Tigers, Chargers set for midweek clash

MITCHELL, S.D. – The Dakota Wesleyan University men's basketball squad prepares for its fourth away game in five games and its eighth away game in 10 games as they battle Briar Cliff University in a Great Plains Athletic Conference bout at 8 p.m. tomorrow from the Newman Flanagan Center in Sioux City, Iowa.

The Game

 The season is hitting the final leg as the Tigers have only seven games left in the regular season. Each game will be important as DWU sits at second place in the conference, two games back from GPAC leader Morningside College, but with only 1.5 games separating them from sixth place.

 With a 14-4 overall record on the season, DWU boasts a perfect home record of 7-0, but are 6-3 in road contests, with all three road losses coming in the previous four games. However, the last time the Tigers and the Chargers met was at the Corn Palace on Nov. 11 when DWU came away with a 65-53 victory. In that matchup, BCU shot just 12% from 3-point range and committed 11 turnovers that led to 12 DWU points.

 The trio of Mason Larson (Langford, S.D.), Sawyer Schultz (Emery, S.D.) and Koln Oppold (Sioux Falls, S.D.) led the way as Nick Harden (Chicago, Ill.) sat out with an injury. Having Harden for this matchup will be crucial for DWU as he leads the team with 15.8 points, 4.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game, while leading the conference in steals per game and total steals with 36 this year.

 Larson also leads the team in blocks with 32 on the season and ranks eighth in the NAIA in that category. Oppold is another leader for the Tigers on the court as he paces the team with 8.4 rebounds per outing. Oppold also checks in at fourth in the GPAC in double-doubles with six on the season.

 As a team, the Tigers ranks 13^th with 71 blocks on the year and are 19^th in scoring defense per game, allowing 68.8 points per contest. The Tiger defense also leads the conference in points allowed per game and points allowed on the season.

The Coaches

 Matt Wilber is in his eighth season at the helm of the Tiger men's basketball squad. Wilber has coached three GPAC Player-of-the-Year athletes, with Ty Hoglund being the most recent last year.

 In his fourth year with the Chargers, Mark Svagera has led BCU to a pair of national tournament appearances.

The Series

 The all-time series between the programs has been close as DWU leads with a 23-19 advantage after the early-season win. The home team has won each game in the series over the past three seasons.

Scouting the Briar Cliff Chargers

 The Chargers hold a record of 11-10 overall and are 8-8 in conference action. They are 4-3 in home contests on the season. They live and die by the 3-pointer as they lead the nation in 3-pointers made with 247 on the season. They also check in at fifth nationally in 3-pointers made per game at 11.8 made and shoot at a 37.9% clip from beyond the arc.

 Quinn Vesey paces the Chargers with 6.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He also ranks 28^th nationally with 32 steals this year. Nick Hoyt is their 3-point threat as he ranks sixth in the NAIA with 56 made 3-pointers on the season. He averages 38.9% from downtown and tallies 11.3 points per game.

 Tickets for the game will not be sold at the gate, but fans can go online and purchase them at https://bcuchargers.com/sports/2020/10/29/Tickets.aspx. Fans can also stream the game at https://bcuchargers.com/watch/?Live=56&type=Live with live stats available at http://www.dakstats.com/Websync/Pages/WebcastPlayByPlay/WebcastPBP.aspx?association=10&sg=MBB&compID=243071&sea=NAIMBB_2020.