Game Time...Northwestern College goes for its third straight win as they play host to Briar Cliff in a GPAC match-up on Wednesday night, Jan. 18. Tip-off at the Bultman Center is scheduled for 6pm. Northwestern, ranked 25th in the last NAIA D-II coaches' poll (Jan. 10), is alone in fifth place in the GPAC with a 6-6 record, 14-6 overall. Briar Cliff is tied with Midland for sixth place in the GPAC with a 5-6 record, 10-10 overall.

Follow the game live, courtesy of the NWC webcast/Stretch Internet, at this link: Watch Now!

Listen to the game live via KSOU radio at this link: Listen Now!

Live Stats!

All-Time...Northwestern owns a 51-35 lead against BCU in the all-time series but is 5-5 over the last 10 match-ups. The Red Raiders lost to Briar Cliff earlier this year, 69-63, in a match-up played on Nov. 16 in Sioux City, Iowa.

Last Five Games vs BCU:

2016-17: 69-63 loss (A)
2015-16: 77-64 Win (H)
2015-16: 70-66 loss (A)
2014-15: 70-54 loss (A-GPAC Quarterfinals)
2014-15: 73-63 loss (A)

Last Time vs BCU...Northwestern was outscored 23-17 by BCU in the final quarter to lose 69-63 in a conference match-up played on Nov. 16 in Sioux City.

With Northwestern owning its largest lead of the game, 46-39, with three minutes left in the third, Briar Cliff scored the final seven points to tie it heading into the final quarter. The Chargers then scored the first five points of the fourth and led by as many as seven before a couple of late NWC runs made it a one possession game three times over the final minutes.

Kassidy De Jong led all scorers with 19 points and Renee Maneman added 16 points and eight assists. Northwestern shot just 34% from the field and was outrebounded 44-36.

BCU was led by Kailey Burke with 18 and Morgan Hansen with 14. The Chargers shot 45% for the game, 50% (2/4) from the three-point line.

Briar Cliff Chargers: 5-6 (T6th), 10-10  Head Coach: Mike Power-17th year

The Chargers snapped its three-game skid last time out, defeating Doane 71-61 in a GPAC match-up played Saturday, Jan. 14 in Sioux City. Prior to that win, they had lost to three ranked teams; Concordia, Morningside and Dakota Wesleyan. Briar Cliff is tied with Midland for sixth in the current standings with a 5-6 record, 10-10 overall. 

BCU returns two starters and eight players from a 2015-16 team that finished tied with Concordia for fourth place in the GPAC at 14-8. They qualified for the NAIA D-II National Championship where they lost to Southern Oregon in the second round to end the season with a 23-10 overall mark. The Chargers were picked to finish fourth in the GPAC preseason poll and are ranked 15th in the NAIA D-II coaches' poll.

Briar Cliff averages 69ppg and is shooting 43% from the field. They are eighth in the NAIA with 250 steals.

Key Players:
Kailey Burke-13.6ppg, 5.8rpg, 53% FG
Morgan Hansen-9.2ppg, 51 assists, 23 3pters (2nd team all-GPAC)
Kaylee Blake-8.9ppg, 5.2rpg (2x HM All-GPAC)
Erin Grimshaw-6.8ppg

No. 25 Northwestern College: 6-6 (5th), 14-6 overall  Head Coach: Chris Yaw (6th year)

The Red Raiders have won two straight and five of their last six to climb up to 25th in the latest coaches' poll. They are in fifth place in the GPAC with a 6-6 record, 1/2 game up on both Briar Cliff and Midland. Northwestern is 14-6 overall and defeated both Mount Marty and College of Saint Mary last week.

Northwestern ranks third in the GPAC in scoring (78ppg) and is eighth in the NAIA, second in the GPAC, in field goal percentage (46%).

Northwestern is second in rebounding (+6) and has held the edge on the glass in six straight games

The Red Raiders lead the GPAC with 75 blocked shots

Three Red Raiders, Kassidy De Jong (21.1ppg), Haley Birks (14.6ppg) and Darbi Gustafson (13.1ppg), rank among the GPAC's top 10 in scoring

Gustafson is second in the GPAC in rebounding and leads the conference with eight double-doubles

Renee Maneman leads the NAIA with 154 assists and has four games with 10+ assists this season

Chanda Zomermaand (30) and Paige Danner (29) are the top three-point threats