Men's Basketball to Open Season in North Dakota

Raiders to face North Star opponents this weekend

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The (RV) Northwestern College men's basketball team is set to begin the 2022-23 campaign on Friday, as the Red Raiders head north for a pair of games this weekend. The first opponent on the schedule is Valley City State (N.D.) before Northwestern takes on Mayville State (N.D.) on Saturday. Friday's contest is set to tip off at 8:00 PM while Saturday's matchup with Mayville State is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

Live stats can be found at nwcraiders.com, and the stream can be found on our opponents' respective websites, also linked above.

*Please note that the story graphic has been updated to include the correct game dates.

GAME INFORMATION:
Game 1: at Valley City State
DATE: Friday, October 28
TIME: 8:00 PM
LOCATION: Valley City, N.D. | W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse
SERIES RECORD: Northwestern leads 12-3
LAST MEETING: NWC won 85-65 on Oct. 29, 2021
WATCH: vcsuvikings.com
STATS: nwcraiders.com
NWC LINKS: News | Roster | Schedule
VCSU LINKS: News | Roster | Schedule

Game 2: at Mayville State
DATE: Saturday, October 29
TIME: 5:00 PM
LOCATION: Mayville, N.D. | Lewy Lee Fieldhouse
SERIES RECORD: Northwestern leads 4-1
LAST MEETING: NWC won 90-83 on Oct. 30, 2021
WATCH: msucomets.com
STATS: nwcraiders.com
NWC LINKS: News | Roster | Schedule
MSU LINKS: News | Roster | Schedule

LAST TIME OUT:

The Raiders enter the season on the heels of their third consecutive NAIA tournament berth.
Northwestern closed the 2021-22 season with a 91-85 Opening Round loss to Saint Francis (Ind.).
Junior forward Alex Van Kalsbeek (Orange City, Iowa) tallied a career-high 45 points in the loss.

HONOR ROLL:

Van Kalsbeek (3rd) and guard Trent Hilbrands (HM) both received NAIA All-American honors in 2021-22.
Head Coach Kris Korver won his 500th career game in the 2021-22 season in a 98-70 victory over Mount Marty on February 12, 2022.
Korver is currently the seventh winningest coach among active NAIA head coaches.

STARS OF THE SHOW:

Northwestern has won their last six matchups against North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) opponents dating back to 2019, including a 3-0 record in 2021-22.

POLL PARTY:

Northwestern opens the season receiving votes in the NAIA preseason Top-25. The Raiders are among four GPAC teams represented in the poll, with Jamestown at No. 9, Briar Cliff at No. 24, and Concordia (Neb.) receiving votes.
The Red Raiders were picked to finish third in this year's GPAC preseason poll after finishing third in the conference standings a year ago.
Valley City State received a fourth-place pick in the NSAA preseason poll, tallying 40 points.
Mayville State was tabbed at second in the NSAA poll, picking up 49 points and one first-place vote, only behind Bellevue (Neb.), who was picked to win the conference.

SCOUTING THE VIKINGS:

The Vikings finished the 2021-22 season with a record of 18-11, falling in the semifinals of the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Tournament.
Kevin Schramm led the team with 11.9 points per game last season, with Duoth Gach leading returners with 10.0 PPG.
Schramm was the lone all-conference selection for the Vikings last year, earning first team honors.

SCOUTING THE COMETS:

The Comets finished with an overall record of 16-10 last season, placing fourth in their conference.
Thomas Gieske was named to the NSAA First Team for his performance last season.
Sebastian Griffin also earned NSAA Freshman of the Year accolades.
Head coach Darren Tighe has made the NAIA tournament three times in his first four seasons at the helm.

Don't forget to follow Northwestern College Athletics on Facebook @nwcraiders, Twitter @nwcraiders, and Instagram @nwcraiders! #RaidersStandOut

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