CEDARVILLE, Ohio - The Malone University men's basketball team won a thrilling Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) road game on Thursday night at Cedarville University, 68-67. The Pioneers had to fend off a feisty Yellow Jacket squad down the stretch even with a great shooting night from deep.
 
Malone (7-1, 3-0 G-MAC) was 10-of-19 (52.6%) from beyond the arc, a season-high mark from long range. Cedarville (4-4, 0-2 G-MAC) was held to just 25-for-58 (43.1%) from the field, as well as 6-of-15 (40.0%) from three and just 11-of-20 (55.0%) from the free throw line.
 
The offenses were clicking early as the Yellow Jackets claimed a 10-9 lead at the first media timeout. Nic Williams and Emmanuel Oladeru made two field goals each, including a successful three-point try from the junior transfer. The Pioneers trailed 15-9 before a three by Joey DeGeorge at 13:49 sparked some momentum for the visitors.
 
Josiah Pierre knocked down a mid-range jump shot with eight minutes and change to play that sparked a flurry of lead changes. The pace slowed, but both teams earned quality looks and continued to pour in points. Tate Aljancic buried a mid-range jumper just before the final media timeout of the period at 29-28 Cedarville.
 
Crew Cain assisted on triples by Kellen Leake and two from Williams to help put the Pioneers in front 39-36 at the end of the first half. Malone was extremely efficient from the field at 16-for-28 (57.1%) overall and 5-of-8 (62.5%) from beyond the arc. Along with their work on the perimeter, the Pioneers also kept pace with the Yellow Jackets inside and only trailed 20-18 on paint points, but held an 18-12 advantage on the boards after 20 minutes.
 
Jacob Ernst capped off a 7-0 scoring run in the opening minutes of the second half for Malone to extend the lead to 46-40. Jake Bruns etched his name into the scorebook with a make from distance, but a 7-1 scoring run for Cedarville tied the game at 50-50 with ten minutes left to play.
 
A pair of free throws by DeGeorge broke up a scoring drought that lasted 4:20 to retake the lead at 52-50 with nine minutes remaining, but the Yellow Jackets immediately countered with an and-one of their own to claim back momentum. A fadeaway jumper from Pierre quieted a raucous Cedarville crowd just before the under-eight media timeout at 54-53 Malone.
 
Another and-one for the Yellow Jackets evened the score at 58-58, but a three by Williams, his fifth of the evening, and then another one by Pierre on the next possession made it 64-60 at the final media timeout with 2:46 to go. Cedarville had a chance to tie, but a turnover and immediate three off the fingertips of Bruns increased the gap to 67-62.
 
While up three with 37 seconds on the clock, the Yellow Jackets were unable to take advantage of a one-and-one opportunity and the Pioneers made one of their two attempts at the charity stripe to take a four-point lead, 68-64. That free throw would prove key for Malone after Cedarville buried a three in a scramble situation with 16 seconds to play.
 
The front end of the one-and-one went wide for the Pioneers to give the Yellow Jackets one final possession down one. A missed layup provided a picture-perfect tip-in chance on the backside, but Pierre swatted away the would-be game-winner to seal the 68-67 Malone win in the final seconds.
 
Williams had a team-high 19 points thanks to his 5-of-9 day from three-point land. Pierre had 17 points to go with his key block at the end. Oladeru led the way in rebounding with 11 in total and the Pioneers won the glass battle 40-29. Cain had five assists, a career-high for the freshman.
 
The road trip continues for Malone at Lake Erie College on Saturday, December 13 beginning at 3:00 P.M.