Men's Basketball Saturday, March 4, 2023 NWC Athletic Communications

Northwestern Draws Southwestern (Kan.) in NAIA First Round

First-ever meeting between Raiders and Moundbuilders

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The Northwestern men's basketball team (20-9, 13-8 GPAC) has been selected to compete in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national tournament, being placed in the Langston, Oklahoma region. The Raiders will open up the tournament facing the Moundbuilders of Southwestern (Kan.) (25-6, 16-6 KCAC) on Tuesday, March 7 at 8:00 p.m.

Live coverage links are available at the top of the story. The host site has not yet published livestream information, but it will be available on the men's basketball schedule page and this preview story once made available.

GAME INFORMATION:
(10) Northwestern (20-9, 13-7 GPAC) vs. (7) Southwestern (Kan.) (25-6, 16-6 KCAC)
Date: Tues., March 7 // Time: 8:00 p.m.
Location: Langston, Okla. (C.F. Gayles Field House)
Watch: langstonsports.com // Listen: KSOU Radio – 93.9 FM (Doug Broek)

TICKET INFORMATION:

Tickets will be $8 for adults and $5 for students.
Advance tickets are available online at langstonsports.com, also linked at the top of the story.

NAIA FIRST AND SECOND ROUNDS:

Northwestern earned a spot in the NAIA First Round, traveling to Langston University (Okla.) as the No. 10 seed in the Duer quadrant.
The Raiders are set to face No. 22 Southwestern (Kan.) on Tuesday at 8:00 p.m.
The other matchup in the Langston region will be Langston (Okla.) vs. Southern Oregon at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
The winner of the Langston region will advance to the Final Site of the NAIA tournament in Kansas City, Missouri.

TOURNAMENT TIME:

Northwestern holds a 31-22 all-time record in the NAIA tournament.
NWC is making their 25th overall appearance and fourth-straight.
The Raiders last won an NAIA tournament game in 2018 vs. Bellevue, 75-62 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.
NWC has two National Championships to their name: 2001, 2003.
The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) has five teams represented in the NAIA tournament: Jamestown, Morningside, Dordt, Northwestern, and Concordia.

LAST TIME OUT:

The Raiders fell at home in the GPAC quarterfinals, a 90-77 loss to Concordia (Neb.).
Craig Sterk (Jr., McBain, Mich.) led the team in scoring and rebounding with 29 and 8.
Concordia had a historic night as Noah Schutte compiled 38 points and 18 rebounds, with Gage Smith posting 21 points, 11 boards, and seven assists.

NORTHWESTERN NOTES:

Sterk is now 19th all-time in career points, with 1,567
He joined the 700-rebound club on February 15, becoming the 17th Raider to reach the milestone.
Head coach Kris Korver has used the starting five of Geddes, DeMeuleneare, Carlson, Onken, and Sterk in 24 games.
Korver has reached 20 wins in 17 years as head coach.

THE SERIES:

This will be the first meeting between the Red Raiders and the Moundbuilders.
Southwestern held a No. 22 ranking in the final NAIA Coaches' Poll.
Northwestern is making their 25th overall appearance in the NAIA tournament and their fourth consecutive.
The Raiders are seeking their first tournament win since the NAIA moved to one division in 2021.
NWC fell in the Opening Round last season, 91-85 to No. 16 Saint Francis (Ind.).
Southwestern also fell in the NAIA opening round in 2022, a 70-61 loss to No. 25 Indiana Institute of Technology.

GPAC ALL-CONFERENCE:

The Raiders had three student-athletes named to All-GPAC teams.
Dillon Carlson (Sr., Ankeny, Iowa) and Craig Sterk were named to the First Team.
Matt Onken (R-Jr., Marshall, Minn.) picked up Honorable Mention recognition.

CSC ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT:

Grant DeMeulenaere (Sr., Altoona, Iowa) and Craig Sterk were both named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District teams.

SCOUTING THE MOUNDBUILDERS:

The Moundbuilders won the KCAC postseason tournament, defeating Bethel (Kan.) 83-74.
Head coach Matt O'Brien is in his 14th season at the helm. He is the winningest coach in program history.
Junior guard Cevin Clark leads the team and the KCAC in scoring at 24.3 points per game.
It is Clark's first season at Southwestern after playing at Cowley CC.

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

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Players Mentioned

#34 Matt Onken: F; 6' 5"; Redshirt Junior

#14 Grant DeMeulenaere: G; 6' 1"; Senior

#13 Dillon Carlson: G; 6' 2"; Senior

#24 Craig Sterk: F; 6' 7"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#34 Matt Onken
: 6' 5"; Redshirt Junior
: F

#14 Grant DeMeulenaere
: 6' 1"; Senior
: G

#13 Dillon Carlson
: 6' 2"; Senior
: G

#24 Craig Sterk
: 6' 7"; Junior
: F