Women's Basketball - Malone defeats:
Wilberforce University 74-59
University of Rio Grande 87-70
CURRENT RECORD: 18-10 (10-6 AMC South)
Men's Basketball - Malone defeats:
Wilberforce University 86-69
University of Rio Grande 103-82
Malone loses to:
Ohio Dominican University 84-83
CURRENT RECORD: 16-12 (6-10 AMC South)
Men's and Women's Track & Field - Malone competed at the University of Findlay Open last Friday and the men's 4x400 relay team qualified for the NAIA indoor national meet
Men's Tennis - Malone defeats:
University of Charleston (WV) 8-1
West Virginia Wesleyan 8-1
CURRENT RECORD: 2-0
Women’s Basketball Extends Winning Streak To Five Games With Two More Conference Victories
The Malone College women’s basketball team posted two more important American Mideast Conference South Division victories last week to stretch their current winning streak to five games. Malone opened the week with a 74-59 win over Wilberforce University at home last Tuesday night before recording a dominating 87-70 home victory over the University of Rio Grande on Saturday evening. Following the 2-0 week, the Pioneers moved into a tie with Rio Grande for third place in the AMC South (and would therefore qualify for the AMC postseason tournament if the playoffs started today) with a record of 18-10 overall and a 10-6 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. Malone can clinch a playoff spot with a victory over Tiffin University on Tuesday.
Malone never trailed in last Tuesday evening’s contest with Wilberforce. The Pioneers jumped out to an early 12-4 lead and then maintained a small advantage throughout the remainder of the first half, taking a 32-27 lead into the locker room at halftime. Malone then opened the second period on an 18-2 run to take a commanding 50-29 lead as they cruised to the 74-59 victory. Although the Pioneers shot just 39.5% (30-76) from the field in the game, including only 21.4% (3-14) from behind the three-point arc, Malone held a significant 50-38 advantage in total rebounds and limited the Bulldogs to 37.5% (24-64) shooting from the field for the game. Senior forward Nikki Parson (Garaway H.S.) and junior forward Cara Shiplett (Northwest H.S.) paced the Pioneers with 16 points apiece. Senior forward Jennifer Miday (North Canton Hoover H.S.) followed with 14 points and eight rebounds while sophomore forward Tara Miller (Miami East H.S.) tossed in seven points and pulled down six boards. Sophomore guard Katie Murphy (St. Vincent/St. Mary H.S.) added five assists and three steals. Eight different Malone players tallied at least four rebounds in Tuesday’s game.
In Saturday’s match-up with Rio Grande, the Redwomen’s early 2-0 advantage at the start of the contest would turn out to be their only lead of the evening. Malone quickly took control of the game with an early 13-2 run that gave the squad a 23-11 advantage midway through the first half. The Pioneers then maintained a substantial lead for the remainder of the opening stanza to take a 42-27 lead into the locker room at halftime. Malone’s advantage then ballooned to as many as 23 points in the second frame as it cruised to the 87-70 victory. The Pioneers’ strong defensive effort throughout the evening prevented Rio Grande from getting its offense on track as Malone tallied 15 steals and forced the Redwomen into 21 turnovers. Parson paced the Pioneers with a game-high 25 points (10-15 FG, 0-1 3 PT FG, 5-5 FT), Shiplett followed with 16 points and seven rebounds, and Miller posted 12 points and six rebounds. Katie Murphy posted 10 points, junior guard Kellyn Murphy (St. Vincent/St. Mary H.S.) added seven points and four assists, while senior guard Erica Mishler (Hiland H.S.) contributed five points, four steals and three assists.
This week, Malone (18-10, 10-6 AMC S) will conclude its current six-game home stand with a 5:30 p.m. contest against Tiffin University (12-13, 9-7 AMC S) on Tuesday evening. The squad will then wrap up its regular-season schedule on Saturday when it travels to Cedarville University (22-5, 14-2 AMC S) for a 2:00 p.m. match-up with the NAIA Division II #5 Yellow Jackets.
