CANTON, Ohio - The Malone University men's basketball team was defeated by Kentucky Wesleyan on Thursday night in a game that felt like a heavyweight title fight 90-82. Kentucky Wesleyan exploded on the offensive end in the first half for 50 points and went on to lead for 35 minutes. The Panthers held a 21-point lead at one point, but the Pioneers cut the lead all the way down to four with under five minutes remaining. Kentucky Wesleyan fought off the run from Malone and went on to win by eight.
 
Malone falls to 2-5 overall and 1-4 in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) play. Kentucky Wesleyan moves up in the standings to 6-4 on the season and 5-4 in the league.
 
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED:
Levi Seiler and Bo Myers each converted lay-ups on feeds from Marcus Ernst in the post to start the evening, but Kentucky Wesleyan immediately countered with three consecutive makes to even the game up at eight apiece. The Panthers missed their first two shots from long range, but went on to nail their next nine three-point attempts.
 
Zach Hopewell did most of the damage for the Panthers with 20 first half points, including four three-point bombs. Kentucky Wesleyan was 10-for-14 from beyond the arc in the first in a half that resulted in half of a century of points for the road team. The 50-36 lead was also attributed to a turnover-free half for the Panthers.
 
Bo Myers was the standout offensively in the first period for Malone with 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting.
 
Another pair of three's from Wyatt Battaile and Tre Cobbs gave Kentucky Wesleyan a 19-point advantage two minutes into the second. The Pioneers put things together offensively in the second stanza, including an 8-0 run from Myers by himself with 14 minutes to play, but the Panthers continued to convert on their side of the floor, preventing the home team from gaining ground.
 
Jamil Wilson got a steal and breakaway lay-up to give Kentucky Wesleyan their biggest lead of the game at 76-55 with 11:37 to go, but from there Malone went to a 2-3 zone to frustrate the Panthers and get back in the contest. The Pioneers held Kentucky Wesleyan scoreless for three minutes straight and went on a 9-0 run fueled by Jaret Majestic and Bryce Butler.
 
A lone three from Tarik Dixon was answered by another pair of three's from Majestic and Butler. A lay-up by Ernst and pair of free throws from Butler on the next two possession cut the Kentucky Wesleyan lead all the way down to five at 79-74. Jaret Majestic converted a jumper with 4:53 to go to make it 80-76, the closest Malone would get in the half.
 
Wyatt Battaile netted a pair of lethal three's to balloon the lead back up to 10 and free throw shooting down the stretch sealed the deal for a 90-82 victory for Kentucky Wesleyan.
 
Bo Myers (23 points) and Bryce Butler (20 points) each crossed the 20-point mark to lead the Pioneers in scoring. Marcus Ernst scored 15 points, pulled down 15 rebounds and tied for the team-lead with five assists in an all-around performance. Jaret Majestic finished with 14 points and two shots from deep.
 
PIONEER POINTS:

• Malone shot 30-of-68 (44.1%) from the floor, but Kentucky Wesleyan outmatched them at 31-of-63 (49.2%). From downtown, the Pioneers were 7-of-21 (33.3%), while the Panthers scorched the nets at 17-of-31 (54.8%).
• Marcus Ernst had a season-high with 15 rebounds and four on the offensive end.
• With 14 points from Jaret Majestic, he sits just 17 points shy of a 1,000 point career.
• Bo Myers sank a team-high three shots from long range to account for nine of his 23 points.
• Bryce Butler tied with Ernst at five assists and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.

 
UP NEXT:
After failing to avenge an earlier loss in the 2020-21 season tonight against Kentucky Wesleyan, the Pioneers get another chance to do so on Saturday against Trevecca Nazarene. It will be a men's only game at 3 pm in Osborne Hall.