The Malone University men's basketball team will be back in action this Wednesday and Saturday following the conclusion of its two-week Holiday break.  The Pioneers will host Great Midwest Athletic Conference games against Cedarville University on Wednesday evening and Tiffin University on Saturday afternoon.
 
Special Promotions
Wednesday (1/2/19) vs. Cedarville – Church Congregation Appreciation Night
-$5 admission for attendees of Northeast Ohio churches
-Free admission for local pastors
-Merchandise giveaways & prizes
 
Saturday (1/5/19) vs. Tiffin – Youth Basketball Day
-All youth basketball players 12 & Under will be admitted for free
-Parents and/or Guardians of each boys or girls basketball player will receive a $1 discount off the price of admission
 
GameDay
1/2/19 Cedarville at Malone – 8:00 pm
1/5/19 Tiffin at Malone – 3:00 pm
Video/Stats (Both Games): https://portal.stretchinternet.com/malone/
Radio (Both Games): ESPN 990 AM and www.espn990.com/listen.php
 
Series History
Malone has a lengthy history with both of this week's opponents.  Aside from archrival Walsh University, the Pioneers have played Cedarville University more than any other team in program history.  Malone owns a 54-43 all-time record against the Yellow Jackets.  The two teams split last year's meetings as Cedarville topped Malone 88-75 in Canton on January 2, 2018 before the Pioneers registered an 84-82 overtime victory at Cedarville later that month.   Malone is 4-2 against the Yellow Jackets under head coach Casey Kaufman, including a 75-69 victory in the G-MAC Tournament Quarterfinals back in March of 2017.

In its 50+ year history, Malone has posted more victories against Tiffin than any other team.  The Pioneers own a 63-25 all-time mark against the Dragons.  The two teams, longtime foes in the American Mideast Conference and later in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, are now once again conference opponents with Tiffin's move to the G-MAC this season.  The Dragons and Pioneers last met during the 2015-16 season with Tiffin sweeping both contests that year, claiming victories of 79-69 and 74-67.
 
Malone Notes (7-6 overall, 2-4 G-MAC) - Schedule | Roster | Stats
-The Pioneers enter Wednesday's game having won two out of their last three.  In its most recent contest (on December 19), Malone registered an 84-82 non-conference victory at home against Charleston. 
-The Pioneers knocked down 14 of 25 three-pointers in the win over UC for a season-high 56% accuracy from long range
-On the year, Malone is shooting 35% from beyond the arc (116 of 331), making an average of 8.9 triples per outing
-The Pioneers have taken care of the basketball throughout the season, ranking fourth in the G-MAC in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.4.  Malone is also sixth in the conference in turnover margin at +1.62
-Malone is fourth in the G-MAC in scoring defense, yielding 70.3 points per contest
-Senior guard Nate Sheppard tossed in a game-high 28 points in the win against Charleston thanks to an impressive shooting display.  Sheppard went 7-of-10 from three-point range on the afternoon, including an incredible 4-for-4 outburst from deep over the final 3:15 as he led the Pioneers back from a late six-point deficit
-Sheppard enters the new calendar year leading the G-MAC in scoring at 21.0 pointer per game.  He also ranks first in the conference and ninth in all of NCAA Division II with 41 made three-pointers on the season.  In last year's loss to Cedarville on January 2, Sheppard racked up a team-high 24 points and seven rebounds
-Sheppard recently moved into the Top 20 on Malone's all-time scoring list and is now just 66 points away from becoming the 18th player in program history to reach 1,500 career points
-Guard Daylan Haynie posted 13 points and eight assists in the win against Charleston.  He currently leads the G-MAC and ranks eighth in NCAA Division II in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.40.
-Haynie is currently averaging 8.7 points per contest and ranks fourth in the G-MAC with an average of 5.2 assists per outing
-Guard Bryce Butler notched 16 points, four assists and three rebounds against Charleston.  On the season, the junior ranks second on the team in scoring at 14.2 points per outing and is second in the G-MAC in field-goal percentage, having made 51.6% of his overall attempts and 50% of his treys (20 of 40).
-Forward Marcus Ernst ranks seventh in the G-MAC in both rebounding (7.1 per game) and blocked shots (1.3 per outing)
-Forward Ben Evans tallied 12 points and eight boards in the win against Charleston.   Evans is averaging 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest and ranks second on the team in both three-pointers made (26) and blocked shots (9)
 -In the overtime victory at Cedarville last season, guard Jaret Majestic hit five of nine three-pointers combined between the second half and the extra frame, finishing with 16 points.  Majestic is averaging 6.8 points per outing this year and will look to get his long-rage game going once again against the Yellow Jackets.
 
