Showdown in Nebraska: OKWU part of Husker tripleheader
Coming off their most dominating win of the season, the Oklahoma Wesleyan University Eagles make a side-trip to Nebraska as a run-up to their Christmas break.
OKWU (12-1) -- which is ranked NO. 5 in the nation (NAIA) -- boards the their conveyance Tuesday for Lincoln, Neb., and a clash against Concordia (Neb.).
Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.
This will be the Eagles' final non-conference regular season game of the campaign.
The setting is the prestigious Battle in Vault, held at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln.
The triple-header is centered around two Division I matchups.
OKWU vs. Concordia starts off the three-bill with two highly-respected NAIA powers scrapping at 1 p.m.
At 4 p.m., Mississippi State will collide with Drake.
Nebraska will play Queens at 6:30 p.m.
The OKWU Eagles carry an eight-game winning streak into Lincoln.
As mentioned above, the Eagles are ranked No. 5 in the nation. Their only loss was to another ranked team in Evangel (Mo.), which has been in the top 15 but fell to No. 20 in last week's poll.
Concordia also had been a Top 25-ranked squad, but barely slid out last week, ending up technically at No. 26.
OKWU is averaging 77 points, 18 assists and 42 rebounds per game.
The Eagles are among the national leaders in lowest opponents' field goal percentage (.319), and averaging a winning margin of 24 points.
Concordia owns a 9-3 record; Gage Smith is averaging a double-double (12.9 ppg, 10.2 rpg).
OKWU's scoring leaders include Jaden Lietzke (14.9 ppg.), Kaleb Stokes (12.2 ppg) and Brandon Bird (11.9 ppg).
But the other two starters, Austin Poling (5.8 ppg) and Derrick Talton Jr. (7.2 ppg) have also taken turns leading OKWU in scoring, as has one of the top two players off the bench Dylan Phillips (8.8 ppg).
Bostwick is in his 10th season as OKWU head coach and 16th overall He already has accumulated well more than 400 career victories, a national championship a national runner-up spot and several Final Four appearances in NAIA tournament action.
Last year, both OKWU and Concordia advanced to the NAIA Elite Eight.
This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Oklahoma Wesleyan University headed to prestigious Division-I event
