Jay Small scored a game high 29 points in leading Northwestern College to a 98-87 win over Viterbo in the final game of the Pizza Ranch Classic played tonight at the Bultman Center.

The Red Raiders improve to 9-8 on the season as they head into the 2019 calendar year and into the heart of their conference schedule. 

Small drained a career-best seven three-pointers, five coming during six-minute stretch in early in the second half, to finish one shy of matching his single game career-high. Trent Hilbrands poured in 22 points, scoring 20+ points for the 10th time this season. Craig Sterk scored all 15 of his points in the first half and Parker Mulder turned in his third double-double of the season, scoring 13 points to go wth a career-best 14 assists.

Owning a one-point (30-29) lead, Northwestern closed the half with a 14-4 run to open an 11-point (44-33) halftime lead, the largest of the first half. Both Hilbrands and Small knocked down three-pointers and Sterk scored four during the run. 

Another Small three-pointer and jumper by Mulder put Northwestern in front 49-33 in the opening minutes of the second half. The Red Raiders sustained its double digit lead until a 9-0 Viterbo run put the V-Hawks within six, 73-67, at the seven-minute mark. Back-to-back three-pointers by Hilbrands and one by Steven Kragt put Northwestern back up by 13 (89-76) and capped a decisive 16-9 run with under three minutes left.

Northwestern shot 57% for the game, 47% (17/36) from beyond the arc, and held a 36-28 edge on the glass. 

Noah Frederickson led Viterbo with 18 points, 15 in the first half, and Jake Schroeckenthaler added 17 points, making 8-of-10 field goal attempts. The V-Hawks shot 54% for the game, 46% (10/22) from the three-point line. Viterbo drops to 8-7 on the season.