The Malone College men’s basketball team endured an 81-76 loss in the 44th annual Mayors’ Cup game at Walsh University on Thursday as the host Cavaliers sizzled from beyond the arc throughout the evening, draining 13 of their 20 (65%) three-point attempts.  The Pioneers were quickly able to put the tough rivalry loss behind them, though, as the squad held off a late rally by Point Park (PA) University at Osborne Hall on Saturday evening to record an 81-75 American Mideast Conference North Division victory.  Following the 1-1 week, Malone’s overall record now stands at 18-6, which includes a forfeit win, awarded by the NAIA, over Cincinnati Christian University for a scheduled Feb. 12th game (CCU had to drop this contest due to having too many games scheduled).  Malone also has a 5-1 mark in the AMC North, which puts them in a tie for first place with Daemen (NY) College for the division lead.

     Against Walsh on Thursday, the Pioneers fell behind 38-26 at intermission after missing all seven of their first-half three-point tries but then opened the second stanza on an 11-2 run that trimmed the Cavaliers' lead to 40-37.  This three-point deficit was as close as Malone would get over the remainder of the night, however, as Walsh immediately answered back with 12 unanswered points to push its advantage to 52-37 with 15:05 remaining in the second half.  The Cavaliers then maintained a commanding double-digit advantage until the final minutes of the contest when they withstood a late Pioneer surge to record the 81-76 triumph.

The loss snapped Malone’s current four-game winning streak this season and ended the squad’s run of 10 straight victories in games played away from Osborne Hall.  The Cavaliers, who are ranked third in the most recent NAIA Division II men’s basketball Top 25 national poll, have now won 17 of the last 19 overall meetings with Malone and eight of the last nine Mayors’ Cup contests.

     The Pioneers shot 50% (31 of 62) from the field on the night and connected on 10 of their 13 (76.9%) free throws but struggled from long distance, making just four of their 15 (26.7%) total three-point attempts.  In addition to its pinpoint accuracy from three-point range, Walsh also knocked down 25 of its 52 (48.1%) overall field goals, converted on 18 of its 24 (75%) attempts from the charity stripe, and held a slim 33-32 advantage in total rebounds.

     Senior center Shane Humphrey (Loudonville H.S.) paced Malone with 21 points (9-12 FG, 3-3 FT) and eight boards.  Senior forward Tyler Renner (Garaway H.S.) followed closely with 20 points (8-14 FG, 2-3 3PT FG, 2-5 FT) and six rebounds while senior guard Ben Carver (Shelby H.S.) scored 14 points, pulled down seven boards and dished out three assists.  Other important contributors for the Pioneers included junior forward Jarrod Ferwerda (Lake H.S.), who notched eight points, and junior guard Zach Fanning, (Garaway H.S.) who came off the bench to tally seven points and a team-high four assists.

     Walsh was led by point guard Brandon Weems who tossed in a game-high 23 points (7-12 FG, 3-4 3PT FG, 6-10 FT) to go with six assists and five rebounds.  Corey Jones added 19 points, six boards, and three assists for the Cavaliers and Joe Shardo chipped in with 12 points.

     In Saturday’s contest with Point Park, Malone led 38-28 at halftime and then stretched its advantage to as many as 14 points early in the second frame before a late 8-0 Point Park run cut the hosts’ lead to 66-65 with 3:24 remaining.  A pair of free throws by Carver and a lay-up by junior forward Taurean Dailey (McKinley H.S.) then pushed Malone’s advantage back to five points moments later at 70-65.  The two teams then traded baskets over the next several possessions before a Humphrey lay-up put the hosts on top 77-72 with 37 seconds showing on the clock.  Dan Muto answered back on Point Park’s next trip down the floor, however, with his third three-pointer of the night to pull the visitors back to within two at 77-75.  Point Park quickly fouled Dailey on the ensuing inbounds play, sending the 6’4” forward to the foul line.  Dailey drained both of the clutch free throws and then immediately forced a Point Park turnover as the visitors tried to move the ball up the court.  Following a Malone timeout, Fanning added a lay-up with 16 ticks left on the clock to put the contest out of reach at 81-75.