This week’s opponents:
Tiffin- The Dragons hold an 18-15 advantage in the all-time series with Malone and defeated the Pioneers 68-55 earlier this season (at Tiffin). Tiffin has now won five out of the last seven contests with Malone.
Cedarville- The Yellow Jackets have won the last 10 meetings with the Pioneers and currently enjoy an 18-12 lead in the all-times series between the two schools. Malone nearly upset Cedarville earlier this season (Jan. 16th) in Osborne Hall as Yellow Jacket center Mary Stockdale nailed a 10-foot jumper with less then a second remaining on the clock to allow her squad to escape with a narrow 58-56 victory.
Malone Notes: The Pioneers’ 18 victories on the season are the highest win total for Malone since 2001-2002 when the squad posted a 24-7 record…Nikki Parson leads the team in scoring at 17.2 points per game followed by Cara Shiplett at 14.8 and Kellyn Murphy at 9.2…Parson also paces the squad in rebounding with 9.0 boards per outing…Murphy leads the team in assists at 2.9 per contest.
Men’s Basketball Posts 2-1 Record On The Week To Keep Playoff Hopes Alive; Malone Celebrates 50th Anniversary Of Pioneer Men's Basketball Saturday
In a week during which the College celebrated the 50th anniversary of Malone men's basketball (Saturday), the Pioneer men’s basketball team tallied a 2-1 record last week in three American Mideast Conference South Division match-ups. The Pioneers began the week on Tuesday night at home with an 86-69 victory over Wilberforce University. The squad then traveled to Ohio Dominican University on Thursday evening where they suffered a heartbreaking 84-83 loss to the Panthers in the final seconds. Malone was able to quickly rebound on Saturday night at home, though, with a convincing 103-82 victory over the University of Rio Grande. Following the 2-1 week, the Pioneers moved into a tie for sixth place in the AMC South (trailing Ohio Dominican, which currently owns the fifth and final playoff spot, by two games) with a record of 16-12 overall and a 6-10 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. Malone can still qualify for the AMC postseason tournament if Ohio Dominican loses its final two regular-season contests (at Urbana University, at Mount Vernon Nazarene University) and the Pioneers win their final two games (home vs. Tiffin University, at Cedarville University).
In Tuesday’s game with Wilberforce, the Bulldogs took their first and only lead of the contest at 7-6 with over 13 minutes remaining in the opening period. The Pioneers were then able to quickly take command of the game with a 20-7 run that put Malone in front by 15 with less than two minutes remaining in the first half. Wilberforce answered by tallying the final four points of the stanza to cut the Pioneers’ advantage to 36-25 at halftime and then scored the first six points of the second period to trim Malone’s lead ever further to 37-32. This five-point deficit would be the closest the Bulldogs would get however, as the Pioneers pulled away over the remainder of the second half, stretching their advantage to as many as 18 points as they cruised to the 86-69 victory. Wilberforce’s physical play resulted in a total of 33 team fouls being called on the Bulldogs, sending Malone to the free foul line early and often throughout Tuesday’s contest. The Pioneers made 32 of their 42 (76.2%) free throws attempts during the game (just seven free throw attempts shy of breaking the school record). Wilberforce meanwhile struggled from the charity stripe as they converted on just 12 of their 23 attempts (52.2%). Everyone who played in the game for Malone scored as junior guard Ben Carver (Shelby H.S.) led the way with a game-high 22 points (6-9 FG, 1-4 3PT FG, 9-9 FT). Senior guard Jesse Schlabach (Lake H.S.) followed with 13 points, four assists, and three steals, junior post player Tyler Renner (Garaway H.S.) tallied 11 points and nine rebounds and junior post player Shane Humphrey (Loudonville H.S.) contributed 10 points, six rebounds and four steals.
