NASHVILLE, TN - Although delayed almost one month, the Malone men's basketball team was finally able to open up the 2020-21 season on Saturday by traveling to Nashville, Tennessee to face the Trevecca Nazarene Trojans. The Pioneers lost a heartbreaker to start the year 58-57.
 
A ferocious comeback from Malone gave them a one-point lead late, but a pair of free throws from Trevecca big man Adam Webb with 4.2 seconds remaining sunk the Pioneers. Malone drops to 0-1 overall and 0-1 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC). Trevecca Nazarene advances to 2-5 this season and 2-3 in conference play.
 
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
In the opening minutes, the teams traded baskets, resulting in five lead changes before the first media timeout. Bo Myers connected on a three and a jump shot seven minutes into the game to get the Pioneers going offensively.
 
Buckets for both teams were few and far between down the stretch in the opening period. Trevecca had a four point lead with under three minutes to play in the first, but a pair of field goals from Jaret Majestic and Marcus Ernst brought the Pioneers right back into it.
 
An Imani Starling jump shot was the difference in the first, as the teams went into the locker room with the score 28-26 Trojans. Bryce Butler was the leading scorer through 20 minutes for Malone with 10 points, and stuffed the stat sheet with five first half rebounds and three assists.
 
The squads started the second half just like the first, with multiple lead changes as neither team was able to obtain a substantial advantage. Starting at the halfway point, the Trojans went on an 11-2 run and the lead ballooned to 12 at 51-39 with 6:04 to play.
 
Jaret Majestic provided a spark with a pair of three's that went unanswered and resulted in a Trojan timeout. Bo Myers muscled his way into the paint and played off two feet to convert an and-one with just over four minutes to play. The three-point play trimmed the gap to 51-48.
 
It was "right place, right time" for Bryce Butler, as he found himself open off an offensive rebound behind the three-point line. He knocked down the jumper as the Pioneers clawed all the way back and tied the game at 51 with 3:39 left. Trevecca answered with a three-point field goal of their own from freshman Robbie Rusciano.
 
Again off of an offensive rebound, Bo Myers tied the game back up for Malone by netting a corner three with 1:17 remaining. A free throw from Butler with 58 seconds left gave the Pioneers a 57-56 lead, but the charity stripe was not kind to Malone down the stretch. The Pioneers were just 1-for-3 in the final minute of the game from the line. Adam Webb connected on both of his free throws with 4.2 seconds left on the clock to seal the 58-57 win for Trevecca Nazarene.
 
Adam Webb and Imani Starling for Trevecca combined for 42 of the 58 Trojan points – Webb finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds, and Starling scored 20 points. Scoring leaders for Malone were Bo Myers and Bryce Butler with 18 points each.
 
PIONEER POINTS

• Malone shot just 34.8% (23-of-66) from the field, their lowest percentage since early in the 2019-20 season at Wheeling.
• The Pioneers were 8-of-30 (26.7%) from beyond the arc, with Jaret Majestic knocking down three from deep.
• Malone held the rebounding edge, 42-38. Justin Miller secured the most for the away team with 10.
• Of the 42 boards, 12 of them were on the offensive end, leading to a stout 13-3 advantage in second chance points.
• The Pioneers had 11 assists and just six turnovers in the game. Bryce Butler led the way with five dimes.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
Malone men's basketball continues their road trip to the central time zone, and square off with the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers on Monday, January 4 at 4:15 pm EST.