MARYVILLE, Mo. — The Northwest Bearcat men’s basketball team (7-3, 1-1 MIAA) snagged its first conference victory over the Emporia State University Hornets after a dominant performance from senior guard Royce Williams Dec. 4.

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Williams opened the game with a quick scoring burst, with a perfect 6-for-6 before half,  and did not slow down. He finishing the game with 30 points and nine rebounds while going perfect 8-for-8 at the free-throw line. 

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Williams said the 77-70 win was needed to rebound after losing their conference opener 99-77 against rival Missouri Western Griffons Dec. 2.

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“It feels good… something we needed,” Williams said. “Coming off that MoWest game, it left a bad taste in our mouth, so playing at home, we wanted to show what we missed out on last game.”

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Williams said his offensive success was due to staying patient and trusting his teammates on the court. 

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“When I look for my shots, it doesn’t really go my way,” Williams said. “Playing within the flow of the offense definitely helps, and it helps when we have a lot of players willing to move the ball.”

 

Head coach Matt Keeley said although the team is only in the beginning of conference play, this match up was important to win. Keeley said that the team will continue building off the win and focus on consistency in their upcoming games.

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“Starting off 1-1 is better than 0-2, especially at home,” Keeley said. “Our guys felt the importance of this one, and I thought they responded.”

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The ’Cats will face the Missouri S&T University Miners 1 p.m. Dec. 13 in Bearcat Arena to kick off their winter break stretch. After the Miners, the Bearcats will host the Kansas Wesleyan University Coyotes 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17.