ASHLAND, Ohio – The Malone University men's basketball team continued their winning ways with a 71-58 victory at Ashland University on Thursday night. The Pioneers received a pair of 20-point performances by Tre Baumgardner III and Simon Blair to solidify the win.

Malone shot 50.9% (28-of-55) in the game and 40.9% (9-of-22) from three. Baumgardner III had a career-high 26 points to lead the charge and Blair added 20. Tahleik Walker grabbed 12 rebounds, a new personal best for the senior.
 
Malone moves to 11-13 overall and 7-9 inside the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC). A road win over a team ahead of them in the conference standings should give the Pioneers an advantage in potential postseason berth. Ashland falls to 13-9 and 9-6 in league action.

The Pioneers were able to jump out to a 16-4 lead over the course of the first ten minutes of action. Ryan Bartley scored six points and Baumgardner III had five points in that span. Three-point shooting from the Eagles helped to keep the home team within a few possessions, but Bartley and Blair made shots from beyond the arc in the final minutes of a 32-24 first half.
 
The effort on the glass for Malone was the big difference in the first half. The Pioneers won that battle 22-10 (8-1 offensive) with nine of those credited to Walker. Bartley (12 points) and Blair (11 points) each were in double figures at the break.
 
Early scoring in the second half by Baumgardner III further extended the lead to 43-31 in the first six minutes of play. He would bury a pair of attempts from long range to give Malone a 53-36 lead at the under-12 media timeout.
 
The first basket by Caleb Conard ballooned the lead to 20 at 60-40 with seven minutes remaining on the clock. That deficit was too much for Ashland to recover from after a late run that made the final score 71-58.
 
The Pioneers will play three of the final four regular season games at home, beginning with a battle versus the Tiffin Dragons on Thursday, February 20. Tip-off is set for 7:30 P.M.