Women's Basketball - Malone defeats:
                                           Mt. Vernon Nazarene University  77-67
                                           * Walsh University  74-72
                                   CURRENT RECORD:  16-10  (8-6 AMC South)
                                           * - 11th annual Mayors' Cup (Malone retired the Cup this year with third straight win)

 

Men's Basketball - Malone defeats:
                                      * Walsh University  79-72

                              Malone loses to:

                                      Mt. Vernon Nazarene University  91-82
                              CURRENT RECORD: 14-11  (4-9 AMC South)
                                     * - 43rd annual Mayors' Cup

Men's and Women's Track & Field - Malone sent athletes to the University of Akron Open and to the Mt. Union College Invitational last weekend; two new school records were set and 10 individuals qualified for NAIA indoor nationals

Women’s Basketball Beats MVNU; Defeats Walsh To Retire Mayors' Cup Trophy For Second Time

     The Malone College women’s basketball team posted a pair of important American Mideast Conference South Division victories last week, beginning with a 77-67 win at home over Mount Vernon Nazarene University on Tuesday evening.  The squad then recorded a thrilling 74-72 Mayors’ Cup victory over local rival Walsh University on Saturday, marking the Pioneers’ third straight victory in the annual Mayors’ Cup contest.  Saturday’s win over the Cavaliers allowed Malone to retire the Mayors’ Cup (i.e., winning three straight Mayors’ Cup games) for the second time in the history of the series and improves the Pioneers’ all-time Mayors’ Cup record to 7-4.  With the 2-0 week, Malone took sole possession of fifth place in the AMC South (and would qualify for the final AMC South playoff spot if the postseason started today) with a record of 16-10 overall and an 8-6 mark in the division.  The regular-season champion in each of the AMC North and South Divisions will earn an automatic berth to the NAIA Div. II National Tournament.  The number two through number five finishers in each division will qualify for the eight-team AMC playoff tournament.
     In Tuesday’s game with Mount Vernon Nazarene, the Cougars jumped out to an early 12-2 lead before Malone fought back, outscoring the visitors 35-16 over the remaining 16 minutes of the first half to take a 37-28 halftime advantage.  Mount Vernon Nazarene started the second stanza much like the first, though, and quickly reclaimed the lead after opening the second period on a 14-4 run.  Both teams then battled back and forth until midway through the second half when the Pioneers went on an 11-3 run to claim a 63-56 lead with over five minutes remaining in the contest.  Malone’s advantage then grew to as many as 11 points over the final minutes as the Pioneers pulled away for the 77-67 victory.  The Cougars made 11 out of their 20 (55%) three-point attempts in the contest, but struggled from inside the arc as the squad converted on just 23 of its 62 (37.1%) field goal attempts overall and trailed 32-44 in total rebounds.  Senior forward Nikki Parson (Garaway H.S.) recorded 15 points, eight rebounds and six steals to lead a balanced Malone offensive attack that featured four players in double figures.  Junior guard Kellyn Murphy (St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S.) followed with 14 points and junior guard Heather Fenner (Shelby H.S.) added a season-high 13 points. Junior forward Cara Shiplett (Northwest H.S.) tossed in 12 points and pulled down eight boards while senior forward Jennifer Miday (North Canton Hoover H.S.) contributed a game-high 10 rebounds with six points and six assists. 
     In Saturday’s game with Walsh, the Cavaliers came out shooting over 57% (19-33) from the field in the first half to take a 43-39 halftime advantage.  Walsh then maintained its lead for most of the second half, stretching its advantage to as many as eight points before Kellyn Murphy’s offensive rebound and put back put Malone in front 67-66 with just over five minutes remaining in the contest.  The two teams traded baskets over the next few minutes as the Pioneers attempted to cling to their slim advantage.  With Malone leading 73-72, Murphy was fouled and sent to the free throw line for two shot attempts with just 6.4 seconds remaining on the clock.  The 5’8” junior stepped to the line and made her first attempt to increase the Pioneers’ advantage to two at 74-72.  Her second attempt was off the mark, though, allowing Walsh one last chance. After grabbing the missed free throw, the Cavaliers scrambled for a last second shot attempt but Malone forced a turnover on the visitors’ final trip down the floor to seal the dramatic 74-72 Mayors’ Cup victory.  Shiplett scored a game-high 25 points (10-15 FG, 5-5 FT) for Malone in addition to pulling down nine rebounds.  Parson followed with 22 points (7-12 FG, 0-2 3PT FG, 8-9 FT), nine boards and three assists while Murphy and Fenner each tallied 10 points apiece.  
     This week, Malone (16-10, 8-6 AMC S) will continue its six-game home stand with a pair of 5:30 p.m. match-ups against Wilberforce University (6-18, 3-11 AMC S) on Tuesday and the University of Rio Grande (18-8, 10-4) on Saturday.
     This week’s opponents:  Wilberforce- Malone leads the all-time series with the Bulldogs 11-4, including a 49-32 win earlier this season (at Wilberforce).  The Pioneers have now won five out of the last seven meetings between the two schools.  Rio Grande- The Redwomen hold a 36-18 advantage in the all-time series with Malone and defeated the Pioneers earlier this season by the final score of 83-76 (at Rio Grande).  Rio Grande has claimed victories in three out of the last five match-ups with Malone.
      Malone Notes: The men’s and women’s victories over Walsh in Saturday’s Mayors’ Cup games marked just the second time in the history of the Mayors’ Cup series that the Pioneers have swept both the men’s and women’s contests (Malone also won both Mayors’ Cup games during the 1998-1999 season)…Nikki Parson leads the team in scoring at 17.0 points per game followed by Cara Shiplett at 14.7 and Kellyn Murphy at 9.6…Parson also paces the team in rebounding with 9.3 boards per outing followed by Shiplett with 8.6…Murphy leads the team in assists with 3.0 per contest.

