Balanced scoring leads to Red Raider victories

On Wednesday the Raiders hit the hardwood in a mid-week match-up against the Dakota Wesleyan Tigers. Northwestern came away with a victory, ending the game with a 93-86 difference. This win put the Raiders at a clean second-place standing in the GPAC, and a record of 21-6 overall.
Junior guard Ben Miller led the team in scoring with 22 points, 21 of which came in the second half.
Other leading scorers included sophomore Zack Leeper with 14, and senior Walker Seim with 12. Senior Jon Kramer also finished the balanced game with six assists, nine boards and three steals.
“We really came out with some fire second half and were clicking well as a team,” Leeper said.
Junior post Stu Goslinga felt that as a team, “We had no doubt in mind that we were going to win the game; it was a game that had to be the one if we want to make it to the national tourney.”
The Raiders, who were trailing by one at half, came out with a fire underneath them in the second period, going on a 12-1 run against the Tigers. NW did not let them get within double digits for most of the final half, despite a run in the closing minutes.
NW shot for 60 percent as a team in the second half, finishing with 56 percent from the field overall. The Raiders also won the battle of the glass by a large margin of 40-25.
The success on the team was accredited to great team chemistry and everyone playing well together as a whole.
“Playing unselfishly and moving the ball well have been keys to the success this season,” Leeper said.
He also said that things the team hopes to improve include guard rebounding, attacking the glass as a team, and also focusing on aggressive defense. All of which have contributed to the team’s current winning streak
Saturday night, the team came away with a big win in a Senior Day match-up against Doane College.
The No. 14-ranked Raiders ended the battle with a score of 92-69. It marked win number 20 on the season.
The scoring field was pretty even among the team. Four  players in Raiders uniforms scored in double digits. Leading the team in scoring was Seim, putting up 18 points on the night.   Leeper was a close second with 17, followed by Miller who had 14 and Goslinga finishing with 12.
NW not only dominated in points but also won the battle on the glass, out rebounding  the Tigers 41-29.
The next game for the Raiders will be in Fremont, Neb., this Saturday against Midland. A road victory will give NW the second seed in the GPAC tournament, which means they will host at least two games in the tournament .