Orange City, Iowa — Northwestern College plays host to (RV) Dordt University in a rivalry match-up Wednesday night at the Bultman Center. Tip-off for the conference game is slated for 8pm. Northwestern has won two of its last three games and is tied with Concordia for fifth place in the GPAC with an 8-6 record, 16-8 overall. Dordt is tied with Mount Marty for third place in the GPAC at 9-6, 18-7 overall.
The Defenders have won three straight since losing back-to-back match-ups against top 10 teams, Dakota Wesleyan and Morningside, in early January. Dordt continues to receive votes in the NAIA Coaches poll and has climbed into a third place tie, along with Mount Marty, in the GPAC standings with a 9-6 record. They are 18-7 overall with five games left in the regular season. Dordt has wins over Jamestown, Doane and Midland during their streak.
Van Haaften, now in his second year as head coach of the Defenders, returns three starters and 10 players from a 2018-19 team that finished tied for sixth in the GPAC with a 10-10 record, 19-13 overall. They lost to Jamestown in the GPAC semifinals last year and were picked fourth in this year’s preseason poll. Van Haaften was a long time head coach at Buena Vista prior to coming to Dordt prior to the 2018-19 season.
The Red Raiders have won two of their last three games, earning wins over Briar Cliff and Hastings with a loss on the road to Concordia inbetween. Head Coach Kris Korver’s squad is tied with Concordia for fifth place in the current GPAC standings with an 8-6 record and six contests remaining in the regular season. They are 16-8 overall and have a 3-5 record since the new year.
Korver is in his 20th season as the Red Raiders head coach and has over 400 wins and 15 winning seasons during his tenure. He has led NWC teams to 13 national tournaments.
Shooting woes doomed Northwestern in its 86-68 loss at No.25 Dordt in a conference match-up played Nov.20 in Sioux Center, Iowa.
