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Nike
mbb-recap-dordt-230215
87
Dordt (IA) DORDT 21-6, 13-6
88
Winner Northwestern NWC 20-7, 13-6
Dordt (IA) DORDT
21-6, 13-6
87
Final
88
Northwestern NWC
20-7, 13-6
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Dordt (IA) DORDT 44 43 87
Northwestern NWC 38 50 88

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

Sterk's Game-Winning Three Gives Northwestern 20th Win

Raiders have won 11 of the last 14 against Dordt

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – A thrilling finish was in the works at the Bultman Center on Wednesday night, as Craig Sterk buried a desperation three at the buzzer to help Northwestern (20-7, 13-6 GPAC) defeat (RV) Dordt (21-6, 13-6 GPAC).

"Around here we call that Raider magic," noted head coach Kris Korver. "We just kept telling our guys to keep battling, stay in the fight, and get the lead. And we got it in the end."
 
The Raiders jumped out to a quick 5-4 lead on a three from Craig Sterk (Jr., McBain, Mich.), their only lead until the final buzzer. The Defenders moved out to a lead through the following minutes, going up by double-digits with 16:43 on the clock. Northwestern pushed it closer again when Zach LaFave (Jr., Elkhorn, Neb.) nailed a corner three to make the score 20-16 in favor of Dordt.

The remainder of the first half proved to be a battle, as every time the Raiders made a run, Dordt answered to extend their lead further. With less than ten seconds to play in the half, Grant DeMeulenaere (Sr., Altoona, Iowa) hit a three to bring it back to four before Bryce Coppock knocked down a pair of free throws before the half.

The second half was just as competitive, with Northwestern trimming the deficit to just one point on multiple occasions. Neither team led by more than five points in the final 10 minutes of play, and the Raiders finally tied the score at 77-77 on a Matt Onken (R-Jr., Marshall, Minn.) layup, their first tie since it was 2-2.

Tough shots were the name of the game down the stretch, as Dillon Carlson (Sr., Ankeny, Iowa) knocked down a difficult jumper in the paint to knot the game at 83-83. On the following possession, Dordt's Luke Rankin hit a mid-range shot to give the Defenders a two-point advantage.

The guards were shining on the final possessions when Carlson sent up a reverse layup that spun around the defense for two before Dordt's Bryce Coppock knocked down a free-throw line jumper with six seconds to go, giving the Defenders an 87-85 advantage.

Out of the timeout with one second on the clock, DeMeulenaere found Sterk on the curl, as Sterk launched a three that fell through for the win.
 
GAME NOTES
  • Dillon Carlson led all scorers with 27 points. He also added six rebounds.
  • Craig Sterk hit the game-winning three, also scoring 22 points and picking up six boards.
  • Sterk recorded his 700th career rebound, becoming the 17th Raider to reach the milestone.
  • Matt Onken scored 15 points to go along with six rebounds.
  • The Raiders shot 56.9% from the field and 60.9% from three-point range.
  • It was the second-highest shooting percentage against a conference opponent for Northwestern this season.
  • Northwestern has now won 11 of the last 14 meetings with Dordt dating back to 2016-17.
  • Head coach Kris Korver has now had 17 seasons of at least 20 wins in his career.
SCOOTER'S PLAYER OF THE GAME
Craig Sterk
Up Next: The Raiders are set to travel to Hastings for the regular season finale this Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. in Hastings, Nebraska.
Don't forget to follow Northwestern College Athletics on Facebook @nwcraiders, Twitter @nwcraiders, and Instagram @nwcraiders! #RaidersStandOut
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