No.3 Northwestern renews its rivalry against No.12 Dordt Wednesday night, Jan. 23, in Sioux Center. Tip-off at the DeWitt Gym is set for 6pm. Northwestern is currently tied with Concordia for first place in the GPAC with a 13-2 record, 19-2 overall. Dordt is currently in fourth place in the GPAC at 10-5, 17-6 overall.
Last time out between these two, a 15-4 third quarter run helped give Northwestern a 91-84 home win over Dordt in a game played at the Bultman Center on Nov. 28. A close game over the first 25+ minutes and tied at 51, Northwestern outscored the Defenders 15-4, capped by a Sammy Blum three-pointer, to take a 71-62 lead. Dordt got as close as five in the final quarter.
One of the seven ranked teams from the GPAC, Dordt is ranked No.12 and currently sits in fourth place in the conference with a 10-5 record, two games in back of DWU. They are 17-6 overall and have won two straight, defeating Mount Marty and College of Saint Mary last week. Dordt has a win over No.2 Concordia in the first game of the new year (97-92 2OT).
Harmsen takes over the Defenders’ program after a stellar career coaching both girls and boys basketball at Western Christian High School. Harmsen won three state titles in five years with the Wolfpack women’s team and then guided Western to the boys title in his first year (2017). He inherits a Dordt team that returns all five starters and 10 players from a 2017-18 team that finished seventh in the GPAC with an 8-12 record, 14-17 overall.
The Red Raiders have won four straight games, two against teams ranked in the top 10 (#1 DWU / #9 Morningside). They are tied with Concordia for first place in the current GPAC standings at 13-2, 19-2 overall. One more win will give the Red Raiders their third straight and 17th overall 20+ win season, six under Coach Yaw.
Northwestern is second in the GPAC and ranks fourth in the NAIA in points per game (87.8)
The Red Raiders are first in the nation in field goal percentage (49%) and rebound margin (+13); they are second in three-point percentage (39%)
