CANTON, Ohio -- On Tuesday night the Malone University women's basketball team welcomed crosstown rival Walsh University to Osborne Hall for the 25th Annual Mayors' Cup game. 

The Pioneers (9-10, 9-10 G-MAC) opened up a huge lead in the third quarter, and held off a late comeback attempt from the Cavaliers (14-5, 14-5 G-MAC) to secure the 84-71 victory. 

The win snaps an eight game losing streak to Walsh, and the Mayors' Cup is now back on the campus of Malone University for the first time since December of 2016

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
The Cavaliers opened up the night with the first eight points of the game before the Pioneers settled in.

Robin Campbell broke the scoring drought with a pair of free throws, and a few defensive adjustments allowed Malone to hold Walsh to just eight points for the rest of the quarter. 

Offensively, Campbell's free throws were the start of what would be a 15-0 run for the Pioneers. As part of that run Alexis Hutchison connected on a three-pointer to put Malone up 11-8 with 5:26 remaining in the first. The Pioneers never trailed the rest of the night. 

Malone carried a 22-16 lead into the second quarter, but early on in that period the momentum shifted back towards Walsh. The Cavaliers scored the first five points of the quarter, cutting Malone's lead down to just a single point.

Oddly enough, it was another Campbell free throw attempt that got the Pioneers on the scoreboard. However this time around the teams traded baskets for several possessions. Midway through the quarter Malone was still clinging to a two-point advantage.

That all changed when Hutchison drilled another three-pointer to ignite a 16-4 run to close the half. Campbell capped off the run with a three-pointer of her own on a beautifully executed play to close the half. 

After the first twenty minutes of basketball Malone led Walsh 45-31. 

The advantage for the Pioneers was stretched out to as many as 23 points in the third quarter as Malone continued to dominate the Cavaliers in nearly every facet of the game. The Pioneers eventually settled for a 65-47 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. 

Unfortunately the offense struggled midway through the fourth which allowed Walsh to get back into the game. The Cavaliers went on a 13-2 run to cut the lead down to 12 points, and just a few possessions later had Malone's lead down to single digits at 80-71. 

The Pioneers regrouped and responded however. Malone held Walsh scoreless over the final 2:01 of the contest. Emma Kallas scored a basket and Hutchison closed out the 84-71 win with a pair of free throws. 

PIONEER POINTS

• As a team Malone went 33-58 from the field for a season-best 56.9 field goal percentage. The Pioneers were 6-12 from beyond the three-point arc and 12-14 from the free throw line. 

• On the defensive end Malone held Walsh to just a 39.3 field goal percentage. In the huge second-quarter Walsh was only 3-12 from the field, but an 8-9 mark from the free throw line allowed them to hang in the game. 

• Alexis Hutchison led the scoring effort for the Pioneers with a team-high 20 points. She has now scored in double-digits for six straight games, and has eclipsed 20 points in four of those contests. 

• Holly Groff, Madison Hunter, Emma Kallas and Robin Campbell all posted double-digit scoring totals in what was a very balanced offensive effort for the Pioneers. 

• Malone dominated Walsh underneath the basket, outscoring the Cavaliers 50-28 on points in the paint. The Pioneers also had a 16-7 advantage on fastbreak points.

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Pioneers will close out the 2020-21 regular season on Saturday afternoon by hosting the Ohio Dominican University Panthers. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m.