Pride fight to the finish in 91-88 loss to No. 8 Northwestern

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Facing an early tough test in an NAIA Preseason Top-10 opponent, the Clarke University men's basketball team gave No. 8 Northwestern College everything they could handle in a 91-88 Red Raiders win in the Kehl Center on Friday night.

In the second game of the opening day of the Clarke Classic, the Pride were able to overcome a nine-point halftime deficit to tie the game and eventually take a lead with just under six minutes remaining in the game at 72-71.

Earlier in the second half, CU would go on spurts to cut the Northwestern lead to one possession five different times before finally reaching that 67-67 tie with 7:25 remaining but every time until a Lovre Stanovic three pointer with 5:40 left, the Red Raiders would be able to regain or expand upon their lead.

Once they grabbed that one-point lead, the Pride were able to hold the lead to CU's largest of the game at 80-75 after another Stanovic triple but after he hit a pair of free throws to make it 82-78 with 2:09 left, NWC would go on a 12-0 run over the next 1:16 put the visitors back on top for good despite a pair of late threes from Clarke to cut into the game in the final eight seconds.

Finishing each half strong was a theme on the day for Northwestern as Clarke was within a point with 4:28 left in the first half at 34-33 after a Jonovan Howard jumper but the Red Raiders would be able to finsih the half off on an 11-3 run to lead by that nine-point margin at 45-36.

Clarke's three point shooting was a large part as to why they were able to keep the game close then take their second half lead as they went 16-for-33 (48.5%) from deep in the game and 11-of-20 (55.0%) in the second half as Stanovic scored all 19 of is points in 18 minutes of the final frame and DeMarco Clayton going 6-for-8 from beyond the arc in the second half for 21 of his game-high 29 points comingin the second half.

The senior guard from Bloomington, Ill. also grabbed 10 rebounds for his second career double-double as a member of the Pride while Jonovan Howard was able to provide a solid scoring punch off the bench, finishing his 18 minutes with 14 points on 6-of-10 (60%) shooting and a perfect 2-for-2 from deep with four steals and three assists and Ivan Vukusic scored 11 points getting his first start of the season after coming off the bench late in the opener against Emmaus to test a preseason injury.

Northwestern had three players in double figures led by a 28-point, 13-rebound performance from forward Jesse Van Kalsbeek while guards Manny Hammonds and Jalen Langsy added 23 and 22 respectively as Hammonds went 5-for-7 from three and Langsy had five rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

Clarke men's basketball will be back on the Kehl Center floor less than 24 hours later to wrap up the Clarke Classic against Viterbo University with a 3:00 p.m. CT scheduled opening tip between the Pride and V-Hawks.