Game Time...18th-ranked Northwestern returns to the hardcourt this weekend against a pair of NAIA Division I teams at the San Diego Christian College Classic held at the Kroc Center in San Diego, Calif. The Red Raiders will face Hope International (Calif.) on Friday night with a 10pm (CST) tip-off and will then play the host Hawks on Saturday at 3pm. 

Follow both games live via the San Diego Christian webcast at this link: Watch Now!

All-Time...Northwestern is 1-0 all-time against Hope International, earning an 80-59 win over the Royals during the 2006-07 season. This will be the first ever match-up against San Diego Christian.

Scouting Reports...

    Hope International Royals:  11-1    Head Coach: Beck Flanagan (1st year)

Located in Fullerton, Calif., Hope International is one of the eight teams that compete in the NAIA Division I Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). They Royals are off to an impressive 11-1 start to the season and bring a five-game win streak into the weekend. Their only loss is a 93-87 loss to 11th-ranked Southern Oregon on a neutral floor on Nov.24. HIU has wins over University of Redlands, Saint Katherine, Bethesda, La Sierra and Evangel since.

Flanagan was hired last spring (2017) to take over a Hope International women's basketball team that finished last in the GSAC with an 0-16 record, 5-21 overall last year. Flanagan, a former assistant at Loyola (La.), brought in a host of transfers to join three returning players on this year's roster.

By the Numbers: (NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 86ppg (3rd)
    Scoring Defense: 67ppg 
    Field Goal Percentage: 43% 
    3pt Percentage: 30%, 93 3pters
    Free Throw Percentage: 70%
    Rebound Margin: +10 

Top Players:  (NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Emma Florel  20.2ppg (7th), 12.5rpg (2nd), 69 offensive boards (1st), 54% FG
    Lauren Davis  14.3ppg, 6.8rpg, 37 offensive boards (9th), 46% FG
    Nikki Andaya  12.7ppg, 53 assists
    Rhiana Dougan  10ppg, 23 3pters, 38% 3pt
    Julia Pihl  8.9ppg, 27 3pters, 33% 3pt

    San Diego Christian Hawks:  7-5    Head Coach: Shawn Chaffin (1st year)

San Diego Christian is also one of the eight teams that compete in the NAIA Division I Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). They own a 7-5 record this season and have won three of their last four games, defeating Yellowstone Christian, Saint Katherine and Manchester and losing to Antelope Valley last time out, 67-65.

Chaffin, in his first year as the Hawks' head coach after a seven-year stint as assistant at Minot State, inherits a team that finished sixth in the GSAC with a 6-10 record, 16-12 overall. Two starters and six players return from last year' team.

By the Numbers: (NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 69.5ppg 
    Scoring Defense: 60.5ppg 
    Field Goal Percentage: 37% 
    3pt Percentage: 29%, 73 3pters
    Free Throw Percentage: 71%
    Rebound Margin: +4

Top Players:  (NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Anessa Wolfblack  13.4ppg, 21 3pters, 32% 3pt, 7.9rpg
    Jazmine Bradley  12.3ppg, 53% FG, 6.4rpg
    Danna Robles  12.1ppg, 14 3pters, 50% 3pt, 27 assists
    Abigail Vargas  7.5ppg, 26 assists
    
    No.18 Northwestern College: 8-5   Head Coach: Chris Yaw (7th year)

The Red Raiders had their three-game win streak snapped at the hands of No.2 Concordia last time out, losing to the Bulldogs 84-80 in a GPAC match-up played on Dec. 15. Prior to that, Northwestern earned wins over Briar Cliff, Dordt and College of Saint Mary to match its longest win streak of the season. They are 8-5 this year with all five losses to ranked teams.

By the Numbers: (NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 77ppg 
    Scoring Defense: 67.6ppg 
    Field Goal Percentage: 47% 
    3pt Percentage: 34%, 74 3pters
    Free Throw Percentage: 77%
    Rebound Margin: +4

Top Players:  (NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Kassidy De Jong  18.2ppg, 7.2rpg, 11 3pters, 24 assists
    Darbi Gustafon     16.8ppg, 8.2rpg, 56% FG
    Anna Kiel              15.3ppg, 4rpg, 69% FG
    Renee Maneman  9.2ppg, 3.9rpg, 100 assists (3rd)
    Paige Danner        8.8ppg, 23 3pters, 38% 3pt

Other Notes:

Northwestern has outrebounded its opponent in nine of its 13 games

The Red Raiders have shot better than its opponent in 11 of 13 games

Both De Jong and Gustafson have scored in double figures in every game this season

Gustafson leads the team with four double-doubles; De Jong has two

Maneman ranks second in program history with 608 career assists, closing in on the all-time record of 628 held by Miranda (Boekhout) Riediger 

Maneman has five games with 10+ assists this season, 15 for her career

De Jong ranks 20th all-time in career scoring with 1,286 points