Archived Video Broadcast

The Malone University men's basketball team rolled to a convincing 86-63 home victory over visiting Cedarville University on Saturday afternoon at Osborne Hall.

After suffering a tough 76-51 at CU's Callan Athletic Center in late January, the Pioneers completely turned the tables on the Yellow Jackets on Saturday, shooting 49% from the field and knocking down 12 three-pointers in route to the 23-point win.

Malone never trailed in the contest as the squad pulled out to a 15-5 advantage just under five minutes into the game.  Down 42-24 at halftime, Cedarville made a strong comeback bid early on in the final period.  After a three-pointer by Pioneer forward Mitchell Spotleson put the hosts ahead 45-24, the Yellow Jackets went on a 17-2 scoring run to slice the Malone advantage down to just six at 47-41. 

However, the Pioneers quickly regained command as the squad immediately responded with a 12-0 spurt to push the lead back to 59-41 with a little more than 10 minutes remaining.  Forward Nate Sheppard started the Malone run by converting a fast break lay-up and then draining a three-pointer.  Spotleson, guard Christian Graves and guard Ty Jordan each followed with buckets to put Malone back in control.

Cedarville would get no closer than 13 the rest of the way as the Pioneers cruised to their third straight victory.

Malone improved to 12-11 overall and 5-5 in Great Midwest Athletic Conference play with the win while Cedarville slipped to 11-13 overall and 3-6 in the conference.

The Pioneers, who locked up a G-MAC tournament bid earlier in the week, now hold sole possession of the No. 4 spot in the conference standings, one game behind third-place Davis & Elkins College.

Game Highlights
-The Pioneers' defense held the Yellow Jackets  to just 32% (nine of 28) shooting from the field and 18% (two of 11) accuracy from three-point range over the first 20 minutes
-CU got back on track with eight three-pointers in the second half, but it was not enough to overcome the halftime deficit
-Malone grabbed a season-high 13 steals.  Overall, the Pioneers outscored CU 30-11 in points off turnovers
-The Pioneers also enjoyed a 34-18 edge in the paint and dished out 23 assists on its 34 made baskets
-The Yellow Jackets held a 46-38 edge in total rebounds
 
Malone Individual Highlights
-Spotleson matched his previous career high with 24 points.  The junior hit 10 of 18 shots from the field, including four of seven attempts from beyond the arc.  He also grabbed seven boards and two steals
-Graves tossed in 19 points to go with seven rebounds, five assists and three steals
-Jordan stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, 11 assists, five rebounds, one block and one steal
-Sheppard contributed 11 points
-Forward Ben Evans came off the bench to register 10 points and four rebounds
 
Cedarville Individual Highlights
- Forward Robert Okoro tallied 12 points and eight rebounds
-Forward Joey Morian added 12 points after connecting on all four of his attempts from long range
-Guard Justice Montgomery notched seven points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals
 
Hall of Fame Recognition
-Malone's 2017 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees were recognized at halftime of the contest.  Congratulations to Laurie (Franklin) Nichols ('05, women's soccer), Jason Hess ('04, men's basketball), Todd Hoffman ('94, baseball), Dr. Leo Kormanik ('06, men's cross country, track & field), and Randy Lane ('83, men's soccer).
 
Up Next:
The Pioneers will travel to Salem International University on Wednesday for a 7:00 p.m. non-conference contest.