The Malone University women's basketball team travels south this week to continue Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) play against Trevecca Nazarene University on Thursday, December 13th in Nashville before going to Owensboro, Kentucky to meet Kentucky Wesleyan College on Saturday, December 15th. The Pioneers, who have lost three straight, are looking to get back in the win column as they close out the 2018 portion of their conference slate.
GameDay
12/13 Malone at Trevecca Nazarene – 6:30 pm ET (5:30 pm CT)
12/15 Malone at Kentucky Wesleyan – 1:00 pm ET (12:00 pm CT)
Live video & stats:
portal.stretchinternet.com/malone
Team Comparison
| Category |
Malone |
TNU |
KWC |
| Record (G-MAC) |
3-6 (1-3) |
2-6 (1-2) |
4-3 (2-1) |
| Points per game |
59.7 |
64.6 |
77.3 |
| Points allowed |
63.1 |
72.4 |
66.4 |
| Scoring margin |
-3.4 |
-7.8 |
+10.9 |
| FG% |
34.7% |
37.8% |
44.1% |
| 3-point% |
28.1% |
29.9% |
38.1% |
| Free throw% |
74.5% |
71.5% |
70.3% |
| FG% defense |
38.2% |
43.2% |
40.5% |
| Rebounds |
38.3 |
32.8 |
33.0 |
| Rebound margin |
-1.7 |
-7.9 |
-1.4 |
| Turnover margin |
-1.0 |
+2.4 |
+1.6 |
Series History
The Pioneers are 4-4 all-time against Trevecca, including a 4-0 mark over the past two years. Last season, Malone overcame a 15-point deficit in a 59-54 January win over the Trojans in Nashville. Then in February, the Pioneers erupted for a 94-55 win in Canton, shooting 61.2% (30-of-49) from the field, the best since 2004, and 65.1% (17-of-26) from three-point range, the 4th-best in school history.
Against Kentucky Wesleyan, Malone is 2-2 all-time, but went winless in a pair of games last winter. The Panthers led from start to finish in a 73-67 January win in Owensboro. They then topped Malone 74-69 in Canton last February.
Malone Notes
- Senior guard Chrissie Vaughan scored over 20 points twice last season, both times against Trevecca Nazarene. She averaged 20.5 points per game and shot 66.7% (12-of-18) from three-point range in the two wins.
- This season, Vaughan is averaging 8.7 points per game and is tied for the team lead with 15 threes, but is making just 26.3% of her shots from deep. She will look to get back on track on Thursday against the team she torched last winter.
- Senior forward Naomi Grandison, who also has 15 three-pointers, is coming off a season-high 16-point performance in the 69-50 loss to Findlay on Saturday. Grandison is third on the team in scoring this season, averaging 8.1 points per game.
- Junior forward Ellen Doyle is also averaging 8.1 points to go along with a team-leading 6.0 rebounds a game.
- In a 70-44 road loss to Hillsdale last Thursday, freshman point guard Robin Campbell scored a team-high 14 points. On the season, she leads Malone in scoring, averaging 13.9 points per game.
- Campbell also leads Malone in assists (27) and ranks second in rebounding (5.3 rpg). She leads the team and is third in the G-MAC in minutes played (35.7 mpg). Campbell also ranks third among DII freshmen in minutes.
- Senior guard Paiten Strother is second on the team in minutes (32.4 mpg) and steals (8). Dating back to last season, Strother has made at least one three-pointer in 22 of her last 26 games.
- Junior guard Sydney Wentling, who leads Malone in bench scoring, has had a fair share of success against this week's opponents. She hit a career-high five threes and finished with 16 points in the home win over Trevecca. At Kentucky Wesleyan, she scored a then career-high 17 points.
- As a team, Malone has struggled offensively as of late, averaging just 49.7 points during its three-game losing streak. All season, the Pioneers have scored more than 65 points in regulation just once and shot better than 40% just once. Still, Malone remains a potent three-point shooting team, ranking fourth in the G-MAC with 8.2 made treys per game.
- Defensively, Malone continues to play well, limiting opponents to the second-lowest scoring average and the fourth-lowest shooting percentage. Only one team this season has shot better than 41% and only one team has scored 70 points against Malone in regulation.
Trevecca Nazarene Notes - Roster |
Schedule |
Stats
- After beginning the season with an exhibition win over Division I Middle Tennessee State, the Trojans lost six of their first seven regular season games before earning their first G-MAC win last Saturday at Tiffin, 72-64.
- The Trojans are led by a pair of Division I transfers in senior guard Callie Hackett (14.1 ppg) and Brittin Boyer (10.6 ppg). Hackett scored a game-high 17 in the win at Tiffin last weel and 18 in the loss to Malone in February.
- As a team, Trevecca ranks second in the G-MAC in turnovers forced per game (20.3) and steals (9.9 spg). TNU has forced at least 19 turnovers in seven of its eight games.
Kentucky Wesleyan Notes - Roster |
Schedule |
Stats
- Since dropping their first two games of the season, the Panthers have won four of their last five, including a 93-point (119-26) drubbing of Ohio Christian in its home opener in mid-November where they hit a school record 19 three-pointers. KWC, who hosts Walsh on Thursday, is coming off its first G-MAC loss of the season last Saturday at Cedarville (89-78).
- The Panthers come into the week ranked second in the G-MAC in scoring, fourth in scoring margin, and fourth in field goal percentage. They are currently eighth in DII with 9.9 made three-pointers per game.
- Junior forward Keelie Lamb leads KWC in scoring at 12.1 points per game. Sophomore guard Jenna Martin averages 11.0 ppg and leads the team with 16 threes. She scored a game-high 26 points in the win over Malone in Owensboro last season.
