The Malone University women's basketball team returns to Canton this week to take on Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) newcomer Lake Erie College on Thursday, January 11th at 8:00 pm before welcoming Ursuline College to Osborne Hall on Saturday, January 13th for a 2017 G-MAC Championship game rematch at 3:00 pm.
 
The Pioneers, who are 4-8 overall and 2-6 in the G-MAC, enter the week in a tie for 10th place in the conference standings, just one win back of the 8th and final playoff spot. Lake Erie (7-6 overall, 4-4 G-MAC) comes into the week in 7th place while Ursuline (11-4, 8-1 G-MAC) is in second place, one game behind first-place Findlay.
 
GameDay
1/11 Malone vs. Lake Erie – 8:00 pm
1/13 Malone vs. Ursuline – 3:00 pm
Both games will be streamed live at: portal.stretchinternet.com/malone
Thursday's game will also air on ESPN 990 AM radio and www.espn990.com/listen.php
 
Promotions
Thursday's contest against Lake Erie will feature a "Rock the Hall" theme as the Pioneers face the Storm during a men's and women's basketball doubleheader. In addition to rock music played throughout the night, there will be contests and prizes for Malone students in attendance.
 
Series History
Although Malone and Lake Erie will be meeting for the first time as members of the G-MAC on Thursday, the two teams are no strangers to one another, having met 23 times previously. The Pioneers hold a 16-7 all-time upper hand. Lake Erie won a non-conference matchup between the two teams, 70-63, in the 2016-17 season opener.
 
Against Saturday's opponent, Ursuline, Malone is 14-6 in 20 all-time meetings. The Pioneers posted a 2-1 record vs. the Arrows last season, including an 81-80 home overtime win in the regular-season finale and a 72-64 victory at Ursuline in the G-MAC Championship game a week later.

Malone Notes 

• In three games against Ursuline last season, Malone senior forward Baylen Dyrlund averaged 14.7 points and 8.3 rebounds. This winter, she leads the Pioneers in both categories, scoring 13.5 points and pulling down 5.7 rebounds a game.
• In her 41st career game with Malone last Saturday against Kentucky Wesleyan, Dyrlund eclipsed 500 total points as a Pioneer. Including her two seasons at West Liberty, she has 760 career points.
• Two days prior, Chrissie Vaughan reached 600 career points during a 59-54 comeback win in which she hit six threes and scored a season-high 20 to help Malone overcome a 15-point third-quarter deficit.
• On the year, Vaughan is scoring 10.3 ppg and leads the team with 30 made threes. She drilled five threes and registered 19 points in Malone's season-ending win over Ursuline last February.
• Junior forward Naomi Grandison, who left Saturday's game early in the first half with an injury, averages 9.9 ppg and leads the team in three-point shooting (47.4%). She has played in all 69 games over the last two and a half seasons.
• Sophomore point guard Holly Groff has appeared in 42 straight games to begin her career. This season she is averaging 9.2 points, 4.0 assists (t-5th in the G-MAC), and 3.7 rebounds and leads the squad with 11 steals. Groff has made 23 of her last 25 free throws (92.0%) coming into this week.
• Sydney Wentling (8.2 ppg) has drained 20-of-22 (90.9%) of her free throws this season. The sophomore guard scored a career-high 17 points in 73-67 loss at Kentucky Wesleyan.
• In that same game, fellow sophomore guard Dani Drayer tied a season-high with nine points
• Junior guard Paiten Strother (5.3 ppg) also tallied nine points in the loss. Against Lake Erie last season in her Pioneer debut, she netted four three-point field goals and scored what remains a career-high 14 points. Strother collected three steals on Saturday and is second on the team with 10 on the season.
• Despite her efforts, Malone has struggled to force turnovers and is averaging just 4.9 steals per game, the 4th-fewest in the country. The Pioneers have still managed to produce the 4th-lowest scoring defense in the G-MAC at 66.2 points allowed per game.
• The Pioneers continue to lead the conference in defensive rebound percentage (74.4 %). They also rank 5th in the nation and lead the conference in free throw shooting (81.0%).
• Malone is just 1-4 in Osborne Hall this season, including losses in three straight. The Pioneers have, however, won four straight over Lake Erie at home and three straight over Ursuline.
   

Lake Erie Notes - Roster | Schedule | Stats

• The Storm are coming off of an 83-62 loss to Findlay last Saturday in which they allowed 13 made threes. That number bodes well for a Malone team that averages 8.0 made threes per game. What does not bode well for Malone is that Lake Erie has followed up all five of its previous losses this season with a win the next time out.
• Senior guard Kayla Gabor, a First Team All-GLIAC performer last season, leads the G-MAC and is 10th in NCAA DII in scoring at 21.8 points per game. She also leads the conference in free throws (90.9%), is 4th in steals (2.1 spg), 5th in shooting (50.0%) and 8th in rebounding (7.2 rpg).
• Sophomore guard and Stark-county product Josie Chaddock (Minerva HS) is averaging 11.5 ppg.
• Senior center Christine Dawson (10.5 ppg) is third in the G-MAC in rebounds (10.1 rpg) and 7th in assists (3.5 apg). She leads the conference and is 10th in the nation with 3.0 blocks an outing.
• As a team, the Storm enter the week ranked 1st in blocks (5.2 bpg), 2nd in rebounds (42.3 rpg), 3rd in field goal defense (38.7%), and 5th in steals (8.4 spg).
   

  Ursuline Notes -  Roster | Schedule | Stats

• The defending G-MAC regular season champions and 2017 NCAA Tournament qualifiers are coming off of a 1-1 week in which they knocked off nationally-ranked Findlay 80-73 on Thursday before stumbling to an 84-68 loss last Saturday to Hillsdale. Ursuline will meet Walsh this Thursday prior to visiting Malone this weekend.
• The Arrows feature one of the most potent offenses, not only in the G-MAC but in the country, averaging nearly 80 points a game. Ursuline leads the league in assists (19.1 apg), is 2nd in blocks (5.0 bpg), 3rd in rebounds (41.1 rpg), 3rd in shooting (45.1%), and 3rd in scoring margin (+6.6 ppg).
• Two-time Reigning G-MAC Player of the Year and All-American candidate Laney Lewis ranks 2nd in the G-MAC in scoring (19.1 ppg). She leads the conference and is 2nd in the country in rebounds (13.9 rpg), she leads the conference and is 5th in the country in assists (6.8 apg). Lewis also leads the G-MAC in minutes (37.3 mpg) is third in blocks (2.0 bpg).
• In 15 games this season, Lewis has recorded 13 double-doubles, the most in the nation. She is also the only player in the country with two triple-doubles, including one against Findlay last week in which she tallied 25 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists, two blocks, and a steal.
• In that same game, senior forward Camryn Hill scored a season-high 27 points. Hill, the sister of Malone forward Keri Hill, is averaging 16.9 points (5th in the G-MAC) and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 57.8% (4th in the G-MAC).