The Malone University men's basketball team dropped its Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest to Tiffin University at home on Thursday night by a final tally of 79-69.

The Pioneers sank 11 of their 28 (39.3%) three-pointers in the contest but the Dragons managed to overcome Malone's strong shooting performance by taking advantage of their frequent trips to the charity stripe.

The Dragons more than doubled the Pioneers' point total at the line, connecting on 26 of 30 (86.7%) free throws, including 19 of 22 (86.4%) attempts in the second half.  Malone, meanwhile, attempted 16 foul shots in the game, hitting 10 (62.5%).

The two teams battled back-and-forth through a tightly contested first half that featured eight ties and six lead changes. The Dragons went to the locker room holding a slim 31-28 lead and then used a 9-0 run midway through the second half to open up a 54-42 advantage.

Tiffin would then maintain at least an eight-point cushion until the final minute when three-pointers by guard Christian Graves and forward Mitchell Spotleson cut the Dragon lead down to 73-67.

However, Malone was unable to get any closer down the stretch as the visitors sank their last four free throws of the night to preserve the victory.

Malone Individual Highlights
-Graves led the three-point charge for Malone, sinking six of 10 shots from beyond the arc and finishing the evening with a team-high 20 points
-Spotleson was four of eight from long range, totaling 14 points to go with a team-high eight rebounds
-Guard Stephen O'Daniel III contributed eight points, four assists and three blocked shots
-Guard Jay Parker notched eight points, six assists, three steals and three rebounds
-Forward Neil Gingerich tallied six rebounds, four blocks and three assists
 
Tiffin Individual Highlights
-Guard Juwan Johnson registered a game-high 23 points and finished a perfect 7-for-7 at the foul line
-Guard Alex Brown, posted 17 points and three assists and went 6-for-6 at the stripe
-Forward Jonathan Sutherlin tallied 11 points and 10 boards
-Forward Chrisean Marsden also recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds
 
Game Notes
-The Pioneer bench outscored Tiffin's reserves by a 21-10 margin
-The Dragons held a 40-28 edge on the glass and outscored the Pioneers 34-22 in the paint
-Malone matched a season high with seven blocks
-The two teams both made 24 field goals in the game, Tiffin on 56 attempts (42.9%) and Malone on 55 tries (43.6%)
 
Up Next: The Pioneers will travel to Columbus on Saturday for a 3:00 p.m. showdown with Ohio Dominican University.  Preview notes for the contest are available at www.malonepioneers.com/gamenotes