ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The Northwestern College men’s and women’s basketball teams are set to host the 2021 Pizza Ranch Classic inside the Bultman Center on the campus of Northwestern College on Friday, November 12 and Saturday, November 13.
The Raider men’s basketball (4-0, 0-0 GPAC) team enters the Pizza Ranch Classic with an unblemished record on the season, outscoring their opponents 89.3 to 69.8, on average. The last time out, the Raiders hit 100 points for the first time this season, dismantling Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) 100-56. Sophomore Alex Van Kalsbeek (So., Orange City, Iowa/MOC-Floyd Valley) leads the Raiders, averaging a double-double through the first four games of the season. He’s averaging 26.5 points per game, and rebounding at a clip of 10.8 boards per game.
On the women’s side (2-0, 0-0 GPAC), the Raiders enter the Classic with two games under their belt under the direction of first-year head coach Kristin Rotert. The last time out for the Raiders was Tuesday night, Nov. 9, when the Raiders took down No. 11-ranked MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) inside the Bultman Center 67-58. With two games under their belt, sophomore Molly Schany (Emmetsburg, Iowa/Emmetsburg) paces the Raider offense, averaging 16.5 points per game. Maddie Jones (Jr., Twin Lakes, Iowa/South Central Calhoun) leads the team averaging 9.5 rebounds per game, averaging nearly a double-double in the first two contests (7.0ppg/9.5rpg).
Three of the four women’s teams at this weekend’s classic are ranked inside the top-25 nationally or are receiving votes. Marian University (Ind.) is ranked No. 4 in the nation, while both Dordt and Northwestern are receiving votes in the NAIA Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
All games streamed on nwcraiders.com and live stats will be available for all contests on the weekend. See above for the respective links, or check the respective men’s or women’s schedule pages.
Teams
| MEN’S TEAMS (Record) | INFORMATION | WOMEN’S TEAMS (record) | INFORMATION |
| Bellevue (Neb.) Bruins (3-2) | ROSTER | STATS | (RV) Dordt Defenders (3-1) | ROSTER | STATS |
| Dordt Defenders (3-1) | ROSTER | STATS | (#4) Marian (Ind.) Knights (2-0) | ROSTER | STATS |
| Viterbo (Wis.) V-Hawks (3-0) | ROSTER | STATS | Valley City State Vikings (2-1) | ROSTER | STATS |
Game schedule
Friday, Nov. 12
WBB – (RV) Dordt Defenders vs. (#4) Marian (Ind.) Knights [2:00 p.m.]
MBB – Dordt Defenders vs. Viterbo (Wis.) V-Hawks [4:00 p.m.]
WBB – (RV) Northwestern Red Raiders vs. Valley City State (N.D.) Vikings [6:00 p.m.]
MBB – Northwestern Red Raiders vs. Bellevue (Neb.) Bruins [8:00 p.m.]
Saturday, Nov. 13
WBB – (RV) Dordt Defenders vs. Valley City State (N.D.) Vikings [12:00 p.m.]
MBB – Dordt Defenders vs. Bellevue (Neb.) Bruins [2:00 p.m.]
WBB – (RV) Northwestern Red Raiders vs. (#4) Marian (Ind.) Knights [4:00 p.m.]
MBB – Northwestern Red Raiders vs. Viterbo (Wis.) V-Hawks [6:00 p.m.]