In Thursday’s contest at Ohio Dominican, the Panthers opened up a six-point lead midway through the first period before Malone battled back to take a 24-23 advantage with just under seven minutes remaining in the opening stanza. The two teams traded baskets over the next few possessions until Ohio Dominican went on a 12-3 run over the final four minutes of the first half to take a 41-33 halftime lead. The Panthers were then able to expand their advantage to as many as 14 points in the opening minutes of the second frame but Malone gradually cut into Ohio Dominican’s sizable lead as the second half wore on, eventually taking a 76-75 advantage with just 2:20 remaining on the clock after Tyler Renner hit a pair of three-point baskets on consecutive trips down the floor. The Pioneers’ lead then grew to three points moments later at 79-76 after another successful three-point shot, this one by Jesse Schlabach. Each team tossed in scores over their next two possessions, leaving the Pioneers with an 83-80 lead with just 37 seconds left. The Panthers’ initial shot on their next trip down the floor was off the mark but Ohio Dominican forward Brian Busch tipped-in the missed attempt to cut Malone’s lead to 83-82. The Panthers then immediately fouled Ben Carver on the ensuing inbounds play, sending the Pioneers’ top free-throw shooter to the line for two attempts. Both of his shots from the charity stripe were off the mark, though, and following a timeout, Busch quickly scored to put Ohio Dominican in front 84-83 with just over 10 seconds remaining. The Pioneers then quickly inbounded the ball and flew down the floor but were unable to convert on their final shot attempt, losing a heartbreaker by the final score of 84-83. Malone made 46.0% (29-63) of its shots from the field during Thursday’s game, including 50% (11-22) from three-point range, but was unable to come up with key defensive stops down the stretch as Ohio Dominican drained 32 of its 59 shots (54.2%) from the field, including seven of nine attempts (77.8%) from behind the three-point arc. Carver paced the Pioneer offense with 18 points, Schlabach followed with 14 and Renner contributed 13 points and seven rebounds. Humphrey added 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.
On Saturday, the College celebrated the 50th anniversary of Malone men's basketball by hosting a banquet in the late afternoon on campus and then by recognizing the many former players and coaches in attendance at halftime of the men's game vs. Rio Grande.
The first half of Saturday’s game with Rio Grande went back and forth with Malone holding a slight 44-41 lead at halftime. The Pioneers then opened the second frame on a 7-0 run to stretch their advantage to 10 points but Rio Grande fought back moments later with a 9-0 run of its own to reclaim the lead at 62-61. The two teams traded baskets over the next several minutes before Malone was able to put the game away with an impressive 22-3 run that stretched their lead to 93-72 with just under two minutes remaining in the contest. Rio Grande struggled to contain the Malone offensive attack throughout Saturday’s 103-82 victory as the Pioneers shot over 59% (38 of 64) from the field, including over 52% (11-21) from three-point range, while dominating the boards with a season-high 47 rebounds. Schlabach led five Malone players in double-figures with a season-high 26 points (7-12 FG, 6-10 3PT FG, 6-6 FT) followed by Carver with 17 points, and Renner with 15 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Sophomore forward Jarrod Ferwerda (Lake H.S.) added 14 points and seven boards while Humphrey tallied 12 points and 12 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. Eight different Pioneers dished out at least two assists in Saturday’s contest.
This week, Malone (16-12, 6-10 AMC S) will conclude its regular-season schedule with two more conference match-ups, beginning with a 7:30 p.m. contest against Tiffin University (4-21, 4-12 AMC S) at home on Tuesday night. The Pioneers will then travel to Cedarville University (19-6, 13-3 AMC S) on Saturday for a 4:00 p.m. showdown with the NAIA Division II #15 Yellow Jackets.
This week’s opponents: Tiffin- Malone leads the all-time series with the Dragons 51-21 although Tiffin defeated the Pioneers earlier this season by the final score of 72-63 (at Tiffin). Malone has won six out of the last eight meetings with the Dragons, including the past three match-ups played between the two schools at Osborne Hall. Cedarville- Malone holds a 52-33 advantage in the all-time series with the Yellow Jackets but Cedarville has won seven out of the last eight meetings between the two schools including an 86-79 victory earlier this season (at Malone). The Pioneers have dropped their last four contests that were played against the Yellow Jackets at Cedarville’s Callan Athletic Center.
