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Northwestern College
HOME OF NORTHWESTERN RED RAIDERS ATHLETICS
HONORING CHRIST THROUGH EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS
Nike
mbb-recap-briarcliff-230119
89
Northwestern NWC 14-5 (7-4)
100
Winner Briar Cliff Chargers BCU 10-9 (4-8)
Northwestern NWC
14-5 (7-4)
89
Final
100
Briar Cliff Chargers BCU
10-9 (4-8)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Northwestern NWC 39 50 89
Briar Cliff Chargers BCU 50 50 100

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | NWC Athletic Communications

Three Pointers Doom Raiders at Briar Cliff

Northwestern's seven-game winning streak snapped

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – It was a valiant comeback attempt for the (RV) Northwestern men's basketball team (14-5, 7-4 GPAC), but Briar Cliff (10-9, 4-8 GPAC) kept their postseason hopes within reach with a 100-89 win over the Red Raiders on Thursday. Craig Sterk hit a season-high 30 points to go with nine rebounds to lead all players in both categories.

"Our guys really competed tonight, especially in the first ten minutes of the second half," said head coach Kris Korver. "But if you put your foot in the trap, you can't get it out all the time. You have to tip your cap to Briar Cliff."

After a slow start through the first few minutes, Briar Cliff hit a pair of threes to take an early 8-2 lead, just the start of a half that saw the Chargers make nine shots from beyond the arc. Finding themselves trailing early on, the Raiders got a basket from Sterk (Jr., McBain, Mich.) to make it a two-point game with 13 minutes until halftime.

Later in the half, Briar Cliff pulled ahead by as many as 17 points on a Nick Hoyt three to make the score 43-26 with 3:35 on the clock. With a minute remaining, Sterk hit a three on a Dillon Carlson (Sr., Ankeny, Iowa) assist to bring the deficit back to single-digits at 48-39.

Trailing 50-39 at halftime, Northwestern went on a 14-2 run that was capped off by a basket from Keyton Moser (Jr., Hull, Iowa) in the paint to make it 55-54, giving Northwestern their first lead of the game.

However, from the 10-minute mark through the final buzzer, the Chargers quickly regained their advantage, hitting a trio of threes to force a Raider timeout with the score 66-58. It was all Briar Cliff from that point on, as they went ahead by as many as 14 points, sinking all but one of their second-half free throws on their way to the win.

"I thought Craig brought a great game and that his effort was really high," Korver commented. "When we had the lead, we needed to get a couple more stops. We never could create that cushion and they found the three-point line again."

Northwestern falls to 14-5 overall and 7-4 in conference play as they get set to welcome Concordia to Orange City on Saturday.

GAME NOTES
  • Craig Sterk scored a season-high 30 points, the first 30-point game for a Raider since Alex Van Kalsbeek (Jr., Sheldon, Iowa) in March of 2022.
  • Dillon Carlson notched another 20-point game, scoring 24 tonight.
  • Northwestern took the lead in the second half after trailing by 17 points, the fifth time this season that they have erased a 15+-point deficit. They are now 3-2 in 15+-point comeback attempts.
  • Briar Cliff made 15 threes at a 60 percent clip.
  • The Raiders won the rebounding battle 29-21.
  • Four Red Raiders scored in double-figures (Sterk, Carlson, DeMeulenaere, and Onken).
Up Next: The Raiders will return home to face the Concordia (Neb.) Bulldogs on Saturday, January 21. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. in the Bultman Center.
Don't forget to follow Northwestern College Athletics on Facebook @nwcraiders, Twitter @nwcraiders, and Instagram @nwcraiders! #RaidersStandOut
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