Orange City, Iowa – The Northwestern College men’s basketball team won its season-best sixth straight game in knocking off Dordt 81-67 Wednesday night at the Bultman Center.
The surging Raiders have now won eight of their last nine games, three straight by a double-digit margin, and improve to 11-5 in the GPAC, 16-5 overall.
The balanced Raider offense was paced by the inside play of Alex Van Kalsbeek, who scored a game-high 19 points to go with four assists. Trent Hilbrands scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half and both Craig Sterk (15pts) and Jay Small (10pts) were also in double figures, giving head coach Kris Korver’s squad four players with 10-or-more points. A fifth player, Isaac Heyer, chipped in nine points and grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds.
A fast start put the visiting Defenders in front 16-11 after a three-pointer by Cade Bleeker with 12 minutes left in the first half. Northwestern responded with a 26-5 run where they held Dordt to two field goals over a nine minute stretch to take the lead for good, 37-21. Sterk scored 11 points, including a couple of three-pointers, during the decisive run, and five other Raiders had at least two points over the nine minutes. Northwestern led by 14, 44-30, at the break.
Northwestern’s lead swelled to 21 points, it largest of the game, following a basket from Small at the 12-minute mark in the second half. An 8-0 Defenders flurry closed the gap to 11 points (77-66) with just under a minute left; the host Raiders, however, would not let get Dordt any closer as Heyer converted four straight free throws during the final 60 seconds.
The Raiders shot 60% for the game, 63% in the second half, and made 8-of-19 three-point attempts (42%). Northwestern held a big edge on the boards, outrebounding the Defenders 36-23, led by Heyer and Sterk (8 boards).
Dordt shot 40% for the game and was led by freshman guard Bryce Coppock with 17 points; Jacob Vis added 15 points, making 6-of-10 field goal attempts. Dordt has lost three straight and is now 10-7 in the GPAC, 15-7 overall.
