Game Time...10th-ranked Northwestern College concludes its regular season with a road game at Doane this weekend in Crete, Neb. Tip-off on Saturday, Feb. 16 is scheduled for 4pm. Northwestern is in third place in the GPAC standings with a 12-5 record, 22-5 overall, and Doane currently sits in seventh place in the conference at 7-10, 13-16 overall. 

Follow the game live via the Doane webcast at this link:   Video  | Live Stats

All-Time...Since the first ever match-up between the two teams during the 1965-66 season, Northwestern holds a 40-13 all-time advantage in the series. The Red Raiders are 4-1 in the last five meetings, 7-3 over the last 10, including a 97-57 home win against Doane on Nov. 18. 

Last Time vs Doane...Nathan Wedel poured in 27 points in leading then-No.5 Northwestern College to a 97-57 win over Doane in the Red Raiders GPAC opener played at the Bultman Center on Nov. 18

Wedel was nearly perfect against the Tigers, going 10-for-11 from the field and 6-for-6 from the free throw line, in netting a game-high 27 points. Riley Francis missed a double-double by just one rebound, adding 15 points and nine boards, and Derek Buysse came off the bench to score 14 points, going 3-for-7 from the three-point line.

Key Plays...
Northwestern opened with a 10-0 run and led 14-2 after a basket by Spencer Pauley. 

Doane made it a six-point game (16-10) and was within eight (22-14); a Wedel three-pointer sparked an 11-0 Northwestern run, pushing the lead to 33-14 at the 3-minute mark. 

Another Red Raider surge extended their lead to 47-20 after a jumper by Colton Kooima and two free throws by Parker Mulder; Doane scored the final basket of the half on a three-pointer by Chase Stone, making the score 47-23 at the break.

A 23-9 Northwestern run at the start of the second half put the game out of reach as the hosts eventually led by as much as 45 (86-41) with five minutes left.

Red Raiders had the advantage in three-point shooting (37% - 19%); Northwestern made seven from beyond the arc

Northwestern had a 44-34 edge on the boards; Francis with a season high nine, Colton Kooima with season-high eight, Wedel with seven, Spencer Pauley with six

Red Raiders totaled 23 assists, four by Kooima, three for Parker Mulder

Doane was led by Anthony Laravie with 13 points; 12 for Nick Kornieck

Scouting Reports...

    Doane University: 7-10 (7th place GPAC), 13-16 overall     Head Coach: Ian McKeithan (3rd)

With a win against NWC on Saturday coupled with a Concordia loss to DWU, Doane could finish tied for sixth place in the final regular season standings. Currently, the Tigers are in seventh place at 7-10, one game in back of Concordia and 1.5 games up on eighth place Midland, who has completed GPAC play. Doane has lost two straight coming into the weekend, falling to Nebraska Christian and Concordia (71-56). 

McKeithan returns for his third season as the head of the men's basketball program and brings back two starters and three players from a 2016-17 team that finished ninth in the GPAC with a 4-14 record, 13-17 overall. Doane is the top shot-blocking team in the GPAC, third best in the NAIA, with 130.

By the Numbers: (Conf. Rank / NAIA Rank-if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 75.4ppg (9th)
    Scoring Defense: 78.8ppg (7th)
    Field Goal Percentage: 46% (9th)
    3pt Percentage: 38% (3rd), 251 3pters 
    Free Throw Percentage: 70% (7th)
    Rebound Margin: +1 (6th)

Top Players:  (Conf. Rank / NAIA Rank-if top 10) * returning starter
    Nick Kornieck-17.3ppg (8th), 5.1rpg, 68 3pters (8th), 45 blocks (1st)
    Anthony Laravie-12.9ppg, 3.5rpg, 64 3pters (10th)
    *Rylee Zimmerman-12.3ppg, 5.4rpg
    Trace Tupper-8ppg, 4.8rpg, 38 blocks (2nd)
    Chase Stone-7.3ppg, 54 3pters, 48% 3pt (2nd / 10th)
   
T10th Northwestern College: 12-5 (3rd), 22-5    Head Coach: Kris Korver (18th year)

With its loss at DWU on Wednesday night, Northwestern solidified its spot as the No.3 seed in the upcoming GPAC postseason tournament next week. The Red Raiders will finish third in the regular season, currently holding a 12-5 record in GPAC play with Saturday's match-up against Doane remaining. They are 22-5 overall. 

By the Numbers: (GPAC rank / NAIA-if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 91.8ppg (1st / 4th)
    Scoring Defense: 80ppg (9th)
    Field Goal Percentage: 51% (3rd / 6th)
    3pt Percentage: 39% (2nd); 271 3pters (3rd) 
    Free Throw Percentage: 83% (1st / 1st) 
    Rebound Margin: +6 (2nd)

Top Players:
    Colton Kooima-All-American, 3x All-GPAC; 21.2ppg (1st), 70 3pters (6th), 92 assists (8th)
    Nathan Wedel-3x All-Conference; 20.9ppg (2nd), 6.3rpg (7th), 59% FG (4th), 105 assists (5th)     
    Derek Buysse-All-Conference; 15.2ppg, 79 3pters (2nd), 5.1rpg
    Riley Francis-All-Conference; 12.2ppg, 6.2rpg (9th), 38 3pters