Game Time... Fifth-ranked Northwestern heads to Hastings, Neb. for a match-up against the Broncos this weekend in GPAC play. Tip-off on Saturday, Dec. 15, is scheduled for 2pm. Northwestern has won eight straight games and is tied for second in the current GPAC standings with a 7-1 record, 11-1 overall. Hastings, ranked 15th in the last NAIA Coaches' poll, is tied with Dordt for fifth in the GPAC with a 5-3 record, 9-4 overall. 

Follow the game live via the NWC webcast at this link: Watch Now!

All-Time...Northwestern is 4-1 in the last five games against Hastings, winning both games last year; 70-63 and 68-53. The Red Raiders are 6-4 over the last 10 and are 26-32 all-time against the Broncos. 

Scouting Reports...

    #15 Hastings Broncos: 5-3 (T5th), 9-4 overall            Head Coach: Jina Douglas (4th year)

Since a 3-3 start to the season, Hastings has won six of its last seven games and sports a 9-4 overall record heading into the weekend. They lost to Dordt (85-66) last time out (Dec. 8) but had won six straight prior, including victories over ranked teams, Bellevue, Midland and Morningside. 

Douglas is in her fourth season as the head of the Broncos' program, joining the staff after a successful stint as head coach at the University of Dallas. She returns two starters and nine players from a 2017-18 team that went 15-5 in the GPAC, 26-7 overall, and lost to St. Xavier (Ill.) in the quarterfinals of the NAIA D-II Championship.

By the Numbers:  (GPAC rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 74.4ppg (6th)
    Scoring Defense: 65.6 (4th)
    Field Goal Percentage: 43% (6th)
    3pt Percentage: 32% (7th), 77 3pters (11th)
    Free Throw Percentage: 73% (3rd)
    Rebound Margin: +5 (4th)
    
Top Players:  (GPAC rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
Shandra Farmer (2x All-Conference)  16.3ppg, 21 3pters, 44% 3pt (4th), 30 assists
Mackenzie Willicott (2x All-Conference)  11.7ppg, 55% FG, 5.5rpg, 10 blocks
Emma Grenfell 9.3ppg, 10 3pters, 39 assists
Kennedy Sander  8.4ppg, 4.9rpg, 59% FG

    No.5 Northwestern College Red Raiders: 7-1 (T2nd), 11-1 overall        Head Coach: Chris Yaw (8th year)

Since its only loss on the road against then-No.2 Dakota Wesleyan (76-73) on Nov.7, Northwestern has won eight straight games, five against teams recognized in the NAIA D-II Coaches' poll. They are tied with Concordia for second in the current standings, owning a 7-1 league record nearing the halfway point of the conference slate. 

The Red Raiders are one of the top scoring teams in the NAIA, ranking third at 89 points per game. They also lead the NAIA in field goal percentage and have shot better than their opponent in 10 of the 12 games played. 

Northwestern has outrebounded its opponent in all but three games (DWU, MMC and Dordt) and is the top rebounding team in the GPAC

Darbi Gustafson and Kassidy De Jong have scored in double figures in every game this season and rank second and third, respectively, in the GPAC in points per game

Gustafson is tied for the GPAC lead with six double-doubles

De Jong (8th), Gustafson (21st) and Birks (27th) have all scored over 1,000 points and rank among the top 30 all-time in scoring

De Jong is seventh all-time with 783 rebounds; Gustafson is 15th (716), Birks is 35th (476)

By the Numbers: (GPAC / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 89ppg (1st / 3rd)
    Scoring Defense: 67.7ppg (6th)
    Field Goal Percentage: 49% (1st / 1st)
    3pt Percentage: 38% (1st / 5th), 96 3pters (4th)
    Free Throw Percentage: 79% (2nd / 7th)
    Rebound Margin: +12 (1st / 8th)

Top Players:  (GPAC / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Darbi Gustafson (2x All-Conference) 20.1ppg (2nd / 6th), 59% FG (4th), 8.8rpg (1st)
    Kassidy De Jong (3x All-American) 19.3ppg (3rd), 50% FG (9th), 29 3pters (T5th), 7.8rpg (3rd)
    Haley Birks (3x All-Conference)  15.2ppg, 88% FT (2nd), 4rpg
    Sammy Blum - 10.3ppg, 29 3pters (T5th), 43 assists (8th)
    Breana Schuiteman - 7.8ppg, 18 3pters, 37% 3pt (10th)