Tigers put 13-game win streak on the line at Midland

MITCHELL, S.D. – Boasting the nation's longest winning streak during the 2020-21 season, the No. 18 Dakota Wesleyan University men's basketball team hits the road to battle Great Plains Athletic Conference foe Midland University for a 4 p.m. tip tomorrow in Fremont, Neb.

The Game

 After No. 1 Indiana Wesleyan University dropped its first game of the season and Dakota Wesleyan downed Concordia University on Wednesday, DWU now boasts the longest winning streak in the NAIA during the 2020-21 season. LSU Shreveport does have a longer streak of 23 games with their win-streak dating back to last season.

 The Tigers continue to hold the top scoring defense in the GPAC, allowing just 66.9 points per game, while Midland University averages 69.9 points per outing. DWU also has the top marks in the conference in field-goal defense, 3-point field goal defense, blocks per game and total blocks.

 Senior guard Nick Harden (Chicago, Ill.) paces the Tigers, averaging 16.8 points, 4.6 assists and 1.9 steals per contest. Harden is shooting 42.1% from the field and has 23 total steals on the season. Koln Oppold (Sioux Falls, S.D.) continues to be steady for DWU as he leads the team with 9.1 rebounds per game and is second with 13.9 points and 2.9 assists per game. Oppold also ranks 10^th nationally with 128 total rebounds.

The Coaches

 In his eighth season with the Tigers, Matt Wilber has coached 26 All-GPAC Team members and 13 All-American selections.

 Oliver Drake is in his sixth season with the Midland men's basketball squad. In 2015, Drake led the Warriors to their fifth national tournament appearance in program history.

The Series

 The series has recently been controlled by DWU, who has won five-straight games against the Warriors. The Tigers also hold a 22-16 record in the series between the two teams.

Scouting the Midland Warriors

 The Warriors have a 3-11 overall record and a 1-10 record in conference action, losing five-straight games. Midland ranks 12^th in the NAIA with 137 made 3-pointers on the season. They are shooting 43.4% from the field and average 35.4 rebounds per game.

 Bo Sandquist can get hot from 3-point range as he ranks 24^th nationally with 34 made 3-pointers, while leading the team with 6.4 rebounds per game. Laurence Merritt is another leader on the team as he averages 12.7 points per game and shoots 35.9% from downtown.

 The game can be livestreamed online at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/midland/.