HILLSDALE, Mich. – The Malone University men's basketball team completed their run through the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Tournament with a 76-63 win over Thomas More University in the Championship final. The Pioneers are G-MAC Tournament champions for the second time in program history after they were triumphant on this same floor in the 2020-21 season.
 
The win means that the 16-15 Malone squad has earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament. Thomas More's season comes to a close at 19-11.
 
The Pioneers clinched their berth to the NCAA Tournament behind a 68.0% (17-for-25) shooting performance in the second half alone. Tre Baumgardner III led all scorers with 25 points on 9-of-12 from the field and 7-of-9 from beyond the three-point arc. Ryan Bartley also reached 20 points on the nose. Simon Blair recorded 16 points and tied a career-high with eight assists. Caleb Conard was the fourth scorer in double figures with 15 points.
 
The first half had a methodical pace as both teams struggled to settle in. Malone was able to get open looks from long range but could not get many to fall. At the under-eight media timeout, the score was just 10-9 Pioneers.
 
A three by Conard with 2:20 to play in the period sparked a 12-0 run for Malone that spanned the remainder of the half. Baumgardner III canned a pair of three-point shots in the final minute and change to get to a 27-18 halftime score.
 
Baumgarder III continued to light it up from downtown to open the second half with his fifth made three of the day on the opening possession. He added two more trifecta's as well as a mid-range jumper to extend the lead to 40-27 with 15 minutes to play.
 
Bartley added his name to the three-point barrage with a pair of three's from the right corner. An and-one by Conard with 8:10 on the clock increased the lead to a game-high 17 at 62-45. Blair continued to punish the Saints with drives to the rim and the defense for the Pioneers did not allow Thomas More to start a comeback.
 
Malik Frederick, Josh Smith, Jacob Ernst, Oliver Stefanovic and Joey DeGeorge took the floor with 13 seconds remaining to relieve the Malone regulars with the game in hand, 76-63. The group of seniors consisting of Blair, Baumgardner III, Bartley, Frederick, Smith, Tahleik Walker and Fraser LaRocque finish up their G-MAC playing careers on top as Tournament Champions.
 
The NCAA Selection Show will be where the Pioneers will be told their destination and opponent for the NCAA Tournament. It can be seen on www.ncaa.com on Sunday, March 9 at 11:00 P.M.