CANTON, Ohio – The Malone University men's basketball team evened the season series with Trevecca Nazarene with a 70-65 victory on Saturday. The game was close throughout, with neither team taking a double-digit advantage. The Pioneers had to handle the significant size difference in the paint with the Trojans starting two players at 7'2 each.
 
Malone advances to 3-5 on the season and 2-5 in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) play. Trevecca Nazarene falters to 2-11 and 1-8 in the league.
 
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED:
Chris Rogers and Bo Myers came out and knocked down three's on the first possession for either side. All five starters reached the scoring column in the first five minutes, as Marcus Ernst hit a pair of free throws, Bryce Butler nailed a three, and jumpers from Jaret Majestic and Levi Seiler.
 
Bo Myers connected for his second shot from long range of the game to give the Pioneers their largest lead at 17-9. Trevecca crawled back into the game by pounding the ball inside to formidable big men Adam Webb and Brendan Newton. Standing at 7'2 apiece, they were scoring if they got the ball on the block, or good passing from the Trojans led to open three-point shots when Malone helped down.
 
In the final eight minutes of the first period, Webb and Newton scored 12 of the team's final 13 points. Newton provided big momentum plays to counter the Pioneer scoring attack, including an and-one and two loud dunks.
 
The teams went into the locker room in a tight one, 35-33. The stat sheet looked eerily similar for both squads: Malone shot 13-for-29 (44.8%) and TNU 13-for-28 (46.4%). From beyond the arc, Malone was 5-for-13 (38.5%) and Trevecca went 3-for-8 (37.5%) in the first.
 
The pace slowed down in the second half, very similarly to how the first game of the season went. Malone had to get creative in trying to score, since typically the Pioneers try to speed up opponents and get the ball inside to Ernst, both of which were taken away.
 
At the stretch four position, Levi Seiler knocked down a big three to reclaim the lead at 40-37 under three minutes into the second after utilizing Seiler in a pick and pop situation. Brian Read did the same a few minutes later to get the lead back up to eight points at 14:52 to go.
 
The combination of Imani Starling on the perimeter and Brendan Newton inside gave Malone fits in the middle of the half. The two Trojans went on a 10-2 run themselves to tie the game at 49 under halfway through the period. Chris Rogers hit a three, nearly from the parking lot of Osborne Hall and Adam Webb converted a lay-up that gave Trevecca Nazarene a 54-49 advantage.
 
The Pioneers responded with a 10-0 run to reclaim the lead. Malone scored on five consecutive possessions to take a 61-56 advantage. The Malone coaching staff's creativity was again on display late in the game, as they went to a larger line-up on the floor that allowed Bo Myers and Justin Miller to get a smaller guard on them in the low post. Miller scored back-to-back baskets in the paint to make it 63-58 Pioneers with 1:51 to play.
 
The Trojans did not make it easy by rolling over, however. They fought tooth-and-nail to the end and made Malone earn the win at the charity stripe. Baskets by Trevecca were countered by made free throws from Bo Myers and Bryce Butler with less than one minute to go.
 
A tip-in lay-up from Newton cut the deficit to just two at 67-65. Trevecca fouled Butler on the inbounds play and he connected on one of the two freebies. Up three, Malone stood tall on the final defensive possession of the game and forced a missed three. Bo Myers knocked down the game-clinching free throws with 1.5 seconds left to secure the 70-65 win.
 
Newton led the game in scoring with 23 points and in boards with 12. Bo Myers scored 19 points to lead the home squad.
 
PIONEER POINTS:

• It is the third straight game where Bo Myers has led the team in scoring after his 19-point performance today. He knocked down three three-point field goals, the fifth game this season where he hit a season high three triples.
• Despite a 42-26 point differential in the paint for the Trojans, Malone outscored Trevecca 16-0 when they were able to get out on the break.
• Paint points did not tell the whole story, as Malone still attacked the paint, but were able to draw fouls and get to the free throw line instead of scoring inside. The Pioneers were 14-of-17 from the line and the Trojans went 4-of-4.
• Malone forced 13 turnovers and only had seven themselves.
• The Pioneers held Trevecca Nazarene to 5-for-16 (31.3%) from three-point range.

 
UP NEXT:
Malone will stay in Canton, Ohio for one more game in this five game home stretch when they welcome Cedarville University to town on Wednesday, February 3. Tip-off is tentatively scheduled for 7:30 pm.