Northwestern bolted out to a 12-0 lead as Hamline University was held scoreless for nearly 7 minutes to start the contest. The Pipers battled back and closed to within 2 points at 22-20 with 6:23 remaining in the first half. From there, the Eagles put together an 18-7 run and lead by as many as 13 points before settling for a 40-29 halftime advantage. Northwestern was 16-for-32 (50.0%) from the floor in the first half.
The second half witnessed the Eagles open up as much as a 16-point advantage early in the half. Hamline was not about to go down quietly though as they slowly worked their way back into the game and closed to within 1 point at 63-62 with 7:51 left on the clock. The Eagles continued to own the upper-hand in the final stretch, which included a four-minute span with neither team adding any points. With 4 made free throws in the final 13 seconds, Northwestern sealed the non-conference triumph.
Northwestern found the Pipers’ baskets to be quite inviting, making 31-of-61 (50.8%) from the floor and 11-of-15 (73.3%) from the free throw line for the game. Hamline University also shot well, sinking 29-of-62 (46.8%) field goal attempts. The Pipers did struggle from long range, connecting on just 9-of-28 (32.1%) from behind the arc. Both teams hauled in 33 rebounds in a fairly even statistical box score.
Sophomore transfer Josh Strelecki (Crystal Falls, Mich./Forest Park HS) continued his impressive run to start the year, pouring in a game-high 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the floor to lead the Eagles. Daniel Hanson (Plymouth, Minn./Maranatha Academy) added 13 points and 5 rebounds, while Andrew Cramer (Alma, Wis./Lincoln HS) came off the bench to contribute 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists for Northwestern. Sophomore Mike Anderstrom (Mendota Heights, Minn./New Life Academy) provided 9 points and 11 rebounds in a near double-double performance.
Tony Thrasher paced Hamline University, owning 21 points and 5 rebounds on 8-of-15 shooting from the field. Kory Kelzer and Chris Babock joined him in double-figures scoring for the Pipers with 14 and 11 points respectively. Kyle Foster chipped in 7 points along with 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals in an impressive all-around performance for Hamline.
Northwestern College is now 10-9 all-time against Hamline University and has defeated the Pipers in 4 of their last 5 head-to-head battles. The Eagles will host Viterbo University on Tuesday night in the Ericksen Center. The tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. Northwestern will aim to set a new program record for consecutive wins to start a season.