CANTON -- The Malone University men's basketball team has a quick turnaround after last night's loss at home to Findlay. 

The Pioneers are right back on the floor Thursday night when they host Cedarville in another crucial Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC).

GAME INFORMATION
Matchup: Cedarville University Yellow Jackets (16-10, 11-7 G-MAC) at Malone University Pioneers (17-8, 12-6 G-MAC)
Where: Canton, Ohio | Osborne Hall
When: Thursday, February 24 | 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: Malone University Ticket Office 
Live Video Stream: Great Midwest Digital Network
Live Stats: Great Midwest Digital Network

SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 106th meeting all-time between these two schools. Malone holds a 59-46 lead in the overall series. 

The Pioneers won the earlier meeting this season, 74-70 in a game played at Cedarville. Bryce Butler posted a game-high 22 points to help lead Malone to the road win.

The Pioneers also swept all three meetings last year, including the 77-59 win in the G-MAC Championship game in March of 2021. Overall Malone has won the last five meetings in a row.

The last win for the Yellow Jackets came in February of 2020. 


WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT MALONE UNIVERSITY
Roster | Schedule | Stats

• The Pioneers enter Thursday's game in a bit of an unfamiliar spot. Malone had their historic home winning streak snapped in an 81-71 loss to Ashland University on Saturday. The Pioneers then dropped Tuesday night's game to Findlay 79-76. It is the first time Malone has lost back-to-back games since the opening weekend of the season. 
• The six teams who will play in next week's Great Midwest Men's Basketball Championship Tournament have already been decided, however there is still much to be decided in the way of tournament seeding. A look at the updated G-MAC Standings shows Malone in fourth-place and Cedarville in sixth-place.
• Despite Tuesday's loss to Findlay, Marcus Ernst turned in another monster performance. He led Malone with 21 points, and tied his career-high with 17 rebounds to finish with his seventh double-double of the season. With 1,052 career rebounds he is closing in on the number two spot on Malone's all-time rebounding list. 
• With 20 points against Findlay Bryce Butler has now scored at least 20 points in three straight games. He continues to be Malone's leading scorer, and ranks third overall in the G-MAC, at 18.0 points per game.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY
Roster | Schedule | Stats

• Cedarville is coming off of a 70-64 win over Ohio Dominican on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets have won three straight games overall. 
• In CU's loss to Malone earlier this season, senior Kollin Van Horn led the Jackets with 19 points. The Pioneers limited senior Branden Maughmer to just 14 points, six of those came from the free throw line. Maughmer is the G-MAC's fourth-leading scorer at 17.0 points per game. 
• The Yellow Jackets rank fourth in the conference on offense, averaging 77.3 points per game. They have eclipsed that number in seven of their last eight games. On defense, Cedarville sits eighth in the G-MAC, giving up an average of 72.7 points per game.
• Cedarville is under the direction of head coach Pat Estepp. He is in his thirteenth season as head coach of the Yellow Jackets.

UP NEXT
Malone will host close out the 2021-22 regular season on Saturday when they host Ohio Dominican University.