SALEM, Va. – Nebraska Wesleyan will face University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh on Saturday night (March 17) in the 2018 NCAA III Men's Basketball National Championship game at the Salem Civic Center.  Tip-off between the Prairie Wolves and Titans is set for 6:07 pm (ET) and will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
 
Both NWU and UW-Oshkosh are playing for their first men's basketball national championship.
 
NWU earned a spot in the national title game with a thrilling 90-78 overtime victory over Springfield College in the national semifinals.  The Prairie Wolves trailed by five points with just over one minute remaining but rallied to tie the game.  They outscored Springfield 17-5 in the overtime period to make their first appearance in the national title game since 1997.
 
UW-Oshkosh, ranked #24 in the final NCAA III Top 25, posted a 73-57 victory over Ramapo College in the first semifinal game of the night.  The Titans held Ramapo to just 33.9 percent shooting and led for the final 33 minutes of the game.
 
This is the first ever meeting in men's basketball between NWU and UW-Oshkosh.   The Titans received an at-large bid to the NCAA III Tournament as they lost in the semifinals of the WIAC Conference Tournament.  UW-Oshkosh has a 25-7 record, with two of their losses coming to UW-Platteville, the team NWU defeated by one point in the Sweet 16.  They have four All-WIAC performers, including junior guard Ben Boots who is a two-team 1^st-Team selection and also earned All-Central Region honors.  Sophomore center Jack Flynn was also a 1^st-Team pick.  They allow just 66.9 points per game and are dominant on the glass with a +8.5 rebound margin, starting a pair of 6-8 players along the front line.
 
Nebraska Wesleyan has already tied the NCAA III tournament record with 59 made 3-pointers this season.  They were 12-34 from long range versus Springfield and have made at least 12 3-pointers in four of the five NCAA III Tournament games. 
 
All five Prairie Wolves players reached double figures in scoring in the semifinal win, led by Cooper Cook who scored 25 points with seven made 3-pointers.  He was just one short of setting the championship series single game record.  The record for made 3-pointers at the final four is 12, set by Mitch Mosser of NWU in 1997.
 
Saturday's championship game will be nationally-televised on CBS Sports Network with Brad Johansen and Mo Cassara on the call.  CBS Sports Network is on channel  315 on Spectrum, 158 on Dish Network and 221 on Direct TV.
 
Locally fans can also hear the game on KFOR Radio 1240 AM/103.3 FM with Dick Janda calling the action.