KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Central Oklahoma and Northwest Missouri will complete for the tournament title in the 2023 MIAA Basketball Championships, presented by Southern Bank.
 
The top two seeds in the men’s bracket will compete for the 2023 MIAA Basketball Championship title on Sunday, March 5. Top-seeded Northwest Missouri downed No. 4 Emporia State in the first semifinal game of the tournament before the second-seeded Bronchos defeated No. 3 Fort Hays State.
 
The Bearcats and the Bronchos are set to tip-off for the championship game at 1 p.m. in Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium.
 
To view the updated men’s bracket and find more information on the 2023 MIAA Basketball Championships, click here.
 
No. 1 Northwest Missouri 63, No. 4 Emporia State 52 –  BOX SCORE 
Northwest Missouri returns to the MIAA tournament title game for the eighth consecutive season after defeated the fourth-seeded Hornets 63-52 in the semifinals on Friday, March 4.
 
The Bearcats shot 48.9 percent (23-of-47) from the field, 25.0 percent (3-of-12) from the three-point range and 70.0 percent (14-of-20) from the free throw line. Emporia State finished with 41.7 percent shooting (20-of-48) overall, went 0-of-11 from behind the arc and made 80.0 percent (12-of-15) from the foul line. Northwest also outrebounded the Hornets 30 to 26.
 
Northwest had four players finished in double-figure scoring. Wes Dreamer finished with a team-high 15 points, hitting 6-of-12 form the field and 3-of-4 from the line. The Association’s Freshman of the Year Bennett Stirtz added 14 points while Diego Bernard finished with 12 points and led all players with five assists and four steals. Bryon Alexander tailed 10 points and led the Bearcats defense with nine rebounds.
 
Emporia State was led by Alijah Comithier with a game-high 20 points. Comithier was one rebound short of a double-double, bringing down a team-best nine boards. Mayuom Buom added 11 points, hitting 5-of-5 from the floor and 1-of-1 at the free throw line.
 
The Bearcats are the defending MIAA tournament champions and have won six of the last seven title games. Northwest leads the league with 10 total MIAA tournament titles.
 
No. 2 Central Oklahoma 55, No. 3 Fort Hays State 51 –  BOX SCORE 
Central Oklahoma defeated No. 3 seeded Fort Hays State in a close semifinal battle on Saturday, March 4, to return to the MIAA tournament title game for the first time since 2015.
 
The Bronchos offense landed 39.2 percent (20-of-51) of shots from the field, 35.7 percent (5-of-14) from the three-point range and 71.4 percent (10-of-14) from the free throw line. Fort Hay State shot 43.5 percent (20-of-46) overall, 28.6 percent (4-of-14) from deep and just 50.0 percent (7-of-14) at the foul line. Central Missouri won the rebounding battle, collected 37 boards to the Tigers’ 26.
 
Central Oklahoma was led by Jaden Wells with a game-high 21 points. Wells landed 8-of14 from the field which included a game-high four threes. Cam Givens added 16 points for the Bronchos and posted the only double-double of the game with a game-leading 15 rebounds.
 
The Tigers offense was led by Kaleb Hammeke with 11 points. Hammake went 4-of-16 from the field, 1-of-7 from behind the arc and 2-of-2 at the line. Elijah Nnanabu led the Tigers defense with seven rebounds and three steals.
 
The Bronchos have yet to clinch a MIAA tournament title.