COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Malone University women's basketball team traveled to Alumni Hall to play Ohio Dominican University on Saturday afternoon. The Pioneers defeated the Panthers 74-61 to remain atop the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) standings at 6-0 and 12-2 on the season. Ohio Dominican falls to 1-6 in G-MAC competition and 6-9 overall in the loss.
Malone came in well prepared and rested after eight days off and that showed in their energy from the opening tip. The Pioneers only trailed for a total of 16 seconds. The team won the rebounding battle 41-28 and held a large advantage in offensive rebounds at 13-4. Malone showed their depth with a 25-6 edge in bench points.
"The girls had a long break since we last played and we came on the road and had good intensity on the defensive end and offensively moved the ball and shared the ball well," Head Coach
Selana Ickes stated after the big win.
Three student-athletes in
Erin Kaufman,
Kyli Horn, and
Aila Miller scored double figures. Kaufman led the way with 24 points and 15 rebounds. She drew extra attention from the defense and kicked out to open shooters for three assists as well. Kaufman also showed defensive intensity with four steals and one block in the win. Miller finished with 15 points and Horn had 14.
The first quarter saw the Pioneers claim a 13-12 lead. Ohio Dominican knocked down a three just before the end of the period to keep it within one possession. The second quarter is where Malone strung out their advantage with a 24-12 win. The lead ballooned to double digits at 37-24 thanks to
Brinn Hunt three just before the buzzer.
Malone managed the gap throughout the second half and ended up with a 74-61 victory. The defense held Ohio Dominican without a three-point make in the final 20 minutes (0-for-3) and made it difficult to mount a comeback.
The Pioneer's offensive chemistry has been on display all year. The team is in the top 50 in NCAA DII for scoring offense at 72.4 points per game. Kaufman's elite field goal percentage at 59.9% is eighth in the nation.
Malone will look to extend the win streak to eight at home against the Cedarville University Yellow Jackets on Thursday, January 16. Tip-off is set for 5:30 P.M. with the men's basketball game to follow.
