CANTON, Ohio – The Malone University men's basketball team will be doing something that no other team has done in team history – play for a Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Championship. The last conference championship came in 2008 when the Pioneers won the NAIA American Mideast Conference (AMC) North Division. Before that, you would have to look all the way back to 1989 to get the last conference championship. A win would clinch the first ever NCAA National Tournament berth with an automatic qualifier spot.
 
GAME INFORMATION:
#4 Malone Pioneers (16-6) vs #6 Cedarville Yellow Jackets (12-8)
G-MAC Championship Game
Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena – Hillsdale, MI (4 pm)
Live Video/Stats: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/hillsdale/index.htm
Tickets: https://hillsdale.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=1553&r=fcbd8597869b4f9db51033fb5201e266
*Limited supply available
 
HARDWOOD SERIES HISTORY:
Malone is 58-46 all-time against Cedarville in men's basketball competition. This includes both regular season wins for the Pioneers in the 2020-21 season.
 
G-MAC MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET:
 
 
 
#4 MALONE PIONEERS TEAM NOTES:
Schedule | Roster | Statistics
 
The Malone Pioneers are 16-6 overall and have won nine straight games, the longest streak in the conference after upending the Hillsdale Chargers and their impressive 17-game spell without a loss one night ago in the semifinal round of the G-MAC Championships.
 
The team has a very similar comparison to the 2016 women's team that won the first ever G-MAC Championship in Malone history. Just as the Pioneers lost their first four regular season games, the G-MAC Champion women's team in 2016-17 dropped their first three games that counted at the NCAA DII level. Both teams were playing their best basketball when it counted: March. The Pioneer women rattled off 11 straight wins to claim their G-MAC title, and this year's men's team is searching for their 10th consecutive victory.
 
Marcus Ernst registered his 11th double-double of the year with 17 points and 11 rebounds in the G-MAC Semifinal win over top seeded Hillsdale. Ernst also recorded four steals in the game, tying his career-high that was ironically set in last year's G-MAC Semifinal game against Kentucky Wesleyan.
 
Down the stretch, head coach Casey Kaufman turned to Ernst, as well as Bryce Butler and Justin Miller for big plays. The trio combined to score the final 17 points in the game over the final 10 minutes of play. Justin Miller spun in the lane and converted the last made field goal of the game to give Malone a three-point lead with under two minutes left to play. Butler was 4-for-4 from the free throw line to seal the victory in the final minute.
 
In just three minutes of action off the bench, Brian Read was able to connect on both of his field goal attempts and collect five points in rapid fashion.
 
#6 CEDARVILLE YELLOW JACKETS TEAM NOTES:
Schedule | Roster | Statistics
 
Despite dropping their final three regular season games, Cedarville has embraced the role of the underdog in both postseason games thus far and came out on top against the three seed Kentucky Wesleyan 64-55, and the two seed Findlay 76-73.
 
The Yellow Jackets are one of, if not, the most talented team in the G-MAC and should not be taken lightly as the sixth seed. Come the month of March, basketball junkies know that any team can get hot at the right time and knock off anyone else.
 
In two losses versus Malone this season, Cedarville has surrendered an average of 97.5 points per game. That will not get the job done at this point in the season, however their quarterfinal game against Kentucky Wesleyan was the third-lowest points an opponent has scored against the Yellow Jackets this season.
 
Cedarville matches Malone with five double-digit scorers on their team: Brandon Maughmer (16.4 PPG), Quinton Green (13.4 PPG), Kollin Van Horn (12.3 PPG), Conner TenHove (11.3 PPG) and Isaiah Speelman (10.4 PPG). This is significant to watch in the game because you don't know which players will come out clicking offensively or find themselves in a rut. It will truly take a team effort for either team to come away with the championship.
 
The Yellow Jackets boast three All-Conference honorees, just as the Pioneers do. Brandon Maughmer was named to First Team All-Conference as well as the All-Defensive Team at the guard spot. Quinton Green and Kollin Van Horn were each named Second Team All-Conference.