Slow Start Too Much to Overcome as Warriors Fall to No. 12 Northwestern

ORANGE CITY, Iowa — Midland University traveled to Orange City, Iowa, to face No. 12-ranked Northwestern College in a Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) matchup, marking its first conference road game of the season. The Red Raiders came out firing, handing the Warriors a tough 105-78 loss.

Northwestern opened the game with a 22-9 run, seizing an early lead. Rece Kissinger ended Midland's scoring drought with a three-pointer, sparking an exchange of baskets between the teams. Luke Gdowski energized the Warriors with a dunk, leading an 8-5 run, but Northwestern answered with an 8-0 run of its own, including two dunks. Jake Orr broke Midland's next scoring silence with a three-pointer, but the Red Raiders continued to dominate. Northwestern finished the half at the free-throw line, holding a commanding 56-31 lead.

In the second half, Jeff Rozelle III opened scoring with a tip-in, but Northwestern responded with back-to-back three-pointers to keep the pressure on. The teams traded baskets until Ryan Larsen ignited a 6-0 Midland run, prompting a timeout from Northwestern. Following the break, the Red Raiders' sharp shooting from beyond the arc continued, extending their lead to 81-52 midway through the half and forcing another Midland timeout.

After regrouping, Orr led a 10-3 run for the Warriors, chipping away at the deficit. However, Northwestern maintained control, going on an 8-4 run that pushed its lead to 100-72 with just over two minutes remaining. The Red Raiders capped off the night with a three-pointer, securing the decisive victory.

Midland shot 32-of-68 (47.1%) from the field, while Northwestern finished 37-of-58 (63.8%). The Red Raiders' proficiency from beyond the arc proved decisive, hitting 18-of-33 (54.5%), while the Warriors struggled, making just 3-of-14 (21.4%).

Jake Orr led Midland with 13 points, followed by Gdowski and Rozelle with 10 points apiece.

"It was a tough night for us," said head coach Tyler Erwin. "Coach Korver and Northwestern have a really good team, and they're always challenging to play here in Orange City. They have all the makings of a national tournament contender—with a player of the year candidate around the rim, plus two outstanding freshmen. Their guard play is strong, and they're extremely well-coached. On top of that, they're deep and can rotate a lot of players. That said, I'm proud of our effort in the second half. We moved the ball better and executed some good things offensively."

Midland (5-3, 1-2 GPAC) will travel to Seward, Nebraska, to face No. 9-ranked Concordia (3-2, 0-2 GPAC) in another conference matchup. Tip-off is set for 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday, November 26, inside Friedrich Arena.