Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Northwestern College Athletics

Northwestern College
HOME OF NORTHWESTERN RED RAIDERS ATHLETICS
HONORING CHRIST THROUGH EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS
Nike
mbb-recap-westcliff-231216
61
Winner Northwestern NWC 10-1, 6-1 GPAC
52
Westcliff (CA) WU 2-6, 2-3 Cal Pac
Winner
Northwestern NWC
10-1, 6-1 GPAC
61
Final
52
Westcliff (CA) WU
2-6, 2-3 Cal Pac
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Northwestern NWC 22 39 61
Westcliff (CA) WU 21 31 52

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

Raiders Open California Trip with Win

Van Kalsbeek and Carlson lead the way in scoring

IRVINE, Calif. – The No. 13 Northwestern men's basketball team (10-1, 6-1 GPAC) picked up its 10th win on the year and third in a row on Saturday, defeating the Westcliff Warriors (2-6, 2-3 Cal Pac) in Orange County.

"It was a hard-fought contest," head coach Kris Korver said. "Nothing was easy tonight. We just kept at it."

Westcliff was the aggressor early, as the Warriors took an 11-5 lead through seven minutes of play, but the Raiders used a 6-0 run over the next five minutes to tie it back up past the midway point of the half. Keyton Moser (Sr., Hull, Iowa) was the go-to scorer in the first 20 minutes, leading all players with eight points in the first half, including a three and a layup to knot it up at 18-18 with under two minutes until the break. After Westcliff hit from beyond the arc on the following possession, Zach LaFave (Jr., Elkhorn, Neb.) scored in the paint and Dillon Carlson (Sr., Ankeny, Iowa) knocked in a pair of free throws to take a 22-21 lead at the half.

As Northwestern has done throughout the season, the Raiders came out of the break as the more efficient team, building up their largest lead to that point, a 35-29 advantage with 13:48 to play, on baskets by Alex Van Kalsbeek (So., Sheldon, Iowa) and Carlson. In a low-scoring contest, Westcliff battled back to take a 45-43 lead with eight minutes to go. Later, trailing by three with four minutes on the clock, the Raiders worked back ahead and never looked back. Hunter Berry (Sr., Bolivar, Mo.) hit a three to go up 55-51 just under the two-minute mark, with a Van Kalsbeek layup bringing the lead back to six in the closing moments. Carlson sealed the game with free throws, and Northwestern began their west coast excursion with a 61-52 win.

"Keyton had a good game for us. Hunter made a timely three. Alex made some big baskets. Dillon made a big basket and clutch free throws," Korver said of some of the individual standouts.

Even on a day where the Raiders did not play their best ball of the season, Korver credited his team for their resilience on the road.

"Down the stretch of the game we made a few timely shots, found a few timely baskets and it felt like we wore them down. It was good to see our guys find a way when we did not play our best."

GAME NOTES
  • Alex Van Kalsbeek led the team in scoring (19) and rebounding (8).
  • Dillon Carlson made a strong contribution, adding 16 points and seven boards.
  • In his third consecutive start, Keyton Moser scored nine points to go with five rebounds and two assists.
  • Hunter Berry contributed five points off the bench.
  • The Raiders held the Warriors to 32.8% from the field, the lowest percentage for an opponent this season.
Up Next: The Raiders will play two games in the Hope International Classic, first facing (RV) Vanguard (Calif.) at 9:00 p.m. (CT) on Tuesday, December 19 in Fullerton.
Don't forget to follow Northwestern College Athletics on Facebook @nwcraiders, Twitter @nwcraiders, and Instagram @nwcraiders! #RaidersStandOut
Print Friendly Version