Box Score

Northwestern College used some late game heroics to come back and defeat Morningside College 85-84 in a GPAC match-up played tonight in Sioux City, Iowa. The Red Raiders won their ninth straight game and stayed unbeaten in GPAC play at 4-0, 9-1 overall. Morningside had its five game win streak snapped and falls to 2-1 in conference play, 5-2 overall. 

Down 84-81, Derek Buysse hit a three-pointer from the corner with 10 seconds left to tie the game at 84. Morningside then committed a foul with less than one second left, sending Nathan Wedel to the line where he made the first of two free throws to give NWC the win.

Wedel and Colton Kooima led Northwestern with 18 points each while Buysse added 17 points, including a career-high five three-pointers, and seven rebounds. Jordan Baker netted 12 points and was one rebound shy of another double-double with nine boards.

How It Happened...

Northwestern went on a 15-0 run, capped by three straight baskets by Jordan Baker, to grab a 23-13 lead with 11:49 left in the first half

A 9-2 Morningside run put the Mustangs within two later Northwestern responded with a 10-4 run and led 41-33 after a three-pointer by Buysse. 

Pierce Almond drained a three-pointer just before the half to put the hosts within five, 41-36, at halftime

After a Justin Van Kalsbeek basket to put NW up seven at the start of the half, Morningside came back to score the next seven points and tied the game at 43 on a three-point play by Brody Egger. 

Neither team could pull away over the final 18 minutes with the largest lead being five for NW and six by the Mustangs. 

Down 84-78, Colton Kooima made three free throws to make it a three-point game with 1:00 left. A missed jumper by Morningside gave the ball back to NWC and following a timeout, Buysse drained a three-pointer from the baseline to tie the game at 84. 

Nathan Wedel rebounded a Morningside missed shot and was fouled, sending the junior to the line where he made the first of two free throws with less than a second left.

By the Numbers...

With nine straight wins, Northwestern matches its longest win streak since 2012-13; they are off to their best start to a season since 2011-12

Northwestern shot 52% for the game, 39% (10/26) from the three-point line; Morningside shot 45% from the field, 28% (7/25) from beyond the arc.

The Red Raiders outrebounded Morningside 39-30, leading to a 12-5 advantage in second chance points

Northwestern's bench outscored the Mustangs' 32-15

The game was delayed for nearly one hour just before the second half  began due to a broken rim

Kooima has scored in double figures in every game this season; Wedel has reached double figures in seven games; Buysse w/ four 10+ games

Baker is now tied with Joe Bomgaars (1990-94) for 30th place in career scoring with 1,205

Kooima passed both Darel Kreun (1961-65) and Dave Dunkelberger (1982-84) in career scoring; Kooima has 1,192 for his career, good for 32nd place

Brody Egger led Morningside with 18 points and Ryan Tegtmeier added 17