The Malone University women's basketball team saw its five-game winning streak snapped in an 85-79 loss at the University of Findlay Thursday evening in Croy Gymnasium. The Pioneers led by as many 16 points early on, but ran out of steam late as they fell to 13-6 on the season and 7-2 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. Findlay, with the win, improved to 11-9 on the year, 7-3 in G-MAC play.
 
Malone redshirt junior guard Holly Groff, who set a Pioneer record with nine threes in last Saturday's win over Hillsdale, wasted little time in topping her own mark on Thursday. Groff hit 11 three-pointers in the victory and finished with a career-high 37 points.
 
Recap
Groff picked up right where she left off last weekend, sinking four three-pointers in the opening quarter. Ellen Doyle, Alexis Hutchison, and Emma Kallas also knocked down triples in the frame as Malone saw its lead climb to 26-10 just seven minutes into the contest. At that point, Findlay began its methodical comeback and by the end of the period the score was 29-17.
 
Groff canned three more three-pointers in the second quarter, but the Oilers outscored Malone 21-16 in the second quarter and trailed only 45-38 at the break.
 
The Oilers came out hot after halftime shooting 68.8% (11-of-16) in the third quarter, continuing to close the gap. Groff added 13 points in the period, including three more long balls. Her record-breaking 10th three of the game came with 2:21 remaining and put Malone ahead 65-58. Findlay, however, ended the session on a 9-2 run highlighted by a buzzer-beating three-pointer from just inside halfcourt. The two squads entered the fourth quarter tied at 67-67.
 
The Pioneers scored on three straight possessions early in the fourth quarter as Robin Campbell and Ellen Doyle each hit threes and Alexis Hutchison buried a baseline jumper to give Malone a 75-72 lead with 8:18 left to play. An immediate timeout by Findlay would change the momentum entirely in favor of the home team.
 
Following the Oiler timeout, the Pioneers made just one of their final 11 field goal attempts and committed six turnovers. Findlay broke a 75-75 tie with back-to-back buckets under the seven-minute mark before Groff canned her final trey of the game with four minutes remaining, bringing the score to 79-78. Despite multiple chances, the Pioneers failed to recapture the lead and managed only a lone free throw down the stretch while UF held on the for the 85-79 win.

Game Highlights

• The Pioneers made a total of 17 three-pointers, marking the second-most in single game school history.
• Their 44 three-point attempts set a school record, surpassing the previous mark of 39 set in 1997.
• Malone attempted just four free throws, making two. Findlay shot 14-of-19 on freebies.
• Findlay also shot 31-of-58 (58.5%) from the field and 9-for-17 (52.9%) from three-point range. Both of those marks, and the 85 points, accounted for the most by a Malone opponent this season.
• The Oilers shot 61.1% on two-pointers and outscored the Pioneers 40-20 in the paint.

Pioneer Highlights

• Holly Groff's 11 three-pointers tied a G-MAC record and her 37 points are the sixth-most all-time. The 11 three balls were also the second-most in a single game across all of NCAA DII this season.
• Groff finished 13-of-22 from the field and 11-of-20 from beyond the arc. She also handed out five assists while playing 39 of 40 minutes.
• Robin Campbell was the only other Pioneer to reach double digits, finishing with 12 points along with five rebounds and three assists.
• Ellen Doyle totaled eight points, a team-high seven rebounds, and two assists.
• For the first time in nine games, Alexis Hutchison was held without a steal, but she contributed seven points and a season-high seven assists.
   

Oiler Highlights

• Amber Schweiger collected 20 points and a game-high eight assists.
• Sydney Kin (17) and Bridget Landin (13) combined for 30 points.
   

Up Next
Malone travels to Hillsdale on Saturday for a 1:00pm tipoff. The Pioneers topped the Chargers 90-82 last Saturday in Canton.