CANTON – The Pioneers will host their final home game before the Christmas holiday as they host the Walsh University Cavaliers on Tuesday for a crosstown rivalry and Great Midwest Athletic Conference game.

Matchup: Malone Pioneers (7-1, 3-0 G-MAC) vs Walsh University (6-2, 2-1 G-MAC)
Where: Canton, Ohio | Osborne Hall
When: Tuesday, December 14 | 5:30 p.m.
Tickets: Malone University Ticket Office 
Live Video Stream: Great Midwest Digital Network
Live Stats: Great Midwest Digital Network

Four Straight Wins for the Pioneers
Saturday afternoon the Pioneers won their fourth straight win this season after defeating Kentucky Wesleyan College by a final score of 72-68. Malone finished the night with four athletes in double-digit scoring – Alexis Hutchison (16), Holly Groff (14), Robin Campbell (13), and Madison Hunter (10).

Within the game against the Panthers, the Pioneers got the crowd on their feet with an end-of-first quarter buzzer three-pointer by Kyli Horn to give Malone a seven point lead. Hunter scored six points in the Pioneers 8-2 second quarter run. To wind out the first half of action, Malone went on 10-2 run with Hutchison scoring the first seven Pioneer points to go to the halftime locker room with a 45-33 lead.

Late in the third quarter, Malone got its largest lead after Groff sank a three-point shot putting the Pioneers up by 14 points. While a comeback was attempted by the Panthers, it wasn't enough as Malone finished the game ahead by four points (72-68) and picked up their fourth consecutive win.

Malone forced Kentucky Wesleyan into 19 turnovers and converted them into 22 points on the offensive side of the court. The Pioneers scored 30 points in the paint and shot 45.2% from the field.

Hardwood Series
Tuesday's game will be the 88th all-time meeting between the Pioneers and the Cavaliers, with Walsh holding a 50-37 series lead.

Last time the cross-town rivals met was for the 25th Annual Mayors' Cup held at Osborne Hall in late February 2021 where the Pioneers took home the 84-71 win and the Mayors' Cup trophy (the first Mayors' Cup win for the Pioneers since December 2016). In the win, all five Malone starters scored in double digits – Alexis Hutchison (20), Holly Groff (17), Madison Hunter (16), Emma Kallas (15), and Robin Campbell (10).

Knowing Your Opponent
The Walsh University Cavaliers are coming off a three-point lost to Kentucky Wesleyan College on Thursday and a twenty-point win over Trevecca Nazarene University on Saturday. Morgan McMillen led the offensive charge on Saturday with 17 points tallied by the end buzzer after going 6-of-12 from the field and 5-of-8 from beyond the arc.

Sha Carter and Megan Ball each added 15 points with Carter one rebound short of a double-double, pulling down a game-high 9, as well as adding 4 assists and 2 steals. Ball also added 4 rebounds and a block to the conference showdown. As a team, the Cavaliers pulled down a total of 46 rebounds as compared to the 35 pulled down by the Trojans.

Looking Ahead
Malone will start a three-game road stretch to finish out the 2021 calendar, beginning with a matchup against West Liberty University. Tip-off in West Virginia is scheduled for Saturday, December 18th at 2:00 p.m.