Briar Cliff at Northwestern

• PREVIEW
• BOXSCORE

Game Time… Northwestern concludes the non-conference portion of its schedule this weekend as they play host to 10^th-ranked Briar Cliff on Jan. 2. The Red Raiders received votes in the last NAIA D-II poll (Dec. 14) and are 10-5 overall. Briar Cliff comes in with an 11-3 overall record. Tipoff is slated for 4:00 pm. Watch/listen live to the game via the NWC webcast at the following link: Watch/Listen Now!

All-Time... This will be the 91st meeting between the two storied programs and the Raiders hold a 52-38 advantage in the series. Since the 2004-05 season, Northwestern is 8-2 against the Chargers with the teams splitting the games last season. NWC won 79-62 in the Bultman Center but lost 92-73 in Sioux City.

Scouting Briar Cliff…Picked to finish second in the GPAC preseason poll and ranked 13^th in the NAIA preseason coaches’ poll, the Chargers opened the season with a perfect 7-0 record. BCU suffered its first loss of the season at USF (82-75) but followed with three straight wins over Dordt, Doane and Hastings. Over the break, the Chargers went 1-2, losing to Grand View and Bellevue and defeating Mayville State. They are 11-3 overall and ranked 10^th in the NAIA.

Three starters and six letter winners return off a 2008-09 team that finished second in the GPAC with a 14-4 record, 23-8 overall. They were one of four GPAC teams to qualify for the NAIA D-II national tournament where they lost to Indiana-Southeast in the first round, 76-59. Head coach Todd Barry returns for his fifth season with the Chargers.

BCU is one of the top shooting teams in the NAIA, ranking seventh in overall field goal percentage (50%). They rank third in the GPAC with 110 three-pointers, shooting 37% from beyond the arc. Individually, Kyle Semprini and Chase Vander Feen lead the Chargers in scoring and are among the league’s best perimeter shooters. A first team all-GPAC pick last year, Semprini averages a team-best 15.7ppg and ranks third in the NAIA with 52 three-pointers. Vander Feen, a second team all-GPAC pick in 08-09, averages 15.1ppg and has 36 three-pointers this season. Matt Geelan, an honorable mention all-GPAC player last year, leads the GPAC in field goal percentage (63%) and averages 10.8ppg and team-best 7.1 boards per game. He also ranks fourth in the GPAC with 67 assists. Kyle Swanson (10ppg), Michael Dickes (8ppg) and Michael Collison (3ppg) anchor the frontline for the Chargers. Collison leads the GPAC with 24 blocked shots.

Red Raider Notes…Since starting the season with a 0-3 record, Northwestern is 10-2, including wins over ranked teams, Bellevue and Dordt. Last time out, NWC lost to Johnson & Wales (89-88) in Denver, Colo. The Raiders shot 49% for the game but struggled from the perimeter, shooting 29% (9/31) from beyond the arc. Walker Seim led five Raider players in double figures with 18 points, followed by Daniel Van Kalsbeek with 17 points and six rebounds. Ryan Hoogeveen added 15 points and a team-best eight rebounds while Ryan Stock (12) and Brent Dunkelberger (11) were also in double figures.

The Raiders lead the GPAC in scoring (88), three-pointer made (130) and three-point percentage (40%). They also are among the top rebounding teams in the conference, holding a +4.5 advantage on the glass.

Individually, three players are scoring in double figures, led by sharp-shooter Walker Seim averaging 19.7ppg. Seim has scored in double figures in every game this season and ranks second in the NAIA with 60 three-pointers, shooting 49% from beyond the arc. Daniel Van Kalsbeek averages over 19ppg and leads the team with 7.3 boards per contest. The freshman has four double-doubles this season. Ben Miller averages over 12 points per game and is among the team leaders in rebounds (6.3) and assists (35). Ryan Hoogveen (7.8ppg) and Mike Vorwald (3.3ppg, 83 assists) round out the starting line-up. Brent Dunkelberger and Ryan Stock are the top reserves and each average over seven points per game.

Up Next… Northwestern heads to Mitchell, S.D. on Wed. Jan. 6 where they will face #14 Dakota Wesleyan in a key GPAC contest.