Trent Hilbrands scored a game-high 29 points and Parker Mulder nearly recorded a triple-double in leading Northwestern to an 88-85 win over Hastings on Senior Night held today at the Bultman Center. 

The win ensures a season split against the Broncos and improves Northwestern to 10-8 in the GPAC, 16-11 overall; Hastings drops to 8-10 in league play, 17-11 overall. 

Hilbrands made a career-best seven three-pointers, going 7-for-7 from the arc, en route to a 29-point effort. Craig Sterk scored 17 points and pulled down five boards in his first career start and Parker Muilder added 15 points, eight rebounds and dished out nine assists. 

Tied for the ninth and final time at 80 with 2:38 left to play, Northwestern scored eight of the next 11 points to earn the important win. A lay-up by Isaac Heyer put Northwestern up for good, 82-81 and a pair of free throws by Mulder gave the hosts a three-point lead. Following a jumper by Broncos forward Zach Kitten, Mulder scored on a fade-away in the lane and Chris Borchers added two free throws with 14 seconds to complete the Northwestern scoring. 

Northwestern shot 50% for the game, 13/29 (45%) from the three-point line. The Red Raiders were outrebounded 34-33 and converted 9-of-12 free throws compared to 19/21 by the Broncos. 

Hastings started strong, opening up a 22-13 lead with 13 minutes left in the first half for its largest lead of the game. Northwestern came back with an 11-2 run, capped by a Borchers three-pointer, to tie the game at 24 just past the mid-point of the opening half. The teams traded baskets over the next few minutes until the Red Raiders used a barrage of three-pointers, led by Hilbrands who knocked down six over the final eight-plus minutes, to take a 50-45 halftime advantage.

A basket in the lane by Grant Rohrer gave Northwestern its largest lead, 63-51, with 15:46 left. Hastings rallied with a 12-2 run to narrow the gap to two (65-63) at the 11-minute mark. The game stayed close thereafter as the score was tied five times and the largest lead for either team was four points until the very end. 

Bart Hiscock led Hastings with 25 points, going 10-for-10 from the free throw line. Logan Cale added 17 and both Zack Johnson (16) and Shane Chamberlain (12) were also in double figures. The Broncos shot 47% for  the game, 36% from the three-point line.