CANTON -- The Malone University women's basketball team continued their season-opening homestand on Wednesday night by hosting the Wheeling University Cardinals. 

The Pioneers (3-0, 0-0 G-MAC) jumped out to an 18-11 lead after the opening quarter, and then dominated the Cardinals (0-3, 0-0 G-MAC) the rest of the way to score a 70-38 win. 

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Robin Campbell opened up the scoring with a layup less than one minute into the game, and Malone did not surrender that lead for the rest of the night. 

The Cardinals answered a basket by Alexis Hutchison with a three-pointer to make it 4-3, but the Pioneers scored the next eight points unanswered in a preview of how the rest of the game would go. 

That run included back-to-back three-pointers by Madison Hunter and Emma Kallas, as well as the first collegiate points of Kyli Horn's career to help give Malone a 12-3 lead.

The Pioneers opened up their first double-digit lead of the night on a jumper by Hutchison inside the final two minutes of the opening quarter, but Wheeling responded with a three ball on their last possession of the period to make it an 18-11 game.

The Cardinals opened up the second quarter with another basket from long range to cut Malone's lead down to 18-14, but that would be as close as Wheeling would get for the rest of the game. 

Coming out of the media timeout Kelsey Swihart nailed a jumper that put the Pioneers up 29-19. Their lead never fell below double-digits again. 

Swihart's basket was actually part of a 12-0 Malone run that included scores by five different Pioneers. 

With just over thirty seconds remaining in the half, Hunter gave Malone their first twenty-point lead of the night.

The Cardinals answered with a basket on the other end of the floor, but Robin Campbell beat the halftime buzzer with a three-pointer to send Malone back to the locker room holding a 42-21 lead. 

The two sides traded scores for much of the early portions of the third quarter. The Pioneers continued to hold a distinct advantage however, and a 10-2 run late in the quarter put Malone up 62-29.

That run included the first points of the season for Mikayla Poole. The senior missed the opening weekend of the season due to injury. 

By the end of the third quarter Malone's lead had grown to 62-31.

The fourth quarter featured much less scoring as the final result of the game was never in doubt. The Pioneers were easily able to close out their third win of the season in front of a great crowd inside Osborne Hall. 

PIONEER POINTS

• Malone had their best defensive outing of the young season. Only one player from Wheeling scored in double-digits, and the Cardinals were limited to just 24.6% shooting from the field.
• Robin Campbell led the Pioneers with 16 points. The senior guard was 6-7 from the field, including 2-2 from three-point range.
• Alexis Hutchison and Kyli Horn each added 10 points to round out the double-digit scorers for Malone.
• The Pioneers forced the Cardinals into 20 turnovers, which led to 19 points on the other end of the floor. Malone also dominated underneath the basket, outscoring Wheeling 50-16 inside the paint.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Malone is back at home this weekend. Saturday the Pioneers host Slippery Rock University. Tip off from Osborne Hall is set for 1:00 p.m.