Game Time...11th-ranked Northwestern College heads to Costa Mea, Calif. to play in the two-day Bill Reynolds Holiday Classic, hosted by Vanguard University. The Red Raiders will play the host team, 22nd-ranked Vanguard, on Tuesday night at 7:30pm (CST), followed by a match-up against Bethesda College on Wednesday night at 6pm (CST). Both games will be held at The Pit and can be followed via the Vanguard webcast at this link: 

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All-Time...Northwestern is 2-0 all-time against Vanguard, earning wins over the Lions in 2004-05 (108-78) and 2001-02 (87-74). The Red Raiders are 1-0 all-time against Bethesda, defeating the Flames 89-73 during the 2014-15 season. 

Scouting Reports...

    No.22 Vanguard University Lions: 9-2    Head Coach: Rhett Soliday (8th year)

    The Lions have won five straight games and have ascended to 22nd in the latest NAIA D-I rankings. They are 9-2 on the year, losing to Cal State San Bernardino and College of Idaho, and wins over Bethesda, Cal Lutheran, Westcliff, Antelope Valley and WCBC during their current win streak. 

    Coach Soliday is in his eighth season as the Lions head coach and returns two starters and five players from a 2016-17 team that finished sixth in the Golden State Athletic Conference with a 6-10 record, 9-21 overall. Soliday led Vanguard to the 2014 NAIA D-I National Championship and was named the NAIA coach of the year that season.

By the Numbers: (NAIA-if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 84.5ppg 
    Scoring Defense: 70.6ppg 
    Field Goal Percentage: 47% 
    3pt Percentage: 37%, 101 3pters 
    Free Throw Percentage: 67% 
    Rebound Margin: +4 

Top Players:  (NAIA-if top 10) *returning starter
    *Shacquille Dawkins: 17.3ppg, 28 3pters, 43% 3pt, 26 assists (GSAC Player of the Week, Dec. 5)
    Connor Griffin: 16.8ppg, 6.3rpg, 71% FG (transfer from Gonzaga)
    Capri Uzan: 10.9ppg, 2.8rpg, 38 assists
    *Jamaal Lee: 9.0ppg, 7.7rpg, 60% FG

    Bethseda University Flames: 4-9  Head Coach: Leo Balayam (1st year)

    The Flames are 4-9 on the year and have lost eight of their last nine games heading into this week's Classic. Most recently, they lost to Vanguard and Antelope Valley and defeated Multnomah Bible 104-81. They are members of the NCCAA and compete in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference.

    By the Numbers: 
    Scoring Offense: 70.5ppg 
    Scoring Defense: 81ppg 
    Field Goal Percentage: 42% 
    3pt Percentage: 32%, 64 3pters 
    Free Throw Percentage: 63% 
    Rebound Margin: -5

    Top Players:  (NAIA-if top 10) *returning starter
    Ammar Rehman: 13.2ppg, 12 3pters, 5.3rpg
    Jordan Lopez: 12.3ppg
    Isaiah Hicks: 10.6ppg, 3.5rpg
    Michael Morrissey: 10.1ppg, 11 3pters, 3.6rpg

    No.11 Northwestern College: 12-2    Head Coach: Kris Korver (18th year)

Northwestern has won three straight games to improve to 12-2 on the season heading into the Christmas break. They have scored 100-points for more in eight games, including their last three games in wins over Dordt, Dakota State and Concordia.

By the Numbers: (NAIA-if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 97ppg (2nd)
    Scoring Defense: 79.1ppg
    Field Goal Percentage: 52% (3rd)
    3pt Percentage: 42% (5th); 155 3pters 
    Free Throw Percentage: 85% (1st) 
    Rebound Margin: +8 

Top Players:
    Colton Kooima-All-American, 3x All-GPAC; 25ppg (6th), 48 3pters (6th), 52 assists 
    Nathan Wedel-3x All-Conference; 19.4ppg, 6.1rpg, 61% FG, 55 assists     
    Derek Buysse-All-Conference; 16.8ppg, 45 3pters (10th), 4.8rpg
    Riley Francis-All-Conference; 12.9ppg, 6.4rpg 

Northwestern has outrebounded its opponent in 11 of 14 games, including four straight

The Red Raiders have shot better than their opponent in 10 of 14 games; made more 3pters than opponent in nine of 14 games

Kooima and Wedel have scored in double figures in 13 of 14 games; Kooima has 10 20+ games, Wedel has six 20+ games

Francis has scored in double figures in 11 of 14 games played

Buysse has six 20+-point games and has scored in double figures in nine of his 12 games played

Buysse moved into 20th place all-time in three-pointers made with 122, passing Curt Hoffman who had 121 from 1994-96.