Game Time... Northwestern travels to Blair, Neb. to play Dana this Saturday, Feb. 6, in GPAC women's basketball. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 pm. This marks the second match-up between the two teams as the Red Raiders knocked off Dana on Dec. 5 in Orange City, 102-49. Northwestern, ranked fifth in the Feb. 1 poll, is tied for second in the GPAC with an 11-2 record, 20-3 overall. Dana is last in the GPAC with a 1-12 record, 3-19 overall.
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All-Time Record... The Red Raiders hold an impressive 33-3 advantage in the season series, dating back to the 1982-83 season. Northwestern has won the last 21 match-ups, a streak dating back to the 1995-96 season.
Last Meeting... Top-ranked Northwestern shot 62% from the field and remained unbeaten in conference play with a dominant 102-49 win over Dana on Dec. 5 in the Bultman Center. It was the Red Raiders seventh straight win.
Leading 9-7, the Raiders scored nine consecutive points to open up an 11-point lead. With the score 42-24, Northwestern outscored the Vikings 21-4 over the final five minutes of the first half to take a commanding 63-28 halftime lead. Coach Woudstra's squad shot 74% in the opening half, 69% from beyond the arc.
The Raiders cruised in the second half, outscoring Dana 39-21 and held the Vikings to just 19% from the field (7/37).
Four NWC players scored in double figures, led by Val Kleinjan with a season-high 18 points on 6-for-8 from the three-point line. Becca Hurley netted 14 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out six assists while Kendra DeJong and Kami Kuhlmann scored 13 and 11 points, respectively. Northwestern outrebounded the Vikings, 48-30, led by Allison Hulst and Katie Nieuwsma with seven.
Dana News and Notes... The Vikings come in with a 3-19 overall mark, 1-12 and in 13th place in the GPAC. Dana opened the year with 0-10 record before they earned a 56-44 win over York (Neb.) on Dec. 12. They also knocked off then 21st-ranked Kansas Wesleyan 52-50 on Jan. 2 and picked up its first win in the GPAC last time out with a 58-56 victory over Midland Lutheran. Dana held a slim four-point lead (28-24) at the half behind some effective three-point shooting by Tricia Trotter and Megan Finn. Midland Lutheran tied the game early in the second half and the game was tight the rest of the way. With the game tied at 56, Dana guard Tricia Trotter hit a running 12-footer as time expired to pick up the win. Trotter led all scorers with 25 points while both Megan Finn and Raelene Buschow added 11.
Shane Larson returns for his second season as the head coach of the Vikings. Last year, Coach Larson led Dana to a 3-15 and 11th place finish in the GPAC, 9-20 overall. Two starters and six letter winners return off last year’s squad, including three of the top six scorers.
Dana is averaging 59 points per game, shooting 37% from the field, and are giving up over 72 points per game. They average 21 turnovers per game.
The Vikings are led by senior Tricia Trotter and junior Kalen Carlson, who are both scoring in double figures. A 5-7 senior guard, Trotter averages 13.3 points per game and leads the team with 60 assists. She is also the team's leading three-point shooter with 19, shooting 36% from beyond the arc. Carlson, a 5-10 junior post player, averages 12 points and 5.4 boards per game. Junior forward Raelene Buschow averages 9.5 points and a team-best 6.4 boards per game. She is shooting better then 52% from the field, eighth best in the GPAC.
Red Raider News and Notes...Northwestern won its third straight game Wednesday night as they defeated Mount Marty 67-60. The Raiders trailed by two (19-17) but outscored Mount Marty 15-2 to open up an 11-point first half lead. Northwestern led by as much as 14 with four minutes to go before a late run by the Lancers put the score at 44-33 at intermission. Mount Marty rallied in the second half and was within four with six minutes to go but Northwestern iced the game at the free throw line and held the Lancers scoreless for four minutes down the stretch. Randa Hulstein led four Raiders in double figures with 17 points, followed by Kuhlmann with 16. Hurley added 12 while Kendra DeJong put in 10. Hurley pulled down a team-high nine rebounds and dished out five assists. Defensively, Northwestern held MMC to just 36% from the field.
The Red Raiders are third in the NAIA in scoring, averaging 83ppg. They lead the GPAC in field goal percentage (48%), rank third in the three-point percentage (36%) and also 
lead the GPAC in rebounding (+6) and field goal percentage defense (37%).
Northwestern features a balanced scoring attack, led by Becca Hurley and Kami Kuhlmann who both rank in the GPAC's top 10 in points per game. Hurley (15.3) ranks second on the team with 34 three-pointers and ranks second in the GPAC with 87 assists. The junior guard hit her 150th three-pointer of her career in the win over Mount Marty. Kuhlmann (15.1) is shooting a team-high 40% from beyond the arc and has scored 805 points in her career. Randa Hulstein averages 14.1 points and is one of the best rebounders in the GPAC at 8.4 boards per game. The senior is shooting 63% from the field and has 891 points and 652 rebounds in her career. Kendra DeJong is averaging 13.9 points per game, shooting 56% from the field. Val Kleinjan leads the team with 44 three-pointers, shooting 39% from the perimeter. Katie Nieuwsma (5.6) and Allison Hulst (4.5) are the top scorers off the bench.
Up Next...A showdown against 12th-ranked Morningside awaits the Red Raiders on Wednesday night, Feb. 10, in the Bultman Center. The Mustangs defeated the Red Raiders, 81-75, on Dec. 9 in Sioux City.
2009-10 Media Guide
2010 Basketball Camp
