Top teams tangle for first place in GPAC

MITCHELL, S.D. – It's a showdown of the top two teams in the Great Plains Athletic Conference as the No. 16 Dakota Wesleyan University men's basketball hosts No. 9 Morningside College with first place in the conference on the line at 8 p.m. tomorrow at the Corn Palace.

The Game

 Tomorrow's top-20 matchup pits the Tigers and Mustangs against each other for the second time this season. In the first matchup on the road in December, DWU defeated then-No. 8 Morningside 75-60 behind a tough defensive performance. The Tigers held the Mustangs to 32.3% shooting from the floor and forced 11 turnovers.

 The game also features the top pair of defenses in the GPAC. DWU leads the conference, allowing 69.6 points per game, while Morningside is second, allowing 70.3 points per outing. Morningside leads the GPAC in field goal percentage defense, holding teams to 42.4% from the floor, while DWU is second in the same category, holding teams to 42.9% shooting.

 In the first matchup, Nick Harden (Chicago, Ill.) finished with an impressive 24 points and six steals to lead the Tigers. The Chicago native continues to lead the team with 16.4 points and 2.4 steals per game. He also ranks eighth nationally with 44 steals this year and leads the conference in steals and steals per game.

 Junior Koln Oppold (Sioux Falls, S.D.) has emerged as a leader on both ends of the court. He leads the team with 8.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game, while checking in second on the team with 14.3 points per contest. Oppold also ranks 18th in the NAIA with 167 rebounds this season.

The Coaches

 Matt Wilber is in his eighth season as the DWU men's basketball head coach. He is 102-49 in GPAC matchups in his career.

 Jim Sykes is in his 17th season as the head men's basketball coach for the Mustangs. He has a career record of 379-168.

The Series

 Tonight is the 49th meeting between the programs. Morningside holds a 28-20 advantage. DWU has won two in a row after beating the Mustangs last year at the Corn Palace.

Scouting the Morningside Mustangs

 The Mustangs boast an overall record of 18-3 after winning eight of their previous nine games. Morningside rebounds well, averaging 29.7 defensive rebounds per game while having a 12.0 rebound margin on the season.

 Trey Brown paces the team in rebounding, ranking second nationally with 229 rebounds this year. He also averages 17.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and one block per game. Zach Imig also leads the team with 4.8 assists and 1.7 steals per outing. He ranks 11^th nationally with 101 assists on the season.

 For fans not able to attend the game, you can stream the game online with stats at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/dwu/. You can also listen to Tim Smith and Bob Sprang with the call at 105.9 FM or online at kmit.com.