Orange City, Iowa — Craig Sterk scored a career-high 34 points in leading Northwestern to an 83-66 win over No.8 Morningside in the final game of the regular season and senior day.
The Raiders not only collected their 10th consecutive victory but also secured the No.2 seed for the upcoming GPAC postseason tournament, beginning next week with the quarterfinals on Wednesday, Feb. 24.
Northwestern ended GPAC regular season with a 15-5 record, one game in back of Morningside. The Raiders are 20-5 overall. The Mustangs drop to 20-4 on the season.
Sterk poured in a career-high 34 points, six more than his previous best, and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead Head Coach Kris Korver’s squad. Sterk also became the newest and 48th member of the 1,000-point club, reaching the career milestone with his second basket just minutes into the game. He joins fellow team members, Trent Hilbrands and Jay Small, in the 1,000-point club.
A back-and-forth first half that featured four ties and four lead changes and ended with the eighth-ranked Mustangs leading 38-37. Down by four (46-42) four minutes into the second half, Northwestern guard Jay Small scored five straight points on a three-pointer and jumper in the paint to give the Raiders their first lead since the mid-point of the first half.
The teams traded baskets on their next two possessions until a pair of free throws from Small and a putback by Van Kalsbeek put Northwestern in front for good, 51-48. Clinging to a five-point lead at the 10-minute mark (61-56), Northwestern scored six consecutive points, four by Sterk and two by Small, for its first double-digit lead (67-56) and Morningside would not get any closer.
Northwestern limited the Mustangs to only three field goals during the final 10 minutes and 0/11 shooting from beyond the arc in the second half.
Both Van Kalsbeek and Small contributed 18 points for the Raiders, who shot 48% from the field but struggled to 30% (6/20) from the arc. Northwestern held a 42-37 edge on the glass against the top rebounding team in the GPAC.
Morningside shot 38% from the field, 13% (2/15) from the three-point line, and was led by Trey Brown with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Aidan Van Otterloo added 12 points and both Will Pottebaum and Trey Powers scored 11.