     The six-point triumph gave Malone its third victory of the season over Point Park (Malone also defeated Point Park 80-67 on December 8th and 99-87 on January 22nd).  Malone connected on 47.1% (24 of 51) of its overall shot attempts on the night, made 27 of 35 (77.1%) free throws, and grabbed 10 steals.  Point Park, meanwhile, struggled somewhat from the field, hitting just 25 of its 71 (35.2%) overall shots, but held a 49-33 advantage on the boards with 28 offensive rebounds.

     Carver posted 20 points (5-10 FG, 2-5 3PT FG, 8-11 FT), seven rebounds, three assists and two steals for Malone.  Renner also notched 20 points (5-11 FG, 2-4 3PT FG, 8-10 FT) to go with five rebounds and three assists.  Dailey came off the bench to score 11 points and pull down five boards while Humphrey tossed in 10 points and handed out four assists.  Muto paced Point Park with 17 points and nine rebounds.  John Geiger and Chivas Whipple followed with 12 points apiece.

     This week, NAIA Division II #25 Malone (17-6 overall, 5-1 AMC North) will play back-to-back games in New York with a 7:30 p.m. contest at Daemen College (15-7 overall, 5-1 AMC North) on Friday evening followed by a 4:00 p.m. game at Roberts Wesleyan College (8-16 overall, 3-4 AMC North) on Saturday afternoon. 

     This week’s opponents: Daemen- Malone holds an 11-5 advantage in the all-time series between the two schools. The Pioneers and Wildcats are currently tied atop the AMC North Division standings with identical 5-1 records in conference play, although Daemen defeated Malone 84-79 at Osborne Hall earlier this season (January 12th).  Roberts Wesleyan- The Pioneers lead the all-time series 11-7 and defeated the Raiders 77-73 earlier this season (January 19th) at Malone.  The Pioneers have won three of the last four meetings between the two schools.

     Pioneer notes: Ben Carver paces the team in scoring at 16.7 points per game followed closely by Tyler Renner at 16.6 and Shane Humphrey at 11.5…Renner leads the squad in rebounding with 8.3 boards per outing followed by Humphrey with 5.6 and Carver with 5.0…Carver is also averaging a team-high 2.9 assists per contest…Humphrey needs just 18 more points to reach 1000 for his Malone playing career...Walsh now holds a 25-19 advantage in the Mayors’ Cup series and leads the all-time series with Malone 57-39.

Women’s Basketball Tallies 1-1 Record On The Week; Kellyn Murphy Reaches 1000 Career Points

     The Malone College women’s basketball team fell 83-64 at Walsh University on Thursday night in the 12th annual Mayors’ Cup game as the host Cavaliers connected on 57.6% (34 of 59) of their overall shots from the field.  The Pioneers bounced back at home on Saturday, however, to register a 70-60 American Mideast Conference North Division victory over Point Park (PA) University.  Senior guard Kellyn Murphy (St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S.) scored a game-high 21 points in Saturday’s victory to become the 19th Malone women’s basketball player to reach 1000 career points.  Murphy’s final point of the night, a made free throw with 3:18 remaining, brought her to the milestone, giving her exactly 1000 points in her four-year Pioneer playing career.

     In Thursday’s match-up with Walsh, the Cavaliers took command of the contest midway through the first half with a 14-1 run that put them in front 22-11 at the 9:15 mark of the opening stanza.  The Cavaliers led 45-30 at intermission and then stretched their advantage to as many as 29 points in the second half en route to the 83-64 victory. 

     The loss halted Malone’s streak of three straight Mayors’ Cup victories and allowed Walsh to complete a season sweep of its cross-town rival for the first time since the 2003-2004 campaign (the Cavaliers defeated the Pioneers in overtime at Malone on November 29th by a final score of 72-70).

     Malone made 26 of its 60 (43.3%) overall field goal attempts on Thursday night, including five of 14 (35.7%) three-pointers, but it was not enough to keep pace with Walsh’s hot shooting.  In addition to their nearly 60% accuracy from the field, the Cavaliers also nailed 13 of 15 (86.7%) free throws, held a 35-27 advantage in total rebounds, and grabbed 15 steals. 

     Murphy led the way for the Pioneers with 20 points (8-13 FG, 4-6 FT) and three steals.  Freshman guards Allyson Wilson (Firestone H.S.) and Amy Kittle (Buckeye Trail H.S.) each followed with eight points apiece while sophomore guard Bree Zehnder (Garaway H.S.) tossed in seven.