Men’s Basketball Falls To Mount Vernon Nazarene Before Stunning #2 Walsh In 43rd Annual Mayors’ Cup

     The Malone College men’s basketball team split two American Mideast Conference South Division contests at home last week to then NAIA Division II #11 Mount Vernon Nazarene University and NAIA Division II #2 Walsh University.  The Pioneers' tough week of competition began on Tuesday night with a 91-82 loss to hot-shooting Mount Vernon Nazarene and then concluded on Saturday evening against Walsh in the 43rd annual Mayors’ Cup game as Malone halted the Cavaliers’ current 16-game overall winning streak with an incredible 79-72 upset win.  Saturday’s victory also ended Walsh’s seven-year Mayors’ Cup winning streak although the Cavaliers still hold a 24-19 advantage in the all-time Mayors’ Cup series.  Following the 1-1 week, Malone is currently seventh in the AMC South (trailing Ohio Dominican University, which currently owns the fifth and final playoff spot, by two games) with a record of 14-11 overall and a 4-9 mark in the division.  The regular-season champion in each of the AMC North and South Divisions will earn an automatic berth to the NAIA Division II National Tournament, while the number two through number five finishers in each division will qualify for the eight-team AMC playoff tournament.
     In Tuesday’s contest with #11 Mount Vernon Nazarene, the Cougars scorched the nets by making 13 of their 23 (56.5%) three-point attempts.  Malone answered by hitting nine of its 18 (50%) shots from behind the three-point arc but could not slow down Mount Vernon Nazarene’s scoring barrage down the stretch.  The Cougars grabbed an early 12-4 lead in Tuesday’s contest and then extended their advantage to 25-13 at the 12:11 mark of the first half before the Pioneers roared back with a 19-7 run to tie the game at 32-32.   Malone was unable to take the lead, though, as the visitors outscored the Pioneers 15-6 over the remaining seven minutes of the first period to claim a 46-38 halftime lead.  Malone once again clawed back to cut the deficit to one early in the second half but the Cougars then proceeded to tally 12 unanswered points to stretch their advantage to 62-49 midway through the second stanza.  Mount Vernon Nazarene then maintained its double-digit lead until the final moments of its 91-82 victory.  Senior guard Jesse Schlabach (Lake H.S.) led the Pioneers with a season-high 25 points (9-13 FG, 7-9 3PT FG) in addition to dishing out four assists.  Junior post player Shane Humphrey (Loudonville H.S.) tallied 22 points (8-13 FG, 1-1 3PT FG, 5-7 FT) and 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season while junior post player Tyler Renner (Garaway H.S.) and freshman guard Linc Rottman (Triway H.S.) tallied nine points apiece.
     In Saturday’s Mayors’ Cup game, Malone took a 37-29 lead into the locker room at halftime after limiting Walsh to 37.5% (12-32) shooting from the floor over the first 20 minutes, including just 14.3% (2-14) from behind the three-point arc.  Malone maintained its advantage throughout the second half until two Cavalier free throws cut the Pioneers’ advantage to 75-72 with just 16 seconds remaining.  Walsh then immediately fouled junior guard Ben Carver (Shelby H.S.) who proceeded to sink two free throw attempts to push the Pioneers’ lead back to five at 77-72.  After a missed Cavalier three-point attempt on Walsh’s next possession, Carver secured the defensive rebound and then nailed two more clutch free throws in the final seconds to seal the thrilling 79-72 upset victory.  Although Walsh held a 41-30 advantage in total rebounds, Malone made 20 of their 23 free throw attempts (87%) in the contest, including 19 of 21 (90.5%) shots from the charity stripe in the second half.  Carver posted 19 points and three assists for Malone while sophomore forward Jarrod Ferwerda (Lake H.S.) also posted 19 points to go with five rebounds.  Renner followed with 17 points and five boards and Schlabach contributed 13 points. 
     This week, Malone (14-11, 4-9 AMC S) will compete in three more conference games, starting with a 7:30 p.m. contest at home on Tuesday night against Wilberforce University (8-11, 4-10 AMC S).  The squad will then travel to Ohio Dominican University (12-13, 6-7 AMC S) on Thursday evening for an important 7:30 p.m. match-up with the Panthers before returning home on Saturday to host the University of Rio Grande (10-16, 5-9 AMC S) in another 7:30 p.m. contest.  The Pioneers will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Malone men’s basketball during halftime of its game against Rio Grande on Saturday.
     This week’s opponents:  Wilberforce- The Pioneers lead the all-time series with the Bulldogs 18-12 although Wilberforce defeated Malone 84-74 earlier this season.  The Pioneers had won three straight match-ups with the Bulldogs prior to their November 28th loss at Wilberforce.  Ohio Dominican- Malone holds a 56-18 advantage in the all-time series with the Panthers, including a 70-69 victory (at Malone) earlier this season.  The Pioneers have won three out of the last five meetings between the two schools.  Rio Grande- The Redmen lead the all-time series with Malone 39-35 and defeated the Pioneers 83-78 earlier this season (at Rio Grande).  Rio Grande has won five out of the last seven meetings between the two schools.
     Malone Notes: The men’s and women’s victories over Walsh in Saturday’s Mayors’ Cup games marked just the second time in the history of the Mayors’ Cup series that the Pioneers have swept both the men’s and women’s contests (Malone also won both Mayors’ Cup games during the 1998-1999 season)…Tyler Renner leads the team in scoring at 17.9 points per game followed by Ben Carver at 13.9 and Jesse Schlabach at 12.7…Renner also paces the team in rebounding with 7.7 boards per contest followed by Shane Humphrey with 6.2…Carver leads the team in assists with 3.2 per outing.

