The Event...Northwestern College will host its annual Pizza Ranch Men's Basketball Classic this weekend, Nov. 10-11, at the Bultman Center. There will be two men's games each day, beginning Friday afternoon at 4pm and they will conclude Saturday evening. 

The complete schedule as well as links to watch all of the games can be found here:  2017-18 Schedule. 

All-Time...Northwestern is 5-0 all-time against Waldorf, defeating the Warriors in both match-ups last year. The Red Raiders are 11-5 all-time against Peru State, dating back to the 1961-62 season, but have won 10 straight against the Bobcats.

    Last Two Games vs Waldorf: 94-93 OT @ Waldorf, 101-83 (H), both last year

    Last Two Games vs Peru State: 77-66 @ Peru in 2016-17,  88-77 (H) in 2015-16

Scouting Reports...

    Dordt College Defenders: 2-2             Head Coach: Ross Douma (9th year)

The Defenders are off to a 2-2 start, all against teams from the North Star Athletic Conference, losing to Dakota State and Waldorf and losing to Valley City State and Jamestown. 

Head coach Ross Douma, in his ninth season in charge of the Defenders program, returns three starters and seven players from a 2016-17 team that finished eighth in the GPAC with a 5-13 record, 14-17 overall. Douma has guided the Defenders to three NAIA tournament bids during his tenure. 

By the Numbers: 
    Scoring Offense: 90.5ppg
    Scoring Defense: 88.3ppg
    Field Goal Percentage: 49%
    3pt Percentage: 41%, 44 3pters (12th in NAIA)
    Free Throw Percentage: 72%
    Rebound Margin: 1

Top Players:
    Alec Henrickson: 2x All-Conference; 16.5ppg, 2rpg, 10 3pters, 48% 3pt
    Marcus Winterfeld: 9.3ppg, 2.8rpg, 9 assists
    Chad Barkema: 8.8ppg, 5 3pters, 2.0rpg
    Kyle Lang: 8.8ppg, 5 3pters, 46% 3pt, 6 assists
    Andrew O'Donnell: 8ppg, 3rpg, 6 assists

    Peru State Bobcats: 2-0                        Head Coach: Bob Ludwig (1st year)

An NAIA D-I school and members of the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC), Peru State is unbeaten on the year, earning wins over Valley City State and Mayville State. 

Ludwig is in his first season as the head coach at Peru State after serving as the team's assistant prior for two years. He inherits a squad that returns five players from a 2016-17 team that finished ninth in the HAAC with a 12-14 record, 13-18 overall. 

By the Numbers: 
    Scoring Offense: 83ppg
    Scoring Defense: 67ppg
    Field Goal Percentage: 50%
    3pt Percentage: 37%, 13 3pters 
    Free Throw Percentage: 57%
    Rebound Margin: 4

Top Players:
    Quantice Hunter-16.5ppg, 54% FG, 5rpg, 9 assists
    James Westbrook-14.5ppg, 6rpg, 8 assists
    Marcus Nolan-11ppg, 5rpg
    Nolan Cass-11ppg, 6 3pters, 46% 3pt
    Terry Moore-9.5ppg, 4rpg

    Waldorf Warriors: 1-2                                Head Coach: Nigel Jenkins (7th year)

After an 88-65 season opening win over Silver Lake College, Waldorf has dropped two straight games to fall to 1-2 on the year. The Warriors were defeated by two teams from the Great Plains Athletic Conference, Briar Cliff and Dordt, by the scores of 94-78 and 88-77. 

Jenkins begins his seventh year as the head of the Waldorf program and is the all-time winningest coach, owning a 86-88 overall record. Last year, Jenkins led Waldorf to a seventh place finish in the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) with a 7-9 record, 11-19 overall. Three starters and six players return from last year's team, including one player who claimed all-conference honors. 

By the Numbers: 
    Scoring Offense: 81ppg
    Scoring Defense: 82.3ppg
    Field Goal Percentage: 45%
    3pt Percentage: 31%, 18 3pters 
    Free Throw Percentage: 66%
    Rebound Margin: even

Top Players:
    Kaden Verdin-(All-Conference) 17ppg, 10rpg, 50% FG
    Brady Kuchinka-17.7ppg, 5 3pters, 3.7rpg
    Falmata Tula-10.3ppg, 6rpg, 50% FG
    Brian Smith-11.3ppg, 7 assists
    
    No.5 Northwestern College: 2-0                 Head Coach: Kris Korver (18th year)

The Red Raiders are 2-0 heading into the weekend, defeating both Jamestown and Valley City State last weekend in North Dakota. 

Northwestern returns four starters and seven letterwinners from a 2017 team that finished second in the GPAC regular season with a 13-5 record and went on to win the conference postseason championship. They qualified for the NAIA D-II Championship, earning a win over Washington Adventist in the first round before losing to Indiana Wesleyan. The Red Raiders finished with a 27-7 overall record, the most wins since the 2007-08 season (30-5). 

By the Numbers: 
    Scoring Offense: 90.5ppg
    Scoring Defense: 76ppg
    Field Goal Percentage: 54%
    3pt Percentage: 45%, 21 3pters 
    Free Throw Percentage: 81%
    Rebound Margin: 4.5

Top Players:
    Colton Kooima-All-American, 3x All-GPAC; 25.5ppg, 7/14 3pt, 4rpg
    Derek Buysse-All-Conference; 19.5ppg, 8/17 3pt, 3.5rpg
    Nathan Wedel-2x All-Conference; 15.0ppg, 6rpg, 8 assists
    Riley Francis-All-Conference; 12ppg, 2.5rpg

Notes:
    Northwestern has won 14 straight non-conference home games, dating back to the 2013-14 season (lost to Davenport)

    Kooima moved past both Daniel Van Kalsbeek and Brandon Jacobson in career scoring; Kooima now 8th all-time with 1,780pts

    Kooima moved past Brandon Woudstra (1999-2003) in career 3pters...Kooima 4th all-time with 229 3pters

    Wedel needs four assists to move past Kent McDonough (1982-84) for 15th place in career assists