The Northwestern men’s basketball team fell to 0-3, losing to Jamestown 84-79 Friday, Nov. 6, and Valley City State 82-73 on Saturday, Nov. 7.
“We played in two contests in N.D. and were tested on both nights,” Head Coach Kris Korver said. “In both games we had stretches where we played well and we had a few stretches where we did not. In both games we played well enough to win. Now we need to make our own breaks and finish a game off.”
NW trailed 39-43 to Jamestown at the half. A strong second half brought the Raiders close, but momentum shifted back to Jamestown to make a difficult loss.
“In the second half, we really played unselfishly and moved the ball, it was a lot of fun to see our guys play with confidence,” Korver said. “We were able to open up an 8 point lead with about five minutes to play and then we failed to do the little things to finish the deal.“
Freshman Daniel Van Kalsbeek led the team with 28 points and 10 rebounds.
Against Valley City State, the Raiders entered the locker room at halftime with a 10 point deficit, 36-46, but were able to outscore their opponent 37-36 in the 2nd period of play.
“In the second half, we played better and had plenty of chances to close the gap and get the lead and failed to do so,” Korver said. “In a game like the one against Valley City, we needed to find a way to get the lead. As difficult as this is, it will be great learning for our team as the season progresses and these situations present themselves again.”
Freshman Ben Miller led in points with 15. Van Kalsbeek and sophomore Walker Seim each accounted for 13 points.
The Raiders host their first home games this weekend as a part of the Pizza Ranch Classic.
“It will be great to play at home this weekend in the Northwestern College/Pizza Ranch Classic, and I am looking forward to watching this team continue improving,” Korver said.
NW plays Grace University at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13 and Kansas Wesleyan University 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14.
