Game Time... No.2 Northwestern renews its rivalry against No.14 Dordt Wednesday night, Jan. 23, in Sioux Center. Tip-off at the DeWitt Gym is set for 6pm. Northwestern is currently tied with Concordia for first place in the GPAC with a 13-2 record, 19-2 overall. Dordt is currently in fourth place in the GPAC at 10-5, 17-6 overall. 

Follow the game live via these links:  Live Stats | Listen | Watch

Sioux County Showdown...Wednesday night's game resumes the Sioux County Showdown Series, a point-based athletic and academic competition between the two long-time rivals. More about the series, click here: Sioux County Showdown Series

 








All-Time...Northwestern has won four straight and is 7-3 in the last 10 match-ups against the Defenders. The Red Raiders lead the all-time series 70-20, dating back to the 1976-77 season.

Last Time vs Dordt...A 15-4 third quarter run helped give Northwestern a 91-84 home win over Dordt in a game played at the Bultman Center on Nov. 28. A close game over the first 25+ minutes and tied at 51, Northwestern outscored the Defenders 15-4, capped by a Sammy Blum three-pointer, to take a 71-62 lead. Dordt got as close as five in the final quarter. 

Kassidy De Jong scored 23 of her team-high 28 points in the first half and Blum netted 16 of her 19 points in the second half. Both Haley Birks and Darbi Gustafson scored 16 for the Red Raiders, who shot 44% for the game, 22% (4/18) from the arc. 

Erika Feenstra erupted for a career-high 43 points, missing just five field goal attempts (17/22), and grabbed nine rebounds. Rachel Evavold added 13 points and 10 boards and Annie Rhinesmith scored 15, going 3-for-10 from the three-point line. Both teams pullled down 46 rebounds. 

Scouting Reports...

    No.14 Dordt College: 10-5 (4th), 17-6 overall                        Head Coach: Bill Harmsen (1st year)

One of the seven teams from the GPAC in the NAIA Coaches' poll, Dordt is ranked No.14 and currently sits in fourth place in the conference with a 10-5 record, two games in back of DWU. They are 17-6 overall and have won two straight, defeating Mount Marty and College of Saint Mary last week. Dordt has a win over No.2 Concordia in the first game of the new year (97-92 2OT). 

Harmsen takes over the Defenders' program after a stellar career coaching both girls and boys basketball at Western Christian High School. Harmsen won three state titles in five years with the Wolfpack women's team and then guided Western to the boys title in his first year (2017). He inherits a Dordt team that returns all five starters and 10 players from a 2017-18 team that finished seventh in the GPAC with an 8-12 record, 14-17 overall. 

By the Numbers: (GPAC / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 84.2ppg (3rd / 5th)
    Scoring Defense: 70.8ppg (9th)
    Field Goal Percentage: 45% (3rd / 8th)
    3pt Percentage: 30% (9th), 158 3pters (8th)
    Free Throw Percentage: 69% (8th)
    Rebound Margin: +10 (2nd / 6th)

Top Players:  (GPAC / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Erika Feenstra (All-Conference)  23.0ppg (1st / 1st), 61% FG (1st / 4th), 7.9rpg (3rd)
    Annie Rhinesmith (All-Conference)  12.9ppg, 40 3pters, 33% 3pt, 112 assists (3rd / 8th)
    Rachel Evavold (All-Conference) - 12.3ppg, 53% FG, 7.1rpg (5th), 30 blocks (4th)
    Payton Harmsen - 8.1ppg, 49 3pters (5th), 31% 3pt

    No. 2 Northwestern College: 13-2 (T1st), 19-2 overall        Head Coach: Chris Yaw (8th year)

The Red Raiders have won four straight games, two against teams ranked in the top 10 (#1 DWU / #9 Morningside). They are tied with Concordia for first place in the current GPAC standings at 13-2, 19-2 overall. One more win will give the Red Raiders their third straight and 17th overall 20+ win season, six under Coach Yaw. 

Northwestern is second in the GPAC and ranks fourth in the NAIA in points per game (87.8)

The Red Raiders are first in the nation in field goal percentage (49%) and rebound margin (+13); they are second in three-point percentage (39%)

Northwestern has outrebounded their opponent in 12 straight and 18 of 21 games played

Kassidy De Jong has scored in double figures in all but one game (20/21) and is the 8th player in program history to score 2,000pts

Both Darbi Gustafson (17th) and Haley Birks (22nd) rank among the top 25 in career scoring with 1,377 and 1,208 points, respectively

Sammy Blum ranks third in the GPAC with 55 three-pointers and leads the NAIA in three-point percentage (50%); the sophomore has made a three-pointer in all but two games

Gustafson leads the GPAC with nine double-doubles; De Jong is third with six

By the Numbers: (GPAC rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 87.6ppg (2nd / 4th)
    Scoring Defense: 63ppg (2nd)
    Field Goal Percentage: 49% (1st / 1st)
    3pt Percentage: 39% (1st / 2nd), 171 3pters (5th)
    Free Throw Percentage: 76% (2nd)
    Rebound Margin: +13 (1st / 1st)

Top Players: (GPAC rank / NAIA rank-if top 10) *returning starter
     *Kassidy De Jong (2x All-American) 18.2ppg (2nd), 46 3pters (7th), 8rpg (2nd)
     *Darbi Gustafson (All-Conference) 16.4ppg (6th), 55% (4th), 8.2rpg (1st), 24 blocks (7th)    
     *Haley Birks (All-Conference) 13.2ppg, 84 FT % (4th), 3.8rpg
     Sammy Blum - 11.2ppg, 55 3pters (3rd), 50% 3pt (1st / 1st), 82 assists (5th)