Game Time...Northwestern College and Dakota Wesleyan will meet up for the third time this season as they play in a GPAC semifinal this weekend on Saturday, Feb 24 in Orange City. Tip-off is scheduled for 2pm. Northwestern, ranked 10th in this week's NAIA D-II coaches' poll, is 22-7 overall while Dakota Wesleyan brings a 26-5 overall record into Saturday's match-up. Both teams finished GPAC play tied for second with a 16-4 record. 

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

All-Time...Northwestern holds a 38-17 all-time advantage in the season series, dating back to the 1982-83 season. The Red Raiders are 1-4 in the last five match-ups, however, and 4-6 over the last 10 against DWU. 

Earlier This Year...Northwestern split with DWU during the regular season with each team winning on its home floor. The Red Raiders earned a 69-56 win on Jan. 10, behind a 16-point, 10-rebound effort by Darbi Gustafson. Renee Maneman (16pts, 9 assists) and Bre Schuiteman (14pts) also scored in double figures as Coach Yaw's squad shot 49% for the game, 41% (7/17) from beyond the arc. Northwestern held the lead at the end of each quarter and dominated the boards, 37-22, pulling down 12 on the offensive end. DWU shot 46% for the game and from beyond the arc (7/15), led by Ashley Bray with 18 points and her twin sister Amber with 11.

    Jan. 10 Recap | 

The Tigers avenged their loss to Northwestern last week with an 81-60 win at the Corn Palace on Feb. 14. DWU shot 60% in each of the first two quarters and held the Red Raiders to 31% from the field as the hosts raced out to a 38-27 lead. DWU outscored NW in each of the final two quarters as well. led once again by Amber Bray with 21 points and Kynedi Cheeseman with 20. The duo combined for seven three-pointers as the Tigers shot 50% from beyond the arc (12/24). Northwestern shot 37% for the game and made 1-of-18 three-point attempts. Gustafson (18pts) and Maneman (14) led the Red Raiders in scoring. 

    Feb. 14 Recap | 

Scouting Reports...

No.8 Dakota Wesleyan Tigers: 16-4 (T2nd), 26-5 overall    Head Coach: Jason Christensen (8th year)

DWU cruised to a 72-43 home win over No.6 see Midland in Wednesday's GPAC Quarterfinal played in Mitchell, S.D. The Tigers shot better from beyond the arc (50%) than they did from the field (38%) but dominated Midland on the boards, 42-25, and limited the Warriors to 24% shooting for the game. Amber Bray led DWU with 17 points and Ashley Bray scored 13. 

Dakota Wesleyan closed the regular season with a 55-42 road loss to No.2 Concordia, a loss that snapped its 10-game win streak. They have lost just twice since Jan. 1 (to Northwestern and Concordia).

Now in his eighth season as the DWU head coach, Christensen is already the program's winningest and longest tenured head coach. He came to DWU after a successful stint (9 years) as the head coach at Mount Vernon High School. Christensen returns four starters and eight players from a 2016-17 team that finished second in the GPAC at 15-5, 27-7 overall, tied for the third most wins in a single season. They lost to Eastern Oregon in the second round of the NAIA D-II Championship. 

By the Numbers: (GPAC rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 80.6ppg (3rd / 9th)
    Scoring Defense: 57ppg (2nd)
    Field Goal Percentage: 48% (1st / 2nd)
    3pt Percentage: 37% (1st / 10th), 234 3pters (5th) 
    Free Throw Percentage: 78% (1st / 3rd)
    Rebound Margin: +13 (1st / 3rd)

Top Players:  (GPAC rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Ashley Bray (All-American, 3x All-Conf)  14.5ppg (7th), 55% FG (3rd), 48% 3pt (2nd / 7th)
    Amber Bray (2x All-Conference)  14.4ppg (8th), 56% FG, 52% 3pt (1st /1st), 6.7rpg (9th)
    Kynedi Cheeseman 13.7ppg (9th), 57 3pters, 3.7 rpg, 91 assists
    Riley Osthus  (All-Conference)  9.7ppg, 48% FG, 157 assists (2nd / 9th)

#10 Northwestern College: 16-4 (T2nd), 22-7 overall       Head Coach: Chris Yaw (7th year)

Northwestern pulled away in the fourth quarter to defeat Dordt 75-64 in a GPAC quarterfinal played Wednesday night at the Bultman Center. Renee Maneman poured in a career-high 25 points while both Kassidy De Jong (15pts, 15 rebounds) and Darbi Gustafson (13pts, 10 boards) tallied double-doubles. The Red Raiders shot 42% for the game, 33% (5/15) from the three-point line. Northwestern held a big edge on the boards (44-33), nabbing 14 on the offensive glass. Maneman dished out a game-high five assists. 

The Red Raiders' 22 wins in the most since the 2013-14 season and marks the 16th time they have won at least 20+ games. All seven losses this season have come to ranked teams and they are 14-2 since the new year. 

By the Numbers: (GPAC rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 79ppg (4th)
    Scoring Defense: 65.1ppg (4th)
    Field Goal Percentage: 48% (2nd /3rd)
    3pt Percentage: 34% (6th), 183 3pters (8th)
    Free Throw Percentage: 75% (3rd)
    Rebound Margin: +9 (2nd / 8th)

Top Players: (GPAC rank / NAIA rank-if top 10) *returning starter
    *Kassidy De Jong (All-American) 16.8ppg (3rd), 7.9rpg (2nd), 44 assists
     *Darbi Gustafson (All-Conference)  14.8ppg (6th), 7.7rpg (T3rd), 59% (2nd / 9th)
     Anna Kiel (All-Conference)  13.1ppg, 63% FG, 5.7rpg
    *Renee Maneman  (All-Conference) 10.6ppg, 3.7rpg, 246 assists (1st /1st)
     *Haley Birks (All-Conference) 8.3ppg, 4.2rpg, 33 blocks (4th)    
     *Paige Danner  7ppg, 41 3pters, 35% 3pt FG