The Malone University women's basketball team closed out the regular season on Saturday with a defensive-charged 56-34 victory over visiting Lake Erie College. Saturday's regular season finale also served as Senior Day as Pioneer seniors Naomi Grandison, Paiten Strother, and Chrissie Vaughan were all honored in a post-game ceremony.
 
With the win, Malone secured just their second winning season in the last five years and locked in the number six seed in upcoming Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Championship. The Pioneers finished the regular season at 15-13 overall and 13-9 in the G-MAC. Malone enters the postseason next week with wins in seven of their last eight games.
 
Recap
In a defensive struggle from the tip, the two teams combined for six field goals and 10 turnovers in the opening stanza. Malone seized a 9-2 lead late in the quarter on a three-point basket from junior Sydney Wentling before the Storm scored the next four points to make it a 9-6 margin by the end of the frame.
 
Malone outscored Lake Erie 13-3 in the second quarter, limiting the visitors to just 1-of-14 shooting while forcing five turnovers on the defensive end. Offensively, the Pioneers knocked down four three-pointers in the quarter.
 
The Pioneers made only seven field goals in the first half, but five were from beyond the arc. Lake Erie, meanwhile, made just 4-of-25 first-half shots and turned the ball over 11 times as they went to the break down 22-9.
 
After combining for just 31 points in the first half, scoring picked up for both teams in the third period. Lake Erie took advantage of a few open looks and narrowed the scored to 24-15 with a mini 6-0 run early in frame but failed to get any closer. Malone countered with a trio of three-pointers, including two from Wentling and a third by freshman Mikayla Poole, and would carry a 36-25 advantage into the fourth.
 
A three-pointer by Lake Erie's Farrah Benner on the first possession of the final frame, made it a single-digit game once again at 36-28, but Malone responded immediately. A corner three-pointer by Paiten Strother ignited a 12-0 run as the Pioneers led comfortably through the remainder of the contest. Another three-pointer by Strother at the three-minute mark capped off the scoring for her and her senior teammates as she, Vaughan, and Grandison were subbed out one-by-one in front of an appreciative Senior Day Crowd.
 
Game Highlights
-The Pioneers shot 12-of-32 (37.5%) from three-point range, marking the 10th time this season they made at least 10 threes. Malone is 9-1 in those 10 games.
-Overall the hosts shot 20-of-56 (35.7%) from the floor and never trailed in the contest.
-The Pioneers limited Lake Erie to 24.0% (12-of-50) shooting, including a 3-of-13 mark from distance.
-The 34 points and the 24% shooting were both the second-fewest by a Malone opponent this season.
-Malone outrebounded the Storm 44-33 and the Pioneer bench outscored Lake Erie's 24-15.
-Malone finished off the season sweep of the Storm after winning 76-46 at Lake Erie in January.
 
Malone Individual Highlights
-Sydney Wentling led all scorers with 13 points in just 19 minutes off of the bench.
-Freshman guard Robin Campbell totaled 10 points, five rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a blocked shot.
-In her last collegiate home game, Paiten Strother knocked down three treys and finished with nine points, five boards, two steals, and a block.
-Senior Chrissie Vaughan provided seven points, four steals, and three assists.
-Freshman forward Madison Hunter grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.
-Junior forward Ellen Doyle recorded seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
 
Lake Erie Individual Highlights
-Josie Chaddock scored a team-high eight points and collected five rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
-Sophie Sonneman provided seven points, five rebounds, and two blocks off the bench.
 
Up Next
Malone will travel to take on number three seed Cedarville next Tuesday, March 5th in the G-MAC Quarterfinals. Game time is set for 5:30 pm.