     Katie Berry paced Walsh with a game-high 24 points.  Ciera Burkes also made major contributions for the Cavaliers as she came off the bench to post a double-double with 16 points and 10 assists.

     Against Point Park on Saturday, Malone took a 32-26 lead into the locker room at halftime and then stretched its advantage to as many as 17 points in the second stanza en route to the 10-point, 70-60 triumph.

     Malone shot just 32.8% (22 of 67) from the field on the evening but managed to out-rebound Point Park 52-42 with a season-high 23 offensive boards.  Malone also held a substantial advantage at the charity stripe as the squad posted a season high for made free throws, hitting 23 of its 34 (67.6%) attempts compared to 11 of 16 (68.8%) made free throws for the visitors.  Point Park blocked nine shots and grabbed 11 steals but struggled on the offensive end, hitting just 22 of its 60 (36.7%) field goal attempts, including only five of 20 (25%) three-pointers.

     In addition to her 21 points (5-15 FG, 0-1 3PT FG, 11-12 FT), Murphy also posted 11 rebounds, four assists, and two steals for her fourth double-double of the season.  Junior forward Nicole Feher (Lutheran West H.S.) followed with 13 points and nine boards while junior forward Tara Miller (Miami East H.S.) tossed in seven points and pulled down 12 rebounds.  Senior guard Nicki Sisson (Wayne Trace H.S.) notched seven points  and Wilson contributed 10 boards.

     Brittney Wilson led the way for Point Park with 17 points, eight rebounds, five steals and three blocks.  Ashleigh Hays also tallied 17 points and Katie Auth recorded 13 points, eight boards, four assists, and three steals for the visitors.

     This week, Malone (7-15 overall, 5-4 AMC North) will host Ursuline College (10-15 overall, 3-8 AMC North) on Tuesday evening at 5:30 p.m. before traveling to upstate New York over the weekend for a pair of games.  The Pioneers will face NAIA Division II #19 Daemen College (19-5 overall, 10-0 AMC North) on Friday at 5:30 p.m. before taking on Roberts Wesleyan College (15-10 overall, 6-4 AMC North) on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

     This week’s opponents: Ursuline- Malone has won all seven of its previous meetings with the Arrows including an 88-80 triumph at Ursuline earlier this season (January 3rd).  Daemen- The Wildcats and Pioneers have split each of their previous four contests.  Daemen defeated Malone at Osborne Hall earlier this season (January 12th) by a final score of 79-61.  Roberts Wesleyan- Malone leads the all-time series 8-2 although the Raiders defeated the Pioneers earlier this season (at Malone on January 19th), 66-58.

     Pioneer notes: Kellyn Murphy leads the team in scoring at 16.0 points per game followed by Tara Miller at 8.6 and Allyson Wilson at 7.5…Miller paces the squad in rebounding with 8.5 boards per outing followed by Nicole Feher with 6.9 and Murphy with 5.8…Murphy is also averaging a team-high 2.2 assists per contest…With seven points in Saturday’s win, Nicki Sisson moved into the Top 50 on Malone’s all-time scoring list and now ranks 49th with 428 career points…Miller and Feher both eclipsed 250 career rebounds on Saturday…Miller currently ranks 36th on the Pioneers’ all-time rebounding list with 260 career boards while Feher is right behind in 37th place with 254 career rebounds…Following Thursday’s game, Malone still leads the Mayors’ Cup series 7-5…The Pioneers also hold a 31-29 advantage in the all-time series against Walsh…Malone has now won each of its last nine meetings with Point Park.

Men's, Women's Track & Field Teams Compete At Mt. Union Invitational; Women Finish First While Men Place Sixth