 

     The Malone College men's and women's indoor track & field teams competed at the University of Akron Open and at the Mt. Union College Invitational last weekend and two Malone indoor records were broken in the process while numerous NAIA national qualifying times were also posted.
     At the Akron meet, Ryan Kienzle (Jr., GlenOak H.S.) set a new Malone indoor record in the 3000 meters by posting a time of 8:20.65, which was also an NAIA automatic qualifying time.  The other new Pioneer indoor record was set Brady West (Sr., West Muskingum H.S.) who broke the heptathlon record with 4460 points and also qualified for NAIA indoor nationals.  West's marks in the heptathlon were as follows: 60 m (7.73), LJ (20' 5.25"), SP (37' 9.25"), HJ (5' 9.75"), 60H (9.28), PV (12' 3.5") and 1000 (2:49.58).
     Other top marks at the Akron meet for the Malone men included Justin Baum's (Jr., Kenston H.S.) first-place finish and NAIA qualifying time in the 5000 meters (15:11.71), Chris Sinick's (Fr., Field H.S.) fifth-place finish and NAIA qualifying time in the mile (4:12.05), which was just two seconds off the Malone record, and Mike Coates' (Jr., Sandy Valley H.S.) qualifying time in the mile (4:19.10).  
     The Malone women also had an NAIA qualifier at the Akron meet as Kalie Hauenstine (Fr., Ashland H.S.) posted a time of 18:32.98 in the 5000 meters.

     At the Mt. Union, the Pioneer women captured first place in the team scoring with 120 points among a 10-team field.  Slippery Rock (PA) University was second with 107 points and host Mt. Union was third with 90 points.
     NAIA national qualifiers for the women at the Mt. Union meet included Ashley Currence (Sr., East Canton H.S.) in the long jump (1st, 17' 7"), Emily Alderfer (Fr., Urbana H.S.) in the shot put (1st, 42' 3") and Megan Patton (So., Perry H.S.) in the 55-meter hurdles (2nd, 8.87).

     Other top efforts for the women at the meet included Currence in the triple jump (1st, 36' 4.5"), Holly Motter (So., Mt. Union, PA) in the triple jump (2nd, 34' 1"), Alderfer in the 20 lb. weight throw (1st, 42' 11"), Kim Winton (So., Medina H.S.) in the 300 meters (1st, 45.09) and 500 meters (2nd, 1:21.59), Patton in the 300 meters (2nd, 45.71), Britanny Davies (Sr., Cedarville H.S.) in the 400 meters (1st, 1:00.35) and 1000 meters (2nd, 3:09.73), Brooke Gasser (Sr., Norwayne H.S.) in the long jump (2nd, 17' 1.5") and Aubree Horning (Jr., Salem H.S.) in the shot put (2nd, 38' 5").
     For the Malone men, Chad Armstrong (Sr., Ashtabula H.S.) posted an NAIA national qualifying mark and finished second in the 35 lb. weight throw (51' 11.75") while Bryan Krieger (Fr., Cuyahoga Falls H.S.) finished first in the 300 meters (36:59).

     This week, the Malone teams will compete at the University of Findlay Open on Friday (2:30 p.m.).