Game Time... Conference tournament play begins Wednesday night for the Red Raider women's basketball team as they play at No.9 Morningside for a GPAC Quarterfinal. Tip-off at the Rosen Verdoorn Gym is set for 6pm. Northwestern finished the regular season in sixth place with a 12-10 record, 17-10 overall, and received votes in the NAIA Coaches' poll. Morningside, ranked ninth in last week's poll, closed the regular season in third place in the GPAC with a 16-6 record, 22-8 overall. 

    GPAC Tournament Release | 

Follow the game live via the following options:

        Live Stats | Video  | KSOU audio

All-Time...Wednesday night's game will be the 83rd meeting all-time between the two rivals. Northwestern trails the all-time series 33-49, dating back to the 1976-77 season, and dropped both games during the regular season. The Red Raiders are 3-2 in the last five and 5-5 in the last 10 against Morningside.

    Last Five Games vs Morningside:
    2019-20: 78-68 loss
    2019-20: 76-66 loss
    2018-19: 91-66 win
    2018-19: 82-53 win
    2017-18: 83-60 win

Earlier This Season... 

    Feb. 22 - Northwestern was outscored 23-13 in the fourth quarter in its 78-68 loss to No.9 Morningside in the final game of the regular season for both teams played last weekend. 

Tied 55-55 at the end of the third quarter, a three-point play by Taylor VanderVelde put Northwestern in front for the final time, 59-58, at the nine-minute mark. Morningside then converted three straight three-pointers, two from Sierra Mitchell who leads the GPAC in three-pointers made, to give the Mustangs a 67-59 advantage. 

Emilee Danner came back with a three-pointer, cutting the deficit to five, but another Mitchell three-pointer, her third and final of the game, put Morningside back up eight, 70-62. Consecutive baskets by Alexis Toering sliced the Mustangs' lead down to six at the two minute mark, the closest Northwestern would get the rest of the way.

Sammy Blum led Northwestern with 26 points, making 6-of-10 three-pointers, and joined Toering (11 points, 8 rebounds) in double figures. Devyn Kemble and Jada Cunningham contributed eight points each. Northwestern shot 38% from the field, 46% (10/22) from the arc. 

    Complete Recap | 

Jan. 11 - Northwestern lost to #7 Morningside 76-66, in a conference match-up played Jan.11 in Sioux City, Iowa. 

Devyn Kemble led Northwestern with 15 points, making 3-of-5 three-point attempts. Both Bre Schuiteman and Alexis Toering scored 12 points, giving Head Coach Chris Yaw three players in double figures. Toering filled up the stat sheet with a team-high seven rebounds, four assists, four blocks and four steals. 

    Complete Recap | 

Scouting Reports...

    No.9 Morningside Mustangs: 16-6 (3rd), 22-8                Head Coach: Jamie Sale (19th year)
The Mustangs are on a three-game win streak heading into Wednesday night's quarterfinal, defeating Jamestown, College of Saint Mary and Northwestern in the last two weeks. They are the No.3 seed in the GPAC Tournament and are ranked ninth in the current NAIA Coaches' poll with a 22-8 overall record.

Sale returns three starters and nine players from a 2018-19 team that finished sixth in the GPAC regular season with an 11-11 record, 19-13 overall. They lost to Antelope Valley in the first round of the NAIA D-II National Tournament and were picked sixth in the conference preseason poll. 

By the Numbers: (GPAC rank / NAIA rank if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 83ppg (2nd / 9th)
    Scoring Defense: 67.7ppg (6th)
    Field Goal Percentage: 43% (6th)
    3pt Percentage: 35% (2nd), 322 3pters (1st / 4th)
    Free Throw Percentage: 76% (4th)
    Rebound Margin: +4 (3rd)

    Top Players:  
    Sierra Mitchell (All-American) - 16.9ppg (3rd), 106 3pters (1st/3rd), 39% 3pt (1st), 66 assists
    Sophia Peppers - 14.5ppg (7th), 52% FG (2nd), 5.8rpg
    Sydney Hupp (2x All-Conf) - 14.2ppg (10th), 49% FG (6th), 7.1rpg (3rd), 46 blocks (2nd)
    Taylor Rodenburgh - 9.9ppg, 33 3pters, 6.3rpg (8th)

   (RV) Northwestern College: 12-10 (6th), 17-10 overall        Head Coach: Chris Yaw (9th year)

The Red Raiders had their five-game win streak snapped last weekend, losing to Morningside 78-68 in the final game of the regular season for both teams. They finished sixth in the GPAC with a 12-10 record, one game in back of fifth place Dakota Wesleyan and three games ahead of Jamestown.

    By the Numbers: (GPAC rank / NAIA rank if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 80.2ppg (4th)
    Scoring Defense: 67.9ppg (7th)
    Field Goal Percentage: 44% (5th)
    3pt Percentage: 37% (1st / 6th), 261 3pters (3rd)
    Free Throw Percentage: 79% (2nd / 3rd)
    Rebound Margin: +3 (5th)

    Top Players:  
    Sammy Blum (All-Conf) - 15.7ppg (6th), 69 3pters (3rd), 82 assists (8th)
    Alexis Toering - 11.1ppg, 7.7rpg (1st), 60 steals (8th)
    Devyn Kemble - 10.7ppg, 44 3pters, 36% 3pt (4th)
    Bre Schuiteman - 9.9ppg, 57 3pters (7th), 37% 3pt (3rd)
    Taylor VanderVelde - 7.6ppg, 5.3rpg, 89 assists (6th)