Tiger men too much for Lancers, clinch share of GPAC title

MITCHELL, S.D. – For the first time in five years, the Dakota Wesleyan University men's basketball team can call itself the champions of the Great Plains Athletic Conference regular season.

The No. 5 Tigers closed out the GPAC regular season schedule with an 81-47 win over instate rival Mount Marty College Wednesday at the Corn Palace. DWU improved to 27-3 overall and 17-3 in the GPAC.

"It was a very special night for our basketball program and our school," DWU Coach Matt Wilber said. "It really felt like a celebration at DWU with the involvement of the crowd and the way our team played in the second half. I am hopeful that our team will be able to carry the momentum and keep focus as we move to the postseason. I am very proud of our basketball team and they are very deserving of the conference championship due to the work they have put in."

With the win the Tigers are guaranteed at least a share of the regular season conference crown. Morningside College improved to 16-3 in the GPAC with a three-point win over Briar Cliff University on Wednesday. The Mustangs close the regular season against Concordia University at 4 p.m. Saturday in Sioux City, Iowa. In the event of a Morningside win, the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament and the GPAC automatic berth into the NAIA National Tournament would be decided by a coin flip.

Mount Marty came into Wednesday still looking for its first win of the season in conference play, and put up a fight against the Tigers in the first half. Strong three-point shooting gave the Tigers a 40-29 lead at the break. DWU hit seven 3-pointers prior to halftime, including three from senior guard Kris Menning (Corsica, S.D.), who was honored prior to the game after recently scoring his 1,000^th-career point.

After the Lancers closed the gap to six points early in the second half, DWU took over and went on a dominant 33-2 run to pull away for the win. The Tigers held Mount Marty to just 18 points in the second half.

Menning finished with a game-high 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting and hit four 3-pointers, while adding five rebounds four assists and three blocks. Senior forward Jalen Voss (Worthington, Minn.), the reigning GPAC Player of the Week, added 14 points and nine rebounds. Senior forward Luke Bamberg (Corsica, S.D.) and junior guard Trae Bergh (Crooks, S.D.) each finished with 13 points. Bamberg grabbed seven rebounds and blocked two shots, while Bergh hit three 3-pointers. Bergh is seven points shy of hitting the 1,000-point mark for his career.

DWU shot 26-of-60 from the field and 10-of-27 from deep, while outrebounding the Lancers 42-28. The Tigers, who are leading the nation in assist to turnover ratio, finished with 16 assists and two turnovers.

The Lancers were led by Bud Smith with 14 points on 4-of-15 shooting, while K.J. DeCristino added 10 points. Mount Marty shot 17-of-58 from the field and 6-of-20 from beyond the arc.

The Tigers host a first round game in the GPAC tournament Wednesday, Feb. 25 at a time and against an opponent to be determined.

NOTES: The 2014-15 conference title is the 29^th in school history and the program's second GPAC crown (2009-10) … The Tigers are one win shy of matching the school record for wins in a season (28) … DWU is 15-0 at home this season.