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HOME OF NORTHWESTERN RED RAIDERS ATHLETICS
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Nike
mbb-recap-mountmarty-240106
70
Northwestern NWC 12-3, 5-2
73
Winner Mount Marty MMU 5-8, 1-6
Northwestern NWC
12-3, 5-2
70
Final
73
Mount Marty MMU
5-8, 1-6
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Northwestern NWC 31 39 70
Mount Marty MMU 39 34 73

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

Buzzer-Beater Sinks Raiders’ Comeback Effort

LaFave scores career-high 23 points

YANKTON, S.D. – A heave at the buzzer sent Mount Marty (5-8, 1-6 GPAC) to its first GPAC win of the year, defeating No. 13 Northwestern (12-3, 5-2 GPAC) on Saturday afternoon.

"Mount Marty did a great job preparing all week, and they were a group that did a great job defending us in the first half," stated head coach Kris Korver. "Their role players stepped up and they shot the ball well. We got the lead late and needed a stop. We very easily could have gone to overtime, but the final shot was pretty impressive."

The Raiders scored the first basket of the game, a jumper in the paint from Craig Sterk, but that would be their only lead until the second half. Mount Marty broke ahead 8-2 in the first five minutes of play, bringing their lead to double-digits at 18-8, forcing a Northwestern timeout with 9:46 left in the opening half. Later, with 6:35 remaining, the Raiders embarked on a 7-0 run over three minutes, led by five points in the stretch from Zach LaFave. After, Mount Marty answered to build up an eight-point lead ahead of the break.

Northwestern was the aggressor early in the second half as they began their comeback bid. Scoring nine of the first 11 points of the half, the Raiders cut the deficit to 41-40. It was not until the 5:26 mark that Northwestern regained the lead, with Craig Sterk barreling into the paint to make the score 62-61. From that point on, it was a back-and-forth contest that saw the largest Raider lead reach four points on a Dillon Carlson layup with 1:53 to go.

After Cole Bowen knocked down a pair of free throws, Tash Lunday tied the score at 68-68 with under a minute to play. Out of the timeout, Alex Van Kalsbeek went to work in the paint and gave the Raiders a 70-68 lead. Following a Cole Bowen layup on the final possession, the Raiders had a chance to win with under 10 seconds to go. The play finished out of bounds, leaving 0.8 seconds on the clock for Mount Marty. Bowen then received the ball at the opposite free throw line and sent the shot through with no time remaining.

GAME NOTES
  • Zach LaFave scored a career-high 23 points.
  • Alex Van Kalsbeek reached 20 points in back-to-back games, scoring 22 today.
  • Van Kalsbeek tied a career-high with three blocks.
  • Craig Sterk had six points to go with eight rebounds and three assists.
  • The Red Raiders shot 47.5% to Mount Marty's 49.2%.
  • Northwestern outscored the Lancers 39-34 in the second half.
  • It was Mount Marty's first win in the series since January 15, 2020.
Up Next: The Raiders return to the Bultman Center for the first time in a month, hosting Briar Cliff on Wednesday, January 10 at 7:45 p.m.
Don't forget to follow Northwestern College Athletics on Facebook @nwcraiders, Twitter @nwcraiders, and Instagram @nwcraiders! #RaidersStandOut
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