     The Malone College men's and women' s indoor track & field teams competed at the Mt. Union College Invitational last Saturday as the women's squad took the team title among an 11-team field with 145 points to easily defeat runner-up Mt. Union which had 67.33 points.  The men's squad finished sixth among its nine-team field with 33 points as Mt. Union took the men's team title with 125 points.  In addition, one Malone individual posted a provisional qualifying time to the NAIA indoor national meet while another set a new Malone individual record in an event.
     For the women, Amanda Theis (Fr., Seneca East H.S.) notched the provisional qualifying time in the 800 meters with a first-place time of 2:22.84.  Other first-place winners for the women included Holly Motter (Jr., Mt. Union, PA) in the long jump (17' 6"), Megan Patton (Jr., Perry H.S.) in the 55-meter hurdles (8.77), Vallie Scott (Jr., West Branch H.S.) in the 500 meters (1:21.12), Kayleigh Bildstein (Fr., Madison H.S.) in the 1000 meters (3:12.36) and Emily Alderfer (So., Urbana H.S.) in the weight throw (44' 1").
     Second-place finishers for the women included Laura McElrath (Sr., Tallmadge H.S.) in the high jump (5' 1.75") and the 55-meter hurdles (8.89), Becky Rospotynski (So., Copley H.S.) in the pole vault (11' 1.5"), Bildstein in the one-mile run (5:34.91), Vallie Scott in the 300-meter dash (43.01), Kristin Downing (Fr., Lake H.S.) in the 3000 meters (11:19.43) and Aubree Horning (Sr., Salem H.S.) in the weight throw (43' 11")>

     Third-place finishes went to Lori Ickes (Fr., Smithville H.S.) in the high jump (5' 1.75"), Alderfer in the shot put (38' 10.5") and Amy Gladd (Fr., Butler, PA) in the 800 meters (2:29.55).
     For the men, Steve Young (Fr., Gladstone, MO) posted a new school record in the triple jump with a second-place mark of 43' 6.75".
     Justin Jump (Jr., Wellington H.S.) posted the lone first-place finish in an event for the men as he won the weight throw with a toss of 42' 9".
     Second-place finishes for the men included Bryan Krieger (So., Cuyahoga Falls H.S.) in the 300-meter dash (36.83), Josh Gortney (Sr., Sandy Valley H.S.) in the pole vault (13' 9.75") and Branden Johnson (Fr., Springfield H.S.) in the weight throw (41' 10").
     Third-place finishers included Shane McLaughlin (So., Caldwell H.S.) in the high jump (6' 4") and Roger Berning (So., Battle Creek, MI).
     This week, the Malone teams will compete at the All-Ohio Indoor Championships, hosted by the University of Findlay, on Friday and Saturday, with the event kicking off at 10:00 a.m. on Friday.

Men's Tennis Opens Season With Wins Over West Liberty State, Baldwin-Wallace

     The Malone College men's tennis team, led by fourth-year head coach Tom Brown, posted two victories last weekend to open up the 2008 season.  On Friday night, in a home match at the Towpath Racquet Club in Akron, Malone defeated West Liberty State (WV) College 8-1 and then, on Saturday, the Pioneers collected a road win at Baldwin-Wallace College 5-4, the team's first victory against B-W in many years according to coach Brown.  
     In the B-W match, with Malone trailing 4-1, which included losses at the #1 and #2 doubles, the Pioneers won each of the remaining four singles matches in three sets each.  In that final singles match, freshman David Cairns (Strongsville, OH) fought back against cramps and the loss of his regular racket to emerge with the victory and secure the stunning come-from-behind win over B-W.
     Scores for the two matches (in order - West Liberty St., Baldwin-Wallace) were as follows:

#1 Jason Christman (Sr., McKinley H.S.)        W 6-3, 6-2           L 6-4, 6-1

#2 Kyle Bowers (Jr., Norwalk H.S.)                   W 6-4, 6-2           W 6-7, 6-2, 6-2    
#3 David Cairns (Fr., Strongsville, OH)            W 6-0, 6-2           W 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 

#4 Nathaniel Rodd  (So., Canton, OH)             W 6-1, 6-0           W 6-4, 6-7, 6-0
#5 Tim Springirth (Jr., Erie, PA)                          W 6-4, 6-2           W 7-6, 4-6, 6-4

#6 Dan Yard (Sr., Louisville H.S.)                      L 6-1, 7-6             L 6-1, 6-0                

#1 Christman/Bowers                                          W 8-1                   L 8-4
#2 Rodd/Springirth                                                W 8-2                   L 8-3                    
#3 Cairns/Tim Frazier (So., Beaver Falls, PA)  W 8-4                   W 9-8
     This week, Malone (2-0) will host West Virginia Wesleyan College on Friday at 5:00 p.m. at the Hall of Fame Fitness Center and will conclude its week by competing at Oberlin College on Saturday in a 2:00 p.m. contest.