Game Time...11th-ranked Northwestern is set to make its 2019-20 season debut this weekend at the Troll Classic, a two-day Invitational hosted by Trinity Christian in Palos Heights, Ill. Northwestern will play Rochester (Mich.) on Friday, Nov. 1 at 5:30pm followed by a Saturday afternoon game against the hosts, Trinity Christian, at 3pm. 

    Follow all of the games live, via the Trinity Christian webcast, at this link: Watch Now!

All-Time...This will be the first ever game between Northwestern and Rochester. The Red Raiders are 5-0 all-time against Trinity Christian, including a 94-45 win over the Trolls last year.

    vs Trinity Christian (5-0)
    2018-19: 94-45 win
    2009-10: 99-64
    2008-09: 87-45
    1990-91: 82-50
    1982-83: 73-66

Scouting Reports...

    Rochester University Warriors: 1-2                Head Coach: Brent Wichtner (5th year)

The Warriors are 1-2 so far this season, earning a 97-73 home win over St.Clair College in their season opener. Losses to the University of Saint Francis (Ind.) and Thomas More (Ky.) followed in games played last weekend on a neutral floor. 

Members of the 11-team Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC), Rochester was picked fifth in the preseason poll. Wichtner, in his fifth season as the head of the Warriors program, returns two starters and seven players from a 2018-19 team that placed sixth in the conference regular season with a 12-8 record, 19-13 overall. They lost in the conference semifinals and bring back two of their top three scorers. 

    By the Numbers: (NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 69.7ppg 
    Scoring Defense: 76.3ppg
    Field Goal Percentage: 44% 
    3pt Percentage: 36%, 22 3pters (10th)
    Free Throw Percentage: 86% (4th)
    Rebound Margin: +2

    Top Players:  (NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Devan Valko (All-Conference) - 15.3ppg, 9 3pters (4th), 4.3rpg, 7 steals (7th)
    Lexey Tobel - 12.3ppg, 4 3pters, 6.3rpg, 12 assists (6th)
    Delaney Bolles - 10ppg, 69% FG, 4rpg
    Brooke Fiedler - 9.3ppg, 63% FG, 4rpg

    Trinity Christian Trolls: 1-1             Head Coach: Bill DeRuiter (4th year)

Trinity Christian defeated Holy Family (Wis.) earlier this week to even its record to 1-1 in this 2019-20 season. They lost to Grace (Mich.) 67-66 in double overtime last week. TCC is a member of 14-team, Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference, and returns two starters from a 2018-19 team that went 1-19 in conference play, 3-27 overall. 

DeRuiter is in his fourth season as the Trolls head coach and spent one year as an assistant (2015-16). He led Trinity Christian to a 16-16 overall record in his first season (2016-17), the most wins in a season in 10 years.

    By the Numbers: (NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 70ppg 
    Scoring Defense: 55.5ppg
    Field Goal Percentage: 42% 
    3pt Percentage: 35%, 21 3pters 
    Free Throw Percentage: 64% 
    Rebound Margin: +8

    Top Players:  (NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Jasmine Glover - 10ppg, 7rpg, 47% FG
    Breanna Toppen - 9.5ppg, 3.5rpg, 6 assists
    Abby Coates - 9ppg, 7.5rpg
    Anne Peters - 7.5ppg
    Laila Rodriguez - 7.5ppg

No.11 Northwestern College Red Raiders: 0-0                Head Coach: Chris Yaw (9th year)

The Red Raiders finished the 2018-19 season with a 29-5 record and No.4 ranking. They lost to Concordia in the national semifinals, 82-79, a setback that ended the four-year careers for three outstanding seniors, Kassidy De Jong, Darbi Gustafson and Haley Birks. Northwestern finished as the co-champion of the regular season, with Concordia, at 19-3. 

Yaw returns for his ninth season as the head of the Red Raider women's basketball program and 16th overall season as a coach within the program.Yaw holds a 189-72 record as head coach at NWC, reaching the NAIA D-II National Championship tournament six times, winning the title once and making it to the semi's three times. He returns two starters and nine players from last year's squad. Northwestern was picked fourth in the GPAC preseason poll and is one of six teams from the GPAC recognized in the NAIA preseason poll.

Returners (2018-19 stats)
Sammy Blum - 11.1ppg, 86 3pters, 47% 3pt, 3rpg, 121 assists
Anna Wedel - 10ppg, 66% FG, 5.4rpg
Bre Schuiteman - 7ppg, 49 3pters, 35% 3pt, 3.3rpg
Alexis Toering - 5ppg, 3.7rpg
Taylor VanderVelde - 4.7ppg, 2rpg
Jada Cunningham - 4.6ppg, 2rpg, 96 assists
Devyn Kemble - 1.5ppg, 7 3pters