Ninth-ranked Jimmies see lead slip away at Northwestern

ORANGE CITY, Iowa-- The ninth-ranked Jimmie men's basketball team led by double digits in the second half, but Northwestern College used a 23-9 over the final 9:56 to take a 65-57 win Friday evening.

Jamestown (12-3, 4-3 GPAC) lost for the first time in seven road games this season, while NWC improves its record to 11-4 overall and 4-3 in the GPAC.

Mason Walters (SR/Jamestown, ND) and Reid Gastner (SO/Lake City, MN) combined for 24 first-half points as the Jimmies led 37-25 at the break. While Walters and Gastner nearly matched the Red Raiders' point total, Craig Sterk had 23 of NWC's 25 points in the opening twenty minutes. Northwestern players not named Sterk were just 1-of-16 from the field and 0-of-9 from beyond the arc.

The Red Raiders got more players involved offensively after the break as six different players found the scoring column, but the Jimmies still kept a lead between three and ten points for most of the half.

Walters' layup with 8:02 left made it 50-44, then a Zach Lafave basket and back-to-back threes by Conner Geddes put NWC in front for the first time since leading 3-2 87 seconds into the game.

Cole Woodford (JR/Redwood Falls, MN) tied the game at 52 on the next trip down the floor and that would be as close as the Jimmies would get. Jamestown finished the game missing seven of its last nine shots while the Red Raiders went 4-for-7 down the stretch.

Walters finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Will Cordes (JR/Shakopee, MN) added 11 points and six boards while Gastner was also in double figures with 10. Sterk had a game high 26 points for NWC.

UJ returns to action Saturday at Dordt (Iowa) University.