Cedarville Notes (7-6 overall, 4-1 G-MAC) - Schedule | Roster | Stats
-The Yellow Jackets racked up plenty of travel miles over the last two weeks of December.  Cedarville made a trip to the Florida Southern College Classic December 18-19 and then after Christmas, travelled to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a contest against Lake Superior State University on December 29. 
-The Yellow Jackets went 1-2 in those games, topping Saint Leo University 77-70 while suffering narrow defeats to NCAA Division II #10 Florida Southern (64-61) and LSSU (94-92)
-Prior to their busy travel schedule, the Yellow Jackets had opened the month of December with four straight G-MAC victories including an impressive 82-69 home triumph over the University of Findlay, which at the time (Dec. 1) was ranked ninth in the country
-Cedarville ranks third in the G-MAC in scoring offense at 80.2 points per game.  The Jackets lead the league (and rank 21st in NCAA Div. II) in three-point percentage at 41.5% and are second in the G-MAC in field-goal percentage overall at 47.9%
-Guard Grant Zawadzki is the reigning G-MAC Player of the Week after racking up 34 points with six made three-pointers in the win against Saint Leo.  Zawadzki notched 16 points and five assists in the game at Lake Superior State this past Saturday and is currently averaging 12.1 points per outing.  He is also ranked second in the G-MAC in both assists (6.0 per game) and free throw percentage (.940)
-Zawadzki's teammate, Conner TenHove, leads the G-MAC and all of NCAA Division II in free throw accuracy, having made an impressive 35 of 36 at the line this year (97.2%)
-TenHove is Cedarville's leading scorer (15.7 ppg) and rebounder (7.0).  The sophomore, who is also a pitcher for the Yellow Jackets' baseball team, registered a double-double at LSSU with 19 points and 10 boards
-Freshman guard Branden Maughmer is shooting a sizzling 52.8% (19 of 36) from three-point range this season while averaging 14.8 points per contest
-6'8" center Kollin Van Horn gives Cedarville four starters averaging double figures as he registers 11.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per outing
 
Tiffin Notes (5-8 overall, 1-4 G-MAC) - Schedule | Roster | Stats
The Dragons, who will play Walsh University on Thursday night before visiting Osborne Hall on Saturday, also made a trip to Florida prior to Christmas, where they registered a 2-0 record at Florida Tech University's Winter Classic.  Tiffin downed Embry-Riddle University 99-95 on December 18 before topping Florida Tech 78-74 on December 19. 
-Tiffin most recently travelled to NCAA Division II #16 West Liberty University on Sunday where they fell to the Hilltoppers, a perennial contender for the NCAA Div. II National Tournament, by a 97-89 final
-The Dragons lead the G-MAC in scoring offense at 88.5 points per game but are last in the conference in scoring defense, surrendering 87.2 points per outing
-Not surprisingly, Tiffin is the best shooting team in the league, making 49.3% of its overall attempts, but also ranks last in field-goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to convert on 50.6% of their shots
-Tiffin's pressure defense forces opponents to an average of 18.5 turnovers per game and the Dragons lead the G-MAC with an average of 10.4 steals per contest
-Guard Joshua Williams ranks second in the conference in scoring (behind only Nate Sheppard) with an average of 20.9 points per game.  Williams tossed in 23 during Sunday's loss at West Liberty and is shooting 37.7% from three-point range on the year
-Forward Shane Waldon racked up 23 points and 15 rebounds on Sunday.  On the season, Waldon averages 16.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game and leads the conference in field-goal percentage at 63.1%
-Guard Austin Adams also had a big game at West Liberty, totaling 18 points and 12 rebounds.  Adams is averaging 15.3 points and 7.2 boards per contest while shooting 55.7% from the floor and 52.6% from beyond the three-point arc