Malone Notes: Tyler Renner leads the team in scoring at 17.4 points per game followed by Ben Carver at 14.4 and Jesse Schlabach at 13.3…Renner also paces the squad in rebounding with 7.7 boards per outing…Carver leads the team in assists at 3.1 per contest.
Men's, Women's Track & Field Compete At Findlay Open; Men's 4x400 Relays Qualifies For Nationals
The Malone College men's and women's indoor track & field teams competed at the University of Findlay Open last Friday and the men's 4x400 meter relay team posted a provisional qualifying mark for the NAIA indoor national meet in the process.
For the men's team, the 4x400 relay unit of Bryan Krieger (Fr., Cuyahoga Falls H.S.), Jay Brueckner (Jr., Crestview H.S.), Jeb Ford (So., Minerva H.S.) and Chris Cruise (Jr., Field H.S.) qualified with a time of 3:24.89 for a second-place finish.
Other top-five finishes for the men included Cruise in the 400 meters (2nd; 51.10), Jon Easterling (So., Ashtabula H.S.) in the 600 meters (2nd; 1:25.80), Brueckner in the 600 meters (3rd; 1:25.81), Tyler Davis (Jr., Teays Valley H.S.) in the high jump (3rd; 6' 2.75"), Shane McLaughlin (Fr., Caldwell H.S.) in the high jump (5th; 6' 2.75") and Ford in the 60-meter dash (5th; 7.21).
For the women's team, two individuals posted first-place finishes as Emily Alderfer (Fr., Urbana H.S.) won the shot put with a throw of 40' 10.5" and Holly Motter (So., Mt. Union, PA) took the triple jump (35' 8.75").
Other top-five finishers for the women included Britanny Davies (Sr., Cedarville H.S.) in the 800 meters (2nd; 2:20.04), Faith Nicholson (McMurray, PA) in the triple jump (2nd; 32' 3"), Kim Winton (So., Medina H.S.) in the 600 meters (3rd; 1:41.08), Laura McElrath (Jr., Tallmadge H.S.) in the 60-meter hurdles (3rd; 9.53), Motter in the long jump (4th; 17' 2") and McElrath and Nicholson who tied for fifth in the high jump at 4'11".
This week, the teams will compete at the Kent State University Tune-Up on Saturday at 11:00 a.m.
Men's Tennis Team Opens Season With Pair Of 8-1 Wins Against Charleston, West Virginia Wesleyan
The Malone College men's tennis team, led by head coach Tom Brown, opened its 2007 season last weekend on the road and came away with a pair of 8-1 victories -- on Friday vs. The University of Charleston (WV) and on Saturday against West Virginia Wesleyan University.
Scores for the matches (in order - Charleston, West Virginia Wesleyan) were as follows:
#1 Jason Christman (Sr., McKinley H.S.) L 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 W 6-1, 6-2
#2 Kyle Bowers (So., Norwalk H.S.) W 6-3, 6-0 W 6-1, 6-1
#3 Tim Springirth (So., Erie, PA) W 6-1, 6-2 W 6-1, 6-4
#4 Nathaniel Rodd (Fr., Canton, OH) W 6-2, 7-6 W 6-2, 6-3
#5 Dan Yard (Jr., Louisville H.S.) W 4-6, 6-4 (10-6) W 2-6, 6-3 (10-6)
#6 Tim Frazier (Fr., Beaver Falls, PA) W 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 W 6-1, 6-3
#1 Christman/Rodd W 8-5 L 8-4
#2 Bowers/Springirth W 8-2 W 8-0
#3 Yard/Frazier W 9-7 W 8-6
This week, the team will compete at Oberlin College on Saturday in a 1:00 p.m. match.
