Game Time...Second-ranked Northwestern concludes its regular season with a road game against Midland (Neb.) this weekend in Fremont, Neb. Tip-off on Saturday, Feb. 16 is scheduled for 2pm. Northwestern is tied with Concordia for first place in the GPAC with an 18-3 record, 24-3 overall. Midland is currently in seventh place with a 10-11 league record, 15-12 overall. 

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

Listen to the game live via Sioux County radio at this link: Listen Now!

All-Time...Northwestern leads the all-time series 40-14, dating back to the first ever match-up during the 1977-78 season. The Red Raiders have won six straight against Midland and are 9-1 over the last 10 match-ups. 

Earlier This Year...Darbi Gustafson scored a career-best 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in leading Northwestern to a 95-71 home win over then No. 25 Midland in a match-up played Dec. 8.

Gustafson missed just five shots, going 12/17 from the field, giving the senior 29 points, one of five Red Raiders to score in double figures. Kassidy De Jong added 16 points, Haley Birks and Bre Schuiteman both netted 14 and Jada Cunningham scored 10 to go with four assists. 

Baskets by Gustafson and two free throws by Sammy Blum put the Red Raiders up 6-0 from the start as the hosts opened up a 27-13 lead by the end of the first quarter. Schuiteman knocked down the second of her four three-pointers to put Northwestern up 19 (38-19) midway through the second quarter and teams traded baskets for the final five minutes, ending with a 50-31 Red Raider lead at half.

Consecutive three-point plays by Makenna Sullivan made it a 15-point game at the start of the second half but Northwestern came back with a 16-6 run, extending its lead to 68-43 after a three-pointer by Kassidy De Jong with 5:23 left in the third quarter. Schuiteman's final three-pointer put Coach Yaw's squad in front 77-50 by quarters end, matching the largest lead of the game. 

Midland shot 36% for the game, 24% (5/21) from the arc. Three players, Sullivan, Amanda Hansen and Maddie Egr, all scored 14 points to lead the Warriors.

Midland Warriors: 10-11 (7th), 15-12                Head Coach: Shawn Gilbert (6th year)

With one game left in the regular season, Midland is in seventh place in the GPAC with a 10-11 record, one game in back of Morningside. The Warriors have a two-game lead over the eighth place team so can do no worse than the No.7 seed heading into postseason play. Midland lost to Hastings last time out, 69-52, and are 2-3 over their last five games. They have wins over Dordt and Jamestown and other losses to Briar Cliff and Morningside. 

Gilbert, a former assistant at the University of Nebraska, is in his sixth season as the head of the Warriors program. He also spent time as the head coach at Mount Mercy for six years, leading teams to the NAIA D-II Championship several times. Gilbert returns three starters and 10 players from a 2017-18 team that finished sixth in the GPAC with a 9-11 record, 14-17 overall.

By the Numbers: (GPAC / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 69.7ppg (7th)
    Scoring Defense: 68.7ppg (5th)
    Field Goal Percentage: 39% (9th)
    3pt Percentage: 28% (12th), 182 3pters (8th)
    Free Throw Percentage: 74% (4th)
    Rebound Margin: +2 (4th)

Top Players:  (GPAC / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Maddie Egr (All-Conference)  14.7ppg (8th), 49% FG (6th), 7.7rpg (4th) 35 blocks (3rd)
    Amanda Hansen (2x All-Conference)  11.7ppg, 2.9rpg, 52 steals (10th)
    Lexis Haase  9.1ppg, 27 3pters, 3.9rpg
    Madison Severson  6.1ppg, 27 3pters, 60 assists

No.2 Northwestern College:  18-3 (T1st), 24-3        Head Coach: Chris Yaw (8th year)

The Red Raiders continue to be tied with Concordia for the top spot in the GPAC with an 18-3 record heading into the final weekend of the regular season. The Bulldogs are also on the road, taking on Mount Marty in Yankton, S.D. If the teams remain tied after today, the teams will share the regular season title with Concordia most likely the top seed heading into the GPAC Tournament by way of tie-break. Northwestern is 24-3 overall and has won four straight, earning wins over Concordia, Briar Cliff, Hastings and Jamestown.

Northwestern ranks among the NAIA's best in several stats, including field goal percentage (1st), rebounding (1st), scoring offense (86.4) and three-point percentage (38%).

The Red Raiders have outrebounded their opponent in all but six games

Northwestern has shot better than its opponent in all but three games

Both Kassidy De Jong and Darbi Gustafson are tied for the GPAC lead with 10 double-doubles

By the Numbers: (GPAC / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 86.4ppg (2nd / 4th)
    Scoring Defense: 63.9ppg (2nd)
    Field Goal Percentage: 49% (1st / 1st)
    3pt Percentage: 38% (1st / 4th), 214 3pters (5th)
    Free Throw Percentage: 76% (2nd / 10th)
    Rebound Margin: +12 (1st / 1st)

Top Players:  (GPAC / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Kassidy De Jong (3x All-American)  18.3ppg (3rd), 49% FG (8th), 58 3pters (8th), 8.2rpg (1st)
    Darbi Gustafson (2x All-Conference)  15.7ppg (7th), 54% FG (4th), 8rpg (2nd)
    Haley Birks (3x All-Conference)  13.1ppg, 88% FT (3rd /7th), 3.7rpg
    Sammy Blum - 10.7ppg, 67 3pters (3rd), 46% 3pt % (1st / 2nd) 98 assists (7th)