Game Time...No.18 Northwestern College will host second-ranked and unbeaten Concordia Friday afternoon, Dec. 15  in a GPAC match-up between ranked teams. Tip-off at the Bultman Center is scheduled for 4pm. Northwestern is alone in third place in the current GPAC standings with a 5-1 record, 8-4 overall. Concordia is one of just seven undefeated teams left in NAIA Division II and brings a 6-0 league record, 10-0 overall, in to Friday's match-up. 

Follow the game live, via the NWC webcast, at the following link: Follow Now!

All-Time...Northwestern trail the all-time series (since 1987-88) 24-35 and is 3-7 over the last 10 match-ups against Concordia. Last year, Northwestern lost all three games against the Bulldogs, including an 88-51 setback in the GPAC semifinals.

    Last Year: 
        88-81 loss (H)
        91-44 loss (A)
        88-51 loss (A) GPAC semi's

Scouting Reports...

    No.2 Concordia University Bulldogs: 6-0 (T1st w/ Morningside), 10-0 overall
        Head Coach: Drew Olson (12th year)

    The Bulldogs are one of seven unbeaten teams remaining in NAIA Division II and are tied with Morningside for first place in the GPAC at 6-0. Ranked second in the current NAIA coaches' poll, Concordia has five wins over ranked teams, including No.5 St.Francis (Ill.), No.9 Jamestown (N.D.), (RV) Mayville State (N.D.), No.8 Dakota Wesleyan and No.19 Hastings (Neb.). They also have defeated Midland, Mount Marty, Dordt and College of Saint Mary in conference play.

    Olson is closing in on the 300-win milestone in his 12th season on the Concordia bench. Olson has guided the Bulldogs to six straight NAIA D-II National Championship appearances, reaching the national semifinals three times. He returns four starters and eight players from a 2016-17 team that won the GPAC regular season title with a 19-1 record and finished 34-3 overall, losing to St.Xavier in the quarterfinals.

By the Numbers: (GPAC rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 91ppg (1st / 2nd)
    Scoring Defense: 60ppg (3rd)
    Field Goal Percentage: 45% (3rd)
    3pt Percentage: 36% (4th), 119 3pters (1st / 2nd) 
    Free Throw Percentage: 71% (8th)
    Rebound Margin: 8 (2nd / 10th)

Top Players:  (GPAC rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Quinn Wragge (2x all-GPAC) 13.7ppg, 5.6rpg, 21 assists; 1,000-career points
    Philomena Lammers (All-GPAC; Freshman of the Year)  13ppg, 9rpg (1st), 15 blocks
    Taylor Cockerill  12.4ppg, 11 3pters, 4.2rpg, 28 assists
    Sydney Feller  9.4ppg, 23 3pters (9th), 46% 3pt FG
    Dani Hoppes (All-GPAC) 9.3ppg, 21 3pters

    No.18 Northwestern College: 5-1 (3rd), 8-4   Head Coach: Chris Yaw (7th)

Northwestern has won three straight games heading into Friday's showdown, matching the longest win streak of the season. They are alone in third place in the GPAC standings at 5-1, one game in back of both Concordia and Morningside. The Red Raiders are one of five conference teams in the top 25 and are 8-4 overall. 

By the Numbers: (GPAC rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 77ppg (4th)
    Scoring Defense: 66ppg (5th)
    Field Goal Percentage: 46% (2nd / 7th)
    3pt Percentage: 34% (7th), 68 3pters (8th) 
    Free Throw Percentage: 77% (3rd)
    Rebound Margin: 4 (6th)

Top Players:  (GPAC rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Kassidy De Jong-18.3ppg (2nd), 7.2rpg (7th), 24 assists 
    Darbi Gustafson-17.3ppg (3rd), 8.3rpg (2nd), 4 double-doubles
    Anna Kiel-14ppg, 3.3rpg, 67% FG
    Renee Maneman-9.2ppg, 88 assists (1st / 1st)
     Paige Danner-9.1ppg, 22 3pters, 39% 3pt (9th)

Northwestern has shot better than its opponent in all but two games (Mayville State and Morningside)

Red Raiders have held the edge on the glass in eight of the 12 games played

Kassidy De Jong ranks 20th all-time in career scoring (1,269pts)

Three Red Raiders, Renee Maneman (759), Darbi Gustafson (759) and Haley Birks (751) all reached the 750-point milestone last week

Maneman ranks second all-time in career assists (596)