Game Time... Northwestern faces a stiff road test when they play (RV) Dordt Wednesday night, Jan. 23, in Sioux Center. Tip-off at the DeWitt Gym is scheduled for 8pm. Both teams are 7-6 and tied for fifth in the current GPAC standings. Northwestern is 13-9 overall while the Defenders are 15-8. 

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 is 79-31 all-time against the Defenders, dating back to the 1965-66 season. The Red Raiders have won six straight against Dordt, the longest win streak by either team since Northwestern won 11 consecutive from the 1997-98 - 2002-03 season. 

Last Time...Trent Hilbrands scored a game-high 23 points in leading Northwestern to a 74-69 win over the Defenders in a match-up played at the Bultman Center on Nov. 28. Jay Small and Grant Rohrer added 11 points each and Steven Kragt added nine, going a perfect 4-for-4 from the field. 

Leading by two at the half, Northwestern scored the first 10 points of the second half to open its largest lead of the game (51-37) on back-to-back baskets by Hilbrands. Still up by 14 (58-44), Dordt rallied with a 12-0 run, finished off with a basket by Zach Bussard, and trailed by just two (58-56) with seven minutes left.

The teams traded baskets over the next six minutes and with Northwestern leading by two (67-65), Hilbrands knocked down a three-pointer with 57 seconds left to put his team back up by five. Northwestern made just enough free throws down the stretch to get the five-point win.

Northwestern shot 50% from the field, 35% (7/20) from the three-point line. They struggled from the charity stripe, making just 9-of-18 free throws. 

Bussard and Josh Van Lingen led the Defenders with 14 points each, followed by Chandler Brunsting with 11 points and eight rebounds. Dordt shot 40% from the field, 25% (7/28) from the three-point line, and outrebounded Northwestern 39-36.

Scouting Reports...

(RV) Dordt College: 7-6 (T5th), 15-8      Head Coach: Brian Van Haaften (1st)

Dordt has won two straight and three of its last four heading into Wednesday night's showdown, earning wins over Dakota Wesleyan, Mount Marty and Nebraska Christian while losing to #4 Morningside. They are tied with Northwestern for fifth place in the GPAC with a 7-6 record, 15-8 overall. Since the new year, Dordt is 4-2 and is 3-5 against ranked teams.

Hired last March, Van Haaften is in his first season as the Defenders' head coach, coming to Dordt after a long tenure as the head of the Buena Vista program. Van Haaften earned over 400 wins and posted a 69% win percentage during his tenure (1996-2017) with the Beavers. He inherits a Defenders' squad that returns four starters and 10 players from a 2017-18 team that finished tied with Midland for eighth in the GPAC at 6-12, 12-19 overall.

By the Numbers: (GPAC / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 83.4ppg (6th)
    Scoring Defense: 78.6ppg (4th)
    Field Goal Percentage: 47% (7th)
    3pt Percentage: 37% (6th), 197 3pters (9th)
    Free Throw Percentage: 73% (7th)
    Rebound Margin: +6 (2nd)

Top Players:  (GPAC / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Garrett Franken - 13.2ppg, 25 3pters, 32% 3pt, 7.3rpg (3rd), 15 blocks
    Chad Barkema - 12ppg, 6rpg, 58 assists, 25 blocks (3rd)
    Jesse Jansma - 11.4ppg, 36 3pters, 36% 3pt, 53 assists
    Alec Henrickson (all-conference in 2017) - 11.1ppg, 49 3pters, 41% 3pt
    Josh Van Lingen - 10.7ppg, 25 3pters, 39% 3pt, 24 blocks (5th)

Northwestern Red Raiders: 7-6 (T5th), 13-9        Head Coach: Kris Korver (19th year)

The Red Raiders had their five-game win streak snapped last time out, falling to No.4 Morningside 90-85 last weekend. They are now tied with Dordt for fifth place in the current GPAC standings at 7-6, 13-9 overall, with seven games left in the regular season. Wednesday night's match-up will be the third straight game against a ranked opponent for the Red Raiders. 

The Red Raiders have shot better than their opponent in 15 of the 22 games played

Northwestern has made 10+ three-pointers in 15 of the 22 games played

Korver's squad leads the GPAC in rebounding, 10th in the NAIA; they have outrebounded their opponent in seven consecutive games

Trent Hilbrands has scored in double figures in 20 of 22 games, 11 20+ games

Jay Small has scored in double figures in 20 of 22 games, including 18 straight

Parker Mulder ranks fourth in the GPAC with five double-doubles; has scored 600 points in his career and ranks 25th with 235 career assists

By the Numbers: (GPAC rank, NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 89.4ppg (4th)
    Scoring Defense: 79.7ppg (8th)
    Field Goal Percentage: 51% (2nd / 7th)
    3pt Percentage: 41% (1st / 9th), 250 3pters (3rd / 8th)
    Free Throw Percentage: 76% (2nd)
    Rebound Margin: +9 (1st / 10th)

Top Players:  (GPAC rank; NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Trent Hilbrands - 19ppg (5th), 46 3pters, 40% 3pt, 64 assists 
    Jay Small - 15.2ppg, 69 3pters (2nd), 42% 3pt (8th), 4.3rpg
    Parker Mulder - 10.9ppg, 6.7rpg (5th), 85 assists (2nd)
    Craig Sterk - 10.1ppg, 55% FG, 4.4rpg  
    Steven Kragt - 10ppg, 28 3pters, 45% 3pt