CANTON, Ohio – For the second consecutive day, the Malone men's basketball team is in action for a make-up game, this time against the Tiffin University Dragons. It is an early tip-off in Tiffin, Ohio, scheduled for 5:30 pm.
 
HARDWOOD SERIES HISTORY:
The odds are in Malone's favor as the Pioneers hold a 65-25 advantage in the all-time series between the teams. This is the first of two matchups in the 2020-21 season. A season ago, the teams met only once with Malone taking a high-scoring 99-94 victory in the Gillmor Student Center. The last win for the Dragons came in 2016, although they have only met twice in that time since both decided to join the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC).
 
GAME INFORMATION:
Malone Pioneers (6-5, 5-5 G-MAC) @ Tiffin Dragons (5-8, 5-8 G-MAC)
Gillmor Student Center – Tiffin, OH
Live Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/tiffin/
Live Stats: https://www.gotiffindragons.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/boxscores/20210209_10v7.xml
 
MALONE PIONEERS NOTES:
Schedule | Roster | Statistics
 
Malone has won four consecutive games and six of their last seven dating back to January 10. After losing their first four regular season games away from Osborne Hall, the Pioneers have now won their last two. Legs will have to be a focus for Malone after playing on Thursday, Saturday and Monday this week.
 
In last season's meeting with the Dragons, Malone was able to put up 99 points as a team, led by Jaret Majestic with 26 and Marcus Ernst with 25. The Pioneers shot an incredible 26-for-36 (72.2%) in the first half and 38-for-63 (60.3%) in the game.
 
During the winning streak, Malone has scored an average of 81.5 points per game and held opponents to 73.5 points per game. The Pioneers have shot above 40% from three in two of their last four games, an offensive threat that might be key to victory against Tiffin, who holds the worst three-point field goal percentage defense in the G-MAC at 39.5%.
 
Justin Miller put up a pair of new career-bests in points (18) and rebounds (13). The biggest statistical differential between the teams is in rebounding. Malone is the second-best rebounding team in the league at 38.6 boards per game, while Tiffin is the worst team on the glass at 30.3 rebounds per game. Ernst and Miller are second and third in individual rebounders in the G-MAC.
 
Bryce Butler is coming off a week where he was named Malone Athlete of the Week and scored 16 points against Lake Erie.
 
TIFFIN DRAGONS NOTES:
Schedule | Roster | Statistics
 
The Dragons come in to Tuesday's game with a record of 5-8 in the 2020-21 season. Tiffin was 2-0 last week with wins over Trevecca Nazarene and Cedarville. Both victories came at home and the Dragons are now on game three of a five game stretch defending their own floor. 
 
The home and road splits for Tiffin are significant. The Dragons hold a record of 5-1 at home and are winless when entering other arenas at 0-7. In home games, Tiffin scores 81.3 points per game, while on the road only netting 65.7 points per game. The Dragons also turn the ball over far less on their home floor, averaging only 8.8 at home compared to 12.3 in roads contests.
 
Tiffin likes to play fast (as do the Pioneers) and that leads to a defense that gives up the second-most points in the conference at 79.2 points per game. Tiffin allows opponents to score on just over 50% of their field goal attempts (50.2%) against a Pioneer squad who shoots 46.0% from the field. On average, the Dragons create 6.77 turnovers via a steal per game, second in the G-MAC.
 
Tiffin has nine players who have started at least four games for the Dragons. Jaeden King is the team's leading scorer at 15.1 points per game. Three other players join him in double figure scoring: Wesley Jordan (12.0 PPG), Tanner Johnson (11.7 PPG) and Trent Williams (11.2 PPG).
 
The four all have scored over 20 points in a game this season, the key is identifying who has the hot hand for the Dragons on any given day. Johnson and King can fill it up from deep and each average three makes from beyond the arc per game. Jordan is a formidable force inside at 6'7 and is the team's leading rebounder at 5.0 per game.