The Tiffin University men's basketball team will head to the Mountain State for a weekend tussle with the Salem International University Tigers.
Tiffin University vs. Salem International
Location: T. Edwards Davis Gymnasium - 223 West Main Street Salem, West Virginia 26426
Series Record: The Dragons and Tigers have met only three times, with Tiffin holding a 2-1 advantage. Tiffin's lone loss to the Tigers came back in 2011 with the Dragons falling 91-88.
Last Matchup: Tiffin had a slow start against the Tigers last year, but a 59 point 2nd half saved Tiffin from dropping a non-conference game. Austin Adams was a monster, leading all scorers with 31 points on 14 of 18 shooting. Adams also snagged 14 boards in the game with five coming on the offensive end.
Newcomer: Shane Waldon has had a nice start to his Tiffin University career, scoring 16 points in a win over Ohio Dominican and then just missing a double-double against Lake Erie with 10 points and 9 rebounds.
Taking Advantage Of Turnovers: The Dragons' defense has forced 33 turnovers this season, scoring 36 points off those turnovers. Nationally Tiffin is 34th in total steals with 18, and 22nd in total blocks with 11.
More Boards Are Needed: The Dragons are -4.0 in rebound margin through two games, being out rebounded by both Ohio Dominican and Lake Erie. The Storm took full advantage of their inside presence with a 41-37 rebounding lead and a 44-18 advantage in points in the paint. Nationally the Dragons are 209th of 282 NCAA Division II teams in rebounding margin.
Tigers: Salem International did a complete overhaul of their roster after finishing 2-24 last season. The Tigers have brought in several Division I transfers and have added depth from the junior college level.
Tigers Race Past Thorobreds: Salem International opened the 2017 season with a dominating win of Kentucky State University. The Tigers defense forced 19 turnovers leading to 20 points. Salem International was efficient from the field, knocking down 47% of their field goal attempts. The Tigers post players feasted on Kentucky State, with 62 of the Tigers 92 points coming in the paint. Malik Toppin led the way for Salem International with 30 points and 16 boards on 13 of 22 shooting.
A Bumpy Road: The past three seasons have been a rough road for the Tigers, winning only nine games. The Tigers surrendered nearly 100 points per game last season, allowing 12 teams to score more that 100 points in a game. Road games have been especially rough with Salem International posting a 2-41 record in road games over the last three years.