the 77-76 victory.

RANKINGS: Northwest tops the latest Power 10 | First regional rankings released

It was the second time in a week the Bearcats defeated their biggest threat in the MIAA. One Thursday ago, Northwest traveled to Joplin and took down Missouri Southern in dominating 96-75 fashion. It was quite the opposite Thursday, Feb. 20, as it came right down to the final play. Hudgins — who finished with 19 points — drove the court after a missed Lions' free throw, snuck into the lane, and dropped the bucket in, falling away from the basket as the buzzer sounded.

It was the Bearcats 17th-straight victory, one which locked up its seventh consecutive MIAA title. Northwest Missouri State will head to the MIAA tournament the undoubted top seed looking to become the first repeat national champion since 1994.