The Malone University men's basketball team defeated Trevecca Nazarene University at home on Saturday by a score of 81-54.

The Pioneer victory improves their record to 14-11 on the season, 9-9 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. The loss drops the Trojans to 2-19 overall, 2-14 in conference.

Game Recap:
The opening minutes were filled with back and forth action, but Malone went on a scoring run following the first media timeout. The Pioneers put up 16 consecutive points, including a high-flying dunk from Nate Sheppard, to give them a 26-9 lead with nine minutes left in the first half.

Trevecca would chip away at the deficit, getting it to single digits nearing the end of the period. A steal and breakaway lay-up from Daylan Haynie followed by a Jaret Majestic corner three in the final minute gave Malone a 37-24 halftime lead. Malone's defense was stiff, holding the Trojans to 37% shooting in the half (25% from deep).  

The teams traded baskets to start the second, with highlights such as a four-point play from Ben Evans and a two-handed slam from Sehill Mouliom. The Pioneers would pull away as the game wore on. A lay-up from Danny Bartholomew and a three from Daniel Goldrick would secure the victory.

Game Highlights:
-Malone scored 15 points off of 13 Trevecca turnovers, compared to the Trojans scoring two points off of Malone's seven turnovers
-The Pioneers had 21 assists on the night, well above the team average of 14.1 assists per game
-Bench points were in favor of Malone 28-8
-Malone shot 30-55 from the field (54.5%) and made 11 long balls on 25 attempts (44.0%)
-The Trojans made 20 field goals on 49 attempts (40.8%) and converted 10 of 23 from beyond the arc (43.5%)

Malone Individual Highlights:
-Senior Nate Sheppard led all scorers with 22 points
-Bryce Butler tallied 13 points, six rebounds and four assists
-Sophomore guard Jaret Majestic sank three from long range and totaled 11 points
-Sehill Mouliom was a perfect 5-5 from the field and scored 10 points
-Ben Evans contributed with 10 points and seven boards
-Forward Marcus Ernst was the game's leading rebounder with eight

Trevecca Nazarene Individual Highlights:
-Forward Reed Smith led the Trojans in the scoring column with 11
-Austin Wills and CJ Herbert both scored nine points, all coming from three-point baskets
-Nathan Harper chipped in with eight points and six rebounds

Up Next:
The Pioneers host a non-conference opponent in Kentucky Christian University on Tuesday, February 19. Tip-off from Osborne Hall will be at 7:00 pm.