CANTON -- After playing three consecutive games on the road, the Malone University men's basketball team is back at home on Thursday night. 

The Pioneers will host the Hillsdale College Chargers in a matchup that features two of the top teams in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC).

Malone is looking to even up the season series with Hillsdale, and also trying to win their seventeenth consecutive game overall inside Osborne Hall.

GAME INFORMATION
The Matchup: Hillsdale College Chargers (15-5, 10-4 G-MAC) at Malone University Pioneers (15-5, 10-3 G-MAC)
Where: Canton, Ohio | Osborne Hall
When: Thursday, February 10 | 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 eighteenth meeting all-time between these two schools. Hillsdale leads the all-time series 12-5

The Chargers won the earlier matchup this season 81-70 in Hillsdale. HC jumped out to a 42-27 lead at halftime, and the Pioneers were never able to fully recover. Despite Malone outscoring Hillsdale in the second-half the Chargers were able to hang on for the 81-70 win. 

The last Pioneer win in the series came back on March 5, 2021 when Malone bounced the top-seeded Chargers from the 2021 Great Midwest Men's Basketball Championship Tournament with a 74-64 win in the semifinal round. 


WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT MALONE UNIVERSITY
Roster | Schedule | Stats

• The Pioneers had a five-game winning streak snapped with a loss in the Mayors' Cup over the weekend. Walsh opened up a sixteen-point lead at halftime. Malone came roaring back in the second-half, but the Cavaliers were able to fend the Pioneers off down the stretch for the 90-84 win. 
• As the calendar has turned the page to February, more eyes are now focused on the conference standings. Entering play Thursday night Malone is tied with Walsh for first-place in the G-MAC. Both schools have identical 10-3 marks in the league. Hillsdale College and Ashland University are tied for second-place, each team is 10-4 in G-MAC play. 
• Despite the loss at Walsh, Marcus Ernst turned in a monster day. He scored a career-high 34 points, and pulled down nine rebounds. That effort earned him a nod as the NCCAA Men's Basketball Player of the Week.
• Ernst is quietly starting to cement himself as one of the best players to take the floor at Malone University, ever. With just nine more rebounds and two more blocked shots Ernst will become the only Pioneer to ever score 1,000 career points, pull down 1,000 career rebounds, and block 100 career shots. 
• Bryce Butler continues to be Malone's leading scorer this season, but Bo Myers is not far behind. Butler is averaging a team-best 17.3 points per game, while Myers is scoring 16.9. The players rank fourth and fifth respectively in the G-MAC. 
• As a team Malone still boasts the league's highest scoring offense. The Pioneers are scoring an average of 81.4 points per game. MU is giving up 72.8 points per game defensively, giving them the second-best scoring margin in the conference. 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT HILLSDALE COLLEGE
Roster | Schedule | Stats

• It has been a bit of an up-and-down ride for the Chargers this season in terms of their perception nationwide. In this week's edition of the NABC NCAA Division II Top-25 Poll, Hillsdale sits just outside the top-25 as one of the "other teams receiving votes." HC is the only team from the Great Midwest Athletic Conference listed in the poll. 
• The Chargers are coming off of a 61-53 loss at the University of Findlay on Saturday. Prior to that Hillsdale had won five games in a row. 
• Reigning G-MAC Player of the Year Patrick Cartier has led Hillsdale in scoring in all but three games this season. He enters Thursday's game as the leading scorer in the G-MAC averaging 22.4 points per game.
• Hillsdale boasts the G-MAC's second-best defense, in terms of opponents scoring. HC gives up just 63.9 points per game. 
• Hillsdale, who was picked to repeat as the conference champions in the preseason coaches poll, is under the direction of head coach John Tharp. Tharp is in his fifteenth season leading the Chargers, and holds the school record with a 266-140-1 overall record during his tenure. 

UP NEXT
The Pioneers begin their final road swing of the 2021-22 regular season. Malone travels to the University of Findlay on Saturday. Tip-off is slated for 3:00 p.m.