HILLSDALE, Michigan – The Malone University men's basketball team won their first ever Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Championship on Saturday with a 77-59 win over the sixth seeded Cedarville Yellow Jackets.
 
The Pioneers will claim an automatic qualifying spot into the NCAA DII Men's Basketball Tournament with the conference championship, also a first time feat for the Malone men. The selection show takes place Sunday night at 10:30 pm where the Pioneers will learn who and when they will play in the Atlantic Regional at West Liberty University.
 
Malone conquers their opponents for the tenth straight game and sits at 17-6 overall. With the loss, Cedarville falls to 12-9 in 2020-21.
 
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED:
Bo Myers scored on the first two possessions of the game with a lay-up in transition and a corner three right in front of the Yellow Jacket bench. Myers then assisted on an extra pass to Jaret Majestic for a three from the same corner that forced Cedarville to take a timeout with an 8-2 Pioneer lead.
 
An and-one by Bryce Butler on the fast break extended the lead to 11-4 at the first media break. Jaret Majestic drilled his second three-point field goal of the half with 13 minutes to go in the first half to give the Pioneers an 18-8 advantage.
 
Marcus Ernst scored inside, but on the next possession committed an offensive foul, his second, that sent him to the bench for most of the first half.
 
Three-point plays from Justin Miller and Bryce Butler allowed Malone to take a 28-14 lead under halfway to go in the period. A third three by Majestic with seven minutes left gave the Pioneers their biggest lead in the half at 33-17.
 
Unfortunately for Malone, that would be the last field goal of the first period after going on an 0-for-12 slump to end the frame. Cedarville went on a 15-0 run going into halftime to tie the game at 34 at the break. The Pioneers shot 34% from the field overall, but connected on 5-of-11 three's. Majestic was the leading scorer with 11.
 
Cedarville continued their onslaught offensively and took their first lead of the contest by scoring the first four points of the second as well. Marcus Ernst finally broke the nearly 10 minute dry spell with an and-one to get the game back to within one.
 
After a made jumper by Kollin Van Horn, Bo Myers knocked down a three and was fouled that turned the momentum Malone's way. The shot by Myers tied the game at 40, and from there the Pioneers outscored their opponent 37-19 the rest of the way.
 
Another Justin Miller three-point make reclaimed the lead and ignited a blaze for Malone offensively. The Pioneers rattled off 16 unanswered to make it 57-42 halfway through the second. Other big scoring plays on the drive were a Bo Myers and-one off a feed from Ernst, Majestic's fourth and fifth made shots from long range, and a pair of fastbreak lay-ups, one from Butler and one from Miller.
 
Isaish Speelman hit a three to combat the run, but the man who has made big shot after big shot for the Pioneers this postseason, Justin Miller, matched it with a three of his own. Miller converted an and-one on a reverse lay-up a few possessions later to solidify that Malone would not be denied in their pursuit of their first G-MAC Championship.

"I'm blessed and thankful with the coaches and teammates I have and the trust they have in me in those moments," Justin Miller said afterwards. "Coach says at the beginning of the season and we have one goal, making the NCAA tournament. After the adversity we faced early in the season, we battled, matured and came together to have this special moment. It means everything!"
 
Down the stretch, Casey Kaufman turned to his work horse inside to seal the deal. Marcus Ernst scored the final six points in the 77-59 victory in Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena to clinch the G-MAC Championship.
 
The Pioneers had three different category leaders for points, rebounds and assists. Justin Miller scored a team-high 20 points, Marcus Ernst pulled down 11 rebounds and Bryce Butler dished out six assists. Conner TenHove was the high man for Cedarville in all three categories with 18 points, 12 rebounds and two assists.
 
Head coach Casey Kaufman had this to say about the special night, "I'm really proud of our team. This is the only basketball goal we discuss as a team and to finally take that step is special. My mind is drawn to all of the players and staff members who have contributed to this moment. We're excited to continue to play basketball!"
 
Senior Jaret Majestic spoke about how much it means to this class that they were able to win the first G-MAC Championship in program history. "It means everything to us. Marcus, Bryce and I have been on some really good teams here, but were never able to get over the hump. We're not surprised by this run, but we're also not taking anything for granted."
 
PIONEER POINTS:

• The defense of the Pioneers, especially in the second half, was some of the best we have seen all season. Cedarville was held to just 22-of-59 (37.3%) from the field overall, and 9-for-32 (28.1%) in the second. The Yellow Jackets were held to a season-low 15.0% from deep at 3-for-20 in the game. This postseason, Malone had two of the top three best defensive performances of the season based on opponent field goal percentage.
• The Pioneers knocked down 10-of-19 shots from three, including five from Jaret Majestic in his 19 points. In the trifecta of wins against Cedarville in 2020-21, three of the four highest shooting percentage games for Malone came versus the Yellow Jackets.
• The Pioneers forced 14 turnovers that led to 17 points offensively.
• Malone assisted on 18 of their 26 made field goals in the game, including six from Bryce Butler, four from Marcus Ernst, and three apiece by Jaret Majestic and Levi Seiler.
• Marcus Ernst accumulated a double-double for the 12th time this season with his 16 point, 11 rebound performance tonight. He has tied the NCAA DII lead for most double-doubles.

 
UP NEXT:
Malone has advanced to their first ever NCAA DII Men's Basketball Tournament and await the Atlantic Region bracket to be released on Sunday at 10:30 pm.