Trent Hilbrands and Jay Small combined for 53 points in the Red Raiders 94-90 loss to (RV) Friends University in the final game on the first day of the Pizza Ranch Classic played tonight at the Bultman Center. 

Northwestern has dropped two straight and moves to 8-8 on the season. The Falcons improve to 9-4 with their fifth consecutive win.

Hilbrands led the Red Raiders with 27 points, 21 in the second half, and Small contributed 26 points, going 5-of-11 from the three-point line. Parker Mulder accounted for 14 points and a team-high six rebounds and five assists. 

A three-point by Small followed by a basket by Grant Rohrer completed a 12-3 Northwestern run to give the hosts its largest lead, 22-13, with 12:41 left in the first half. Friends came back with a 12-3 run of its own and tied game at 25 after a field goal by James Conley. Steven Kragt knocked down a three-pointer on the next possession, giving the Red Raiders their final lead (28-25) but the Falcons then scored the next 10 points, the final six coming on three-pointers by Jordan Murdock and Zion Fralin. Friends held a 46-41 advantage at the break.

The Falcons pushed their lead to as many as 11 at three different times early in the second half, the final coming after a basket by Fralin with 13:06 left. Northwestern rallied, outscoring Friends 12-3 over a four-minute span to make it a one possession game, 65-63. 

Friends came back with a 9-2 run, extending their lead back to nine, after a three-pointer by Atir Cherne. Northwestern made one last surge, cutting the lead down to three, both at the six and four-minute mark but the Falcons iced game from the free throw line, making 12/14 attempts over the final 2:30.

Both teams shot better than 50% for the game and in each half; Northwestern 52% for the game and Friends 53%. The Falcons had the edge from the three-point line (48% - 35%) while the Red Raiders won the battle of the boards, 34-30. 

Murdock led all players with 38 points, nine points above his season average, and pulled down nine boards. Both Conley and Cherne scored 15 points each and Luke Evans added 11.

Kragt was also in double figures for Coach Korver's squad, scoring nine of his 11 points in the first half.