Northwestern at Dana

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Game Time... The 12th-ranked Red Raiders travel to Blair, Neb. to play Dana College in GPAC men's basketball action. Tipoff for the game is set for 4:00 pm.

Scouting Report... Head Coach Chris Fear in his eighth season at the helm of the Vikings men's basketball program. Coach Fear returns three starters from a 2006-07 team that finished with a 8-22 overall record, 6-12 (10th place) in the GPAC. This season, the Vikings are 10-12 overall, 3-7 in the league but have won three of their past four games. They defeated Grace College (Neb.) (77-62), Midland Lutheran (92-90 OT) and most recently, Concordia, 84-62, on Jan. 23. The Vikings also defeated #24 Dordt College (81-77) and lost a close game with a ranked Bellevue (Neb.) squad.

Dana is led by 6-7 junior Eric Maasen who ranks in the league's top 10 in points (14.3), rebounds (5.7) and blocked shots (27). Maasen, an honorable mention all-GPAC player last year, is shooting 51% from the field. Senior guard Trent Mumma, a two-year starter for the Vikings, is averaging 10 points per game. Gabe Bross, a 6-7 junior post player, is third on the team in scoring averaging nine points per game. Junior guards Doug Huston and Zach Genant lead the Vikings perimeter game with 28 and 27 three pointers, respectively. Huston also ranks third in the league with 94 assists. Guards Sean Johnson (6.8 ppg, 43 steals) and A.J. Arkfeld (3.3 ppg) and Jon Person, a 6-5 junior (6.9 ppg), are the other top players  for the Vikings.

Dana ranks ninth in the GPAC averaging 71 points per game and shoots 42% from the floor. They are second in turnover margin, forcing 17.5 per game and commit just 14.5 per game. Defensively, the Vikings give up 75 points per game.

Last Time Out... Dana won their second straight game last Wednesday night with a 84-62 victory over Concordia. The Vikings shot a blistering 73% in the first half en route to a 46-30 halftime lead. Dana was a perfect 4/4 from the three point line in the first half. They led by as much as 28 points in the second half and committed just nine turnovers in the game. Gabe Bross led four Viking players in double figures with 16 points. Zach Genant netted 13 points off the bench (4/4 from the field) and Jon Person added 12 points.

The 12th-ranked Red Raiders defeated Mount Marty 81-70 in GPAC men's basketball Wednesday night at the Bultman Center. Trailing by seven, 40-33, with just over two minutes left in the half, Northwestern went on an 8-2 run to cut the Lancer lead down to one, 42-41 at the half. The Red Raiders then outscored MMC 14-6 to start the second half en route to the 11-point, 81-70 win. Mark DeYounge scored a career-high 23 points, making 8-9 field goal attempts and was perfect from the free throw line (5/5). Curt Schilling netted 18 points while Chad Schuiteman and Andrew Stimson added 10 points each. Schuiteman pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds and dished out seven assists.

Red Raider Notes... Northwestern is 16-3 overall and in sole possession of second place in the GPAC with a 7-2 record. The Red Raiders are one of the highest scoring teams in the nation at 88.4 points per contest. They currently lead the league in field goal percentage (52%) and assists (341). Curt Schilling and Chad Schuiteman rank in the league's top five in scoring at 20 and 15.4 points per game. Schuiteman, who is fourth all-time in Red Raider history with 1,983 points, leads the GPAC averaging 11.8 rebounds per game. Schilling, who ranks sixth all-time in school history with 1,799 points, leads the conference with 57 three pointers and is shooting 54% from beyond the arc. Schilling is fourth all-time in three pointers at NWC with 220. Mark DeYounge, who netted a career-high 23 points in the Red Raiders win over Mount Marty, averages 9.8 points per game and has 901 points in his career. Junior guards Kale Wiertzema (13.0 ppg) and Andrew Stimson (8.1 ppg) round out the starting lineup for NWC. Sophomores Ben Brown and Travis Van Regenmorter and freshman Ryan Hoogeveen are the top reserves for NWC.

GPAC Standings and Weekend Schedule...

Concordia vs TBA
Dordt @ Midland Lutheran
Nebraska Wesleyan @ Morningside
Dakota Wesleyan @ Mount Marty
USF @ Doane
Hastings @ Briar Cliff

Next up... The rivalry game against the Dordt College Defenders is what's next for the Red Raiders. Tipoff for Wednesday's game at the Bultman Center is at 8:00 pm.