The Malone University men's basketball team rolled to a 74-54 home win over the University of Illinois Springfield on Friday evening in the season opener for both teams.

On day one of its Great Midwest Athletic Conference / Great Lakes Valley Conference Crossover Classic, the Pioneers used an 8-0 run midway through the first half to open up a 21-13 advantage.  Malone took a 36-26 edge into the locker room at intermission and then scored the first 13 points of the final stanza to take command.

In the first game of the evening, Hillsdale College downed the University of Southern Indiana by a final score of 77-70.
 
Game Highlights
-The Pioneers shot nearly 53% from the field on the night while knocking down 13 of their 32 three-pointers (40.6%)
-The Prairie Stars struggled to get on track for much of the night, hitting just 34.5% of their attempts from the field and seven of their 29 shots from long range (24.1%)
-Malone held a slim 33-32 edge in total rebounds and dished out 18 assists on its 28 made baskets
 
Malone Individual Highlights
-Nate Sheppard tossed in 23 points and grabbed six boards; He knocked down nine of 14 of his field goals, including five of nine three-pointers
-Mitchell Spotleson followed with 16 points to go with a team-high seven rebounds and two steals
-Ty Jordan added 10 points, six assists and two steals
-Forward Djuro Pantos posted six points, four boards and two assists
-In his collegiate debut, Jaret Majestic registered six points on two-of-five shooting from long range
-Ben Evans also knocked down a pair or treys, finishing the night with six points and two assists.
-Freshman Marcus Ernst pulled down five rebounds and dished out two assists in 16 minutes of action
 
Illinois Springfield Individual Highlights
-CJ Payawal was the lone UIS player to reach double figures with 10 points
-Vince Walker followed with nine points
-Zach Steinberg contributed eight points and seven boards
 
Up Next:
The Crossover Classic will continue on Saturday in Osborne Hall as Hillsdale takes on Illinois Springfield at 5:00 p.m. followed by Malone vs. Southern Indiana at 7:00 p.m.