Bearcats on rise

MARYVILLE, Mo. — The Northwest Missouri State University women’s basketball team has surpassed preseason expectations so far in the 2023-24 season, and two former southwest Iowa preps are playing key roles in the resurgence.

Graduate student Emma Atwood of Central Decatur has shown her versatility in a variety of roles for the Bearcats, who improved to 16-5 overall and 10-5 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association with a 69-55 home victory Saturday over 15th-ranked Fort Hays State. Because of her medical redshirts related to knee surgeries, Atwood is just a junior in eligibility.

The 5-10 power forward from Leon is averaging 5.8 points and 4.6 rebounds for the Bearcats. She also has 15 assists this season.

Kelsey Fields, 6-2 junior center from Creston, is averaging 7.5 points and a team-best 5.7 rebounds while playing 16.4 minutes per game. She has 57 offensive rebounds in 20 games.

Also influencing the Bearcats’ strong run in the MIAA this year is new assistant coach Chris Guess, a former guard at Southwestern Community College under coach Bill Krejci, and at Graceland University. Guess coached high school basketball for 32 years in Iowa, including two state championships at Waukee. He was inducted into the Iowa Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.

Atwood said Guess was instrumental in forming the Bearcats’ new emphasis on a fast-breaking style and motion offense.

“Last year we did a lot of ball screens and at times it would get stagnant,” Atwood said. “This offense has constant movement that creates a lot of options and is hard to guard. It’s mostly a four-out and one-in and we work different people into the post. I play the four (power forward) position.”

Fields, more of a traditional five position player (center), teams with Jayna Green, a 6-foot senior, in that spot. At times Fields and Green are on the floor together, with Green moving to the four in a big lineup.

That lineup was effective in the second quarter Saturday as the Bearcats twice pushed their lead to 17 points over Fort Hays State, which came into the game one spot above the Bearcats in the MIAA with a national ranking.

Earlier in the half, Fields picked up her second foul and reserve Laini Joseph substituted into the action and sparked a 13-0 run. Joseph led the team Saturday with 16 points and seven rebounds.

Despite being limited to 11 minutes because of foul issues and Joseph’s hot streak, Fields still hauled in six rebounds and scored four points. Atwood went 3-of-3 at the free throw line in scoring 11 points and also snared six rebounds.

Veteran presence

Bearcats head coach said Atwood’s experience has been vital to this season’s success.

“Emma is having a solid year for us,” Meyer said. “She’s shooting nearly 50 percent from the field and averaging five rebounds a game. She has been a solid glue kid for us. She shows up every day with a good attitude, is a leader in our program and knows how to bring people together. She battled through multiple ACL injuries. Emma has been a joy to coach for the five years she has been at Northwest Missouri State.”

Likewise, Fields has been a part of the varsity rotation since her arrival on campus two years ago. When Meyer needs a force on the interior with the athletic ability to run the floor on the fast break, he turns to the former Creston all-stater.

“Kelsey had one of the best games of her career against Pittsburg State when she had 18 points on 9 of 12 shooting,” Meyer said. “She missed a little time around Christmas with a knee injury, but is starting to turn things back up again. She is someone we rely on for offensive rebounding, post scoring and post defense. She is a great kid and we believe her ceiling is still very high.”

Fields admits the slight knee injury slowed her in December, but has postponed any diagnosis and corrective action until after the season.

“I tweaked it toward the beginning of the season and I missed the (Dec. 16) Emporia State game,” Fields said. “It’s better. It’s a fun system because we’re running the floor more in transition and getting more possessions. I post up even if I don’t get the ball, and I’m in there to get offensive rebounds.”

The Bearcats were sixth in the league last year and eliminated in the conference tournament quarterfinals. Going into Meyer’s sixth year, the Bearcats were projected to finish sixth in the conference in the media poll, and seventh by the coaches.

Tight pack

Currently, Missouri Southern leads the league at 13-2 with Missouri Western one game behind at 12-3. Fort Hays State, Northwest Missouri and Pittsburg State are all tied for third at 10-5. Central Missouri makes it a tight back in the top six at 9-6.

Both Fields and Atwood note that Northwest has beaten some of the top teams, such as Missouri Southern, and the goal is a national tournament berth either by winning the conference tournament for an automatic bid, or gaining at at-large berth.

“We talked as a team today,” Fields said Monday afternoon. “Coach Meyer is saying that Fort Hays is one of the more physical teams in the conference. We were successful Saturday in the way we played against them. We have to go into every game with that mindset.”

Atwood’s also sees a chance to be a part of Northwest reaching new heights.

“We just have to build that consistency,” Atwood said. “We hadn’t beaten Fort Hays since I started here, so today’s game was great for us. We play Southern in our last game and that will be a big one for us. We’re capable of making a far run.”

Involved in the broadcasts of home games is Orient-Macksburg and Southwestern Community College graduate Wiley Ray, now sports director of the campus radio station, KZLX-FM, 106.7 FM.

The Bearcats hit the road this week, playing tonight (Wednesday) at Emporia State (10-11, 7-8 MIAA) before going to Washburn (11-10, 6-9) on Saturday. The Bearcats lost by two points to Washburn earlier and won in overtime at home against Emporia State.