ORANGE CITY, Iowa — The Northwestern Red Raiders stormed past Dakota Wesleyan 112-79 on Wednesday night in the Great Plains Athletic Conference men’s basketball quarterfinals at the Bultman Center, sending the Tigers’ season to a close.
Northwestern, ranked 20th nationally, wasted no time asserting dominance, jumping out to a 15-0 lead within the first four minutes. The Red Raiders’ offense was nearly unstoppable, shooting 72% from the field in the first half and connecting on seven of their first seven three-point attempts. By halftime, they held a commanding 65-29 lead.
Van Kalsbeek led the Red Raiders with 27 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists, securing a well-earned double-double. Langsy contributed 21 points and became Northwestern’s single-season leader in three-pointers, totaling 128 for the year. Isaac Cordes added 14 points off the bench, while the Raiders’ deep roster saw 13 players score and a bench contribution of 42 points.
For Dakota Wesleyan, Randy Rosenquist Jr. led with 16 points, followed by Noah Oberfeld’s 13 off the bench and Tyson Stevenson’s 12. Despite the Tigers’ 50-point effort in the second half, the deficit proved insurmountable, with the largest margin reaching 39 points.
Northwestern’s balance of high-percentage shooting, relentless pace, and depth proved decisive. The Red Raiders converted 62% of field goals and 58% of three-point attempts, marking the eighth time this season they scored over 100 points, including four times against GPAC opponents.
With the win, Northwestern advances to the semifinals to host No. 3 seed Mount Marty on Saturday at 2:00 p.m., fresh off the Lancers’ narrow 74-73 quarterfinal victory over Briar Cliff.
Dakota Wesleyan ends the season with a 14-15 record.