Familiar foes square off in GPAC semifinals

MITCHELL, S.D. – For the second consecutive season, the Dakota Wesleyan University men's basketball team hosts Mount Marty University in the Great Plains Athletic Conference semifinals at 3 p.m. tomorrow at the Corn Palace.

How to watch the game

 If you 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 Tim Smith and Bob Sprang on the call at KMIT 105.9.

The Game

 When the two teams met last year, DWU upended the Lancers after an 86-62 victory to move onto the GPAC Championship Game.

 In 2020-21, DWU swept the Lancers in the regular season with a 78-66 win on the road in December and a 69-58 victory at home in January. However, Mount Marty is coming off its biggest win of the season, knocking off top-seeded Morningside 76-73 on Wednesday. After jumping out to a 45-30 halftime lead, the Lancers held on for the upset victory.

 The Tigers will likely lean on senior guard Nick Harden (Chicago, Ill.) to provide a spark. He leads the team with 17.8 points, four assists and 2.3 steals per game. Harden ranks seventh nationally with 54 steals this season. Koln Oppold (Sioux Falls, S.D.) will be another Tiger who DWU will turn to during the game. He leads the team with 8.2 rebounds per outing and has collected eight double-doubles this season.

 The Tiger defense has returned to prime form recently. They lead the GPAC with 3.6 blocks per game and are holding teams to a league-best 31.4% from 3-point range. DWU also holds teams to 70.8 points per game and has tallied 185 steals this season.

The Coaches

 Matt Wilber is looking for a win to send his Tigers back to the GPAC Championship for a second straight year. With a win, he will have reached 20-plus wins in seven consecutive seasons.

 Todd Lorensen is in his second season with the Lancers. He led MMU to a GPAC semifinal appearance a season ago, falling to the Tigers in that game.

The Series

 The all-time series belongs to the Tigers. DWU boasts a 62-32 record in the series, winning its last three games between the teams dating back to last year.

Scouting the Mount Marty Lancers

 Mount Marty is the No. 8 seed in the GPAC Tournament with an overall record of 10-16. As a team, they rank eighth nationally with 267 made 3-pointers this season and are ninth in the NAIA with 220 steals.

 Senior Jailen Billings paces the Lancers with 15.9 points per outing and ranks 19th in the country with 66 made 3-pointers this year. Elijah Pappas also leads the team with 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals per contest.