Northwestern College closed regular season play with a thrilling 105-99 overtime win over Midland in GPAC play this afternoon in Fremont, Neb.

The win puts Northwestern as the No.5 seed in the upcoming GPAC postseason tournament, finishing alone in fifth place with an 11-9 record, 17-12 overall. Midland's season ends with a 10-19 record, 5-15 in conference play.

Both Craig Sterk and Isaac Heyer scored a career-high 25 points and the duo combined to go 7-for-11 from the three-point line. Jay Small netted 19 points, draining five three-pointers, and Parker Mulder contributed 12 points, six boards and five assists. 

For the second straight game, Northwestern fell behind big early as the host Warriors came out with a 13-2 run in the opening two-plus minutes. Following a timeout, Head Coach Kris Korver's team responded with an 11-2 run, led by Sterk (8pts) and Heyer (3pts), to get within two. Midland gradually built its lead back up to nine (25-16) after a three-point play by leading scorer Bryce Parsons and the teams played relatively even over the final eight minutes with the hosts holding onto a 47-41 advantage at the break. 

Northwestern scored the first seven points of the second half, grabbing its first lead on another Heyer three-pointer, 48-47. Tied at 54 on two free throws by Grant DeMeulenaere with 14 minutes to go, the teams traded baskets over a six-minute stretch that totaled five ties and four lead changes, leading to a tie at 66 at the eight minute mark. 

A Midland surge gave the hosts a 77-71 lead after four straight free throws by Parsons and two more free throws by Parsons put his team still up five (83-78) with 1:57 left. Small knocked down a long three-pointer on the Red Raiders next possession, cutting the lead down to two, and both teams came up empty on their next possessions, forcing Northwestern to foul wth 30 seconds left. Tyler Craven converted both free throws but another Small three-pointer followed to make it a one-point game, 85-84, with 21 seconds left. 

Northwestern fouled Craven again and the guard made two free throws, giving Midland another three-point lead, 87-84, and now with just 18 seconds to go. The Red Raiders, however, calmly found Sterk, who knocked down a corner from the left wing to send the game into overtime, 87-87.

Tied at 92 in overtime, Heyer knocked down his final three-pointer to put his team on top for good, 95-92. Northwestern went 6-for-6 from the free throw line down the stretch, all shot by Heyer and Sterk, to clinch the road win.

Northwestern shot 49% for the game, 41% (14/34) from the three-point line. They committed only six turnovers and held a 36-26 edge on the glass, led by Sterk with nine.

Craven led Midland with 25 points, followed closely by Parsons with 24. Reggie Gradwell added 17 points for the Warriors ,who shot 52% for the game. 

Both teams attempted 21 free throws; Northwestern making 17 and Midland one better with 18.