Tigers, Bulldogs meet in GPAC Quarterfinals

MITCHELL, S.D. – The last time these two teams met in the postseason, the Great Plains Athletic Conference Championship was on the line. This time it's a trip to the GPAC Semifinals on the line as the Dakota Wesleyan University men's basketball team and Concordia University meet at 7 p.m. tomorrow at the Corn Palace.

How to watch the game

 You can still purchase tickets to attend the game at https://dwuathletics.com/ticketing. If you do plan to attend the game, please click HERE to follow the latest DWU COVID-19 Protocols. You can also stream the game online with live stats at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/dwu/, or listen to Bob Sprang and Shaun Michaels on the call at KOOL-98.3.

The Game

 The GPAC Championship Game a season ago came down to a final shot, as Concordia defeated DWU 68-66 at the Corn Palace. This season, the home team has won each of the two matchups as the Tigers won 70-64 in January, while the Bulldogs walked away with an 89-77 victory earlier in February.

 The Tigers enter the GPAC Tournament as the fourth seed, while Concordia is the fifth seed. Both teams share nearly identical records with DWU boasting an 18-7 record overall, as Concordia is 17-8. The winner of tomorrow's game will play the winner of top-seeded Morningside versus eighth-seeded Mount Marty on Saturday with the location and time to be determined.

 Coming on strong late in the season has been senior guard Nick Harden (Chicago, Ill.) who has scored 20 or more points in five of the last seven games. He ranks seventh in the NAIA with 53 steals this season and leads the conference in steals and steals per game. Harden also checks in at third in the GPAC in free-throw percentage (81.5%) and points per game (17.8).

 Also helping guide the Tigers is the duo of Koln Oppold (Sioux Falls, S.D.) and Mason Larson (Langford, S.D.). Oppold leads the team with eight double-doubles this season, including his latest 19-point, 11-rebound outing against Jamestown on Saturday.

 Larson returned to the court for the first time in the month of February and made an immediate impact on both ends of the court. He poured in 15 points on 3-of-5 shooting from 3-point range, while hauling in seven boards against the Jimmies. Despite missing four games, Larson still leads the GPAC with 1.6 blocks per game and 34 blocks this season.

The Coaches

 In his eighth season, Matt Wilber has hosted at least one game of the GPAC Postseason Tournament seven-straight years.

 Ben Limback is also in his eighth season as the head coach of Concordia. He led the Bulldogs to a trip to the national tournament a season ago after winning the GPAC Championship.

The Series

 The all-time series has been controlled by DWU with a 29-13 record. DWU is 8-3 against Concordia over the previous five seasons in matchups between the teams and the Tigers have made the GPAC Semifinals in each of the last seven seasons.

Scouting the Concordia Bulldogs

 The Bulldogs are winners of three-straight games and four of their past five games. Their 17 wins on the season have been fueled by precision shooting as Concordia ranks sixth nationally with 268 made 3-pointers on the season. They also rank 12^th in the country with 10.7 made 3-pointers per game and are 14^th in the NAIA with 401 assists this year. Concordia averages 82.4 points per game, while shooting 47.1% from the field and hold teams to 72.6 points per contest.

 Gage Smith is a force on the glass as he leads the team with 9.4 rebounds per game, also ranking 10^th nationally with 235 rebounds this year. Justin Wiersema also paces the team offensively as he averages 16.6 points and three assists per contest.