Northwestern and Dakota Wesleyan put their win streaks on the line in a conference showdown Wednesday night. Tip-off is slated for 8pm. Northwestern has won a season-high three straight games and is 4-2 in the GPAC, 7-2 overall. DWU has won seven straight and is the lone unbeaten team left in conference play at 4-0, 7-1 overall.
The all-time rivalry numbers favor Northwestern, 47-31, dating back to the 1965-66 season. The Raiders have lost three straight, however, and are 4-6 in their last 10 games against DWU. Northwestern has not defeated the Tigers in Mitchell since 2012-13, a string of eight consecutive losses. Last year, Northwestern was swept by DWU, 93-76 and 73-69.
The lone unbeaten team left in conference play, the Tigers are in first place with a 4-0 record, 7-1 overall. Since a 66-63 loss on a neutral floor in the first game of the season on Nov.7, DWU has rattled off seven consecutive wins. They most recently defeated both Dakota State (81-63) and Doane (93-88) at home last week.
Wilber is in his eighth season as the head coach at DWU, owning a 165-70 record during his tenure, third most wins in program history. Wilber guided the Tigers to a national runner-up finish in 2014-15. Last year, DWU finished tied for second in the GPAC with a 13-7 record, 23-9 overall; they were the GPAC postseason runner-up and qualified for the national tournament.
The Raiders have won a season-high three straight games to climb into a tie for fourth place in the current GPAC standings with a 4-2 record, 7-2 overall. They have wins over Briar Cliff, Hastings and Presentation during the current streak.
