Northwestern at Dakota Wesleyan

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Game Time... Northwestern College will travel to Mitchell, S.D., to play Dakota Wesleyan in a key early-season GPAC match-up. Tipoff for the contest is scheduled for 8:00 pm and can be heard over KSOU radio, 93.9 FM.

Scouting Report... The Tigers have won their last six games and have not lost since a Nov. 10 setback to Jamestown. They are one of three GPAC teams with a 3-0 league record (Hastings and Morningside) as they have knocked off USF, Dordt and Doane so far this season. DWU is 8-2 overall. John Hemenway, in his third season as the Head Coach, led the Tigers to a third place finish in the GPAC and a berth at the national tournament in 2007. He returns two starters from last year's squad, led by senior Andrew Lasche and junior Preston Broughton. Lasche, a 6-2 guard, is averaging 6.1 ppg and leads the GPAC with 51 assists. He also is one of the team's best perimeter shooters with 14 three pointers and 35% from beyond the arc. Broughton was a second team all-league pick last season and leads this year's squad with 18.3 ppg, third best in the league. The 6-5 forward is second in the league rebounding (9 rpg) and blocks (14) and is shooting 53% from the floor. Colby Fitzgerald, a 6-3 junior transfer from USD, is second on the team and fourth in the league with 17.2 ppg. He leads the team with 15 three pointers and earned GPAC Player-of-the-Week honors this past week. Senior guard Marcus Vontz is the third DWU player scoring in double figures with 10.4. Ike Muoneke, a 6-4 junior college transfer, averages 8.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg and is fourth in the GPAC with 13 blocks. Scott Nelson, a transfer from Casper College, and Chase Walder are the top reserves for the Tigers. Walder, a 6-2 freshman, was the leading scorer in South Dakota high school basketball last season with 32.4 ppg.

DWU averages 86 ppg, second best in the league, and allow 76 ppg. They lead the GPAC in assists and blocked shots and are fifth in the league at 48%.

Last Time Out... The Tigers won their sixth straight game on Dec. 1 with a 103-93 double-overtime win over Doane. There were 14 lead changes and 12 ties throughout the contest and was all tied at 76 at the end of regulation. DWU scored the first seven points in the first overtime but needed a last-second three pointer by Colby Fitzgerald to tie the score at 89 and send the game into the second overtime. In the final overtime, the Tigers went on an 11-1 run en route to the 10-point win. Fitzgerald scored a career-high 34 points and Preston Broughton added 24 points and 13 boards for DWU.

Northwestern defeated Midland Lutheran this past Monday, 88-68, to improve to 7-2 overall, 1-1 in the GPAC. The Red Raiders shot 59% for the game and limited Midland Lutheran to just 41%. Kale Wiertzema led three NWC players in double figures with 21 points while Curt Schilling added 17. Josh Van Es came off the bench to score 10 points on a perfect night from the field (4/4) and free throw line (2/2). Chad Schuiteman pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds, scored eight points and dished out six assists.

Red Raider Notes... Coach Korver, in his eighth season at the helm of the Red Raiders, needs just one more win to reach 200 in his career. He became the all-time winningest coach in NWC men's basketball history earlier this season with his team's win over Grace College on Nov. 23. Seniors Curt Schilling (19.4) and Chad Schuiteman (15.7) rank second and sixth, respectively, in the league in scoring. Schilling is shooting 57% from the field, 52% from beyond the arc and is sixth in the league with a 87% free throw percentage. Schuiteman leads the GPAC with 11.3 rebounds per game and is second with 41 assists. Kale Wiertzema (13.4) and Mark DeYounge (10.3) are also scoring in double figures. Andrew Stimson is fourth in the league with 29 assists. Josh Van Es comes off the bench and averages 6.3 ppg and is shooting 67% from the floor.

Next up... Northwestern will next play Mount Marty on the road, Saturday, Dec. 8, in Yankton, S.D. at 4:00 pm.