The Malone University men's basketball team has announced the addition of three exhibition games and one regular-season contest to its 2012-13 schedule.   Each of the added competitions will be played on the road in November and feature an opponent from a NCAA Division I institution.

Prior to Malone's regular-season opener on November 10th at home against the University of Cincinnati Clermont, the Pioneers will play road exhibition games against the University of Akron and Cleveland State University.  The Pioneer men will face the Zips on Saturday, November 3rd at 5:00 p.m. in the second game of an exhibition doubleheader that will also include a Malone-Akron women's game (Akron has announed that the start time for the women's contest will be 2:00 p.m.).

Fourth-year head coach Tim Walker and the Pioneer men's squad will then head to Cleveland on Tuesday, November 6th for a 7:00 p.m. match-up with the Vikings.

Malone's other two Division I games will occur just before Thanksgiving as the squad takes part in the Hoops for Hope Challenge.  The Pioneers will travel to Dallas, Texas on Monday, November 19th for a 9:00 p.m.  EST (8:00 p.m. CST) exhibition game against Conference USA member Southern Methodist University.  Then on Wednesday, November 21st, Malone will be in Springfield, Missouri for an 8:05 p.m. EST (7:05 p.m. CST) regular-season match-up against Missouri State University, a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.

Although Southern Methodist will consider the November 19th game as a regular-season contest, NCAA rules allow the Pioneers to designate it as an exhibition. 

Hoops for Hope is sponsored by the Missouri Valley Conference and proceeds will be used to raise awareness, support and research for the National Urea Cycle Disorders Foundation.

“We are thrilled for the opportunity to add these high level Division I opponents to our schedule,” commented Walker. “We are always looking for opportunities to test ourselves against the best, and these four institutions represent some of the best of Division I programs and conferences. We appreciate the opportunity that the coaching staffs of these schools have afforded our program and it is a special honor to take part in the Hoops for Hope Challenge which supports such a great cause.”

After returning from Hoops for Hope, the Pioneers will open up Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play at home on Thursday, November 29th with a 6:00 p.m. showdown against Michigan Tech.

To view the complete 2012-13 Malone men's basketball schedule, please click here.