Red Raiders Host Dakota Wesleyan in GPAC Women's Basketball

Game Time... The second-ranked Red Raiders play host to Dakota Wesleyan this evening at the Bultman Center in a GPAC women's basketball contest. Tipoff for the game will be at 6:00 pm.

Scouting Report... Dakota Wesleyan is currently in sixth place in the GPAC standings with an 8-7 mark, just 1/2 game in back of Doane and 1/2 game in front of Mount Marty. The Tigers are 14-13 overall and are coached by Aaron Kahl, who is in his first season with the DWU women's program after coming over from Gustavus Adolphus (NCAA D-III).

DWU is averaging 67ppg, ninth best in the league, and is shooting 43% from the field. Defensively, the Tigers give up 67ppg and are 11th in the GPAC in rebounding.

Transfer sophomore guard Allison Johnson leads the Tigers averaging 14.3ppg and has made a team-best 34 three point baskets. Johnson also leads the team with 78 assists. Adria Pazour, a second team all-GPAC selection in 2007, averages 10ppg and is eighth in the league in rebounding, pulling down seven per game. Sophomore Ashley Johnson, who was a Tiger starter as a freshman, averages nine ppg at the point guard position. She is sixth in the league with 69 steals and is second on the team with 26 three pointers. Junior guard Sarah Mortenson returns after she earned honorable mention all-league honors as a freshman and sophomore. Mortenson is averaging 7.4ppg and ranks second on the team with four rebounds per game. Nikki Johnston, a 5-10 senior forward, rounds out the starting lineup and averages three points per game. Angela Noteboom, Heidi Lusk and Kaylea Karst are the top reserves for DWU. Noteboom, a 5-10 sophomore, averages 6.4ppg and 3.5rpg. Lusk, a 5-5 junior, and Karst, a 5-9 freshman, combine to put in 7.3ppg.

Last Time Out... DWU snapped a three-game losing streak last time out as they defeated Dana this past Sunday, 75-60. The Tigers outscored Dana 25-6 in the first 10 minutes to take the lead. Dana came back to tie the game at 42 in the second half before DWU managed to recover and pull ahead for good, 70-56. The Tigers shot 56% from the field and were led by Allison Johnson who recorded 25 points. Adria Pazour (12) and Ashley Johnson (11) were also in double figures.

Head Coach Earl Woudstra earned his 300th win as the Northwestern College Red Raiders defeated Concordia (Neb.), 91-77, in a GPAC showdown of top 10 women's basketball teams. Northwestern, ranked second in the NAIA, won their 12th straight game and improved to 24-1 overall, 14-0 in the GPAC. The ninth-ranked Bulldogs fell to 22-4 overall, 11-4 in the GPAC.

The host Bulldogs led early on by four, 15-11, before Northwestern tied the game at 20. The Red Raiders took the lead for good on a lay-up by Randa Hulstein with nine minutes left and led 10, 47-37, at halftime. The Red Raiders began the second half with a 13-1 run and later went on a 13-4 run to pull away from the Bulldogs in the second half.

Northwestern shot 61% for the game, 50% from beyond the arc. Debbie Remmerde scored a game-high 47 points on 15-19 from the field and a perfect 11-11 from the free throw line. The senior guard made 6-7 three point attempts. Amy Larson added 22 points for the Red Raiders on 8-13 from the floor. Mandy Carr pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds for Northwestern.

Red Raider Notes...Coach Woudstra, in his 14 years with the Red Raiders, has amassed a 300-123 overall record, for a winning percentage of 71%. He is the winningest women's basketball coach in Northwestern basketball history.

Debbie Remmerde earned GPAC Player-of-the-Week honors for her play last week. It is the fourth time that Remmerde has earned the honor. She averaged 42 points in two games last week while shooting 75% from the three point line. She also went 19/19 from the foul line for the week.

Northwestern has won 12 straight games and is one of two teams (Morningside) with a pefect 14-0 GPAC record. They lead the GPAC in scoring (90), field goal percentage (52%) and three point percentage (44%). Defensively, Coach Woudstra's squad is giving up 67ppg and leads the conference in field goal percentage defense (37%).

Four Red Raider players rank in the league's top 10 in field goal percentage: Randa Hulstein (1st-66%), Remmerde (2-61%), Algood (3rd-59%) and Hurley (9th-51%). Amy Larson ranks second in the league with 76 three pointers, shooting 45% from beyond the arc. Miranda Boekhout (137) and Mandy Carr (117) are first and third in the GPAC in assists.

GPAC Standings...

Next Up... Northwestern will play Doane this Saturday afternoon in Crete, Neb.