Feb. 26 (Tue.) - Men's Basketball at Walsh University; 7:30 p.m. (AMC Championship Game) - WNPQ 95.9 FM
Feb. 27 (Wed.) - Women's Tennis at Mt. Union College; 7:30 p.m.
Mar. 1 (Sat.) - Men's Tennis vs. St. John Fisher (NY) College (at Hilton Head, SC); 8:00 a.m.
- Baseball vs. Madonna (MI) University (at Phoenix, AZ Invitational); 9:30 a.m. DH
Men’s Basketball Tallies 1-1 Week; Clinches AMC North Title On Saturday With Victory Over Houghton
The Malone College men’s basketball team suffered an 81-64 loss at Notre Dame (OH) College on Tuesday evening but then clinched the American Mideast Conference North Division title at home on Saturday night with a convincing 83-65 win over Houghton (NY) College. Following Saturday’s 18-point triumph, Malone and Notre Dame finished in a tie atop the division standings with identical 7-3 records in AMC North play. However, because Point Park (PA) University won its contest with Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College on Saturday afternoon, Malone won the tiebreaker over Notre Dame and thus captured the North Division title. The Pioneers will now play at South Division winner Walsh University in the AMC Championship Game on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. The winner of Tuesday’s game earns an automatic bid to the NAIA Division II National Tournament which will be held in Point Lookout, Missouri March 12-18. The loser of the AMC title game is still alive in the postseason and will become the #1 seed in the six-team AMC Tournament that is to be played Feb. 28, March 1, and March 4 (see Playoff Picture below). The #1 seed and the #2 seed in the AMC Tournament each have a bye on Feb. 28th.
With the 1-1 week, Malone wrapped up its regular season with a 20-8 overall record and a 7-3 mark in the AMC North Division.
In Tuesday’s contest at Notre Dame, the host Falcons broke open a close game with a 21-3 run early in the second half. The Pioneers shot less than 35% (9 of 26) from the field in the opening stanza resulting in a 39-30 halftime deficit. Malone was able to cut the lead to six in the opening minutes of the second half before the Falcons quickly took control with the big scoring barrage that put them in front 66-42 with just over ten minutes to play. The hosts then stretched their advantage to as many as 28 points over the remainder of the second half en route to the convincing 81-64 victory.
The 17-point triumph marked Notre Dame’s first-ever win over Malone (the Pioneers had claimed victories in each of the five previous meeting between the two schools). The Falcons made 43.5% (30 of 69) of their overall shot attempts on Tuesday night, connected on 80% (16 of 20) of its free throws, and held a slim 38-37 advantage on the boards. The Pioneers, meanwhile, knocked down just 23 of their 55 (41.8%) overall attempts from the field and committed 20 turnovers.
Senior forward Tyler Renner (Garaway H.S) was the lone Malone player to reach double figures in Tuesday’s contest as he tallied 17 points and 10 rebounds. Junior forward Jarrod Ferwerda (Lake H.S.) and sophomore center Ted Lawver (CVCA) each posted nine points while senior guard Ben Carver (Shelby H.S.) contributed six points, seven assists, and three rebounds.
Jerome Pierce scored a game-high 26 points to go with seven assists for Notre Dame. Kyle Miller followed with 18 points and Karim McFarlane notched 14 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks.
With the knowledge that Point Park had won earlier in the day and that a victory would clinch the North Division, Malone took command of Saturday’s contest with Houghton in the opening minutes and then did not look back as it rolled to an 83-65 victory. The Pioneers never trailed in the game as they used an early 15-0 run to take a sizeable 29-11 lead at the 6:43 mark of the first half. Malone went to the locker room at intermission with a 40-23 advantage and then stretched its lead to as many as 27 points in the second stanza as it pulled away for its 20th win of the season.
The Pioneers shot over 50% (28 of 55) from the field, made six of 18 (33.3%) three-pointers, and connected on 21 of 25 (84%) free throws. Houghton converted on 40% (10 of 25) of its shots from three-point range but struggled from inside the arc, hitting just 21 of its 55 (38.2%) overall field goal attempts. The Highlanders made 13 of 17 (76.5%) free throws but trailed 38-29 in total rebounds.
Renner scored a game-high 21 points (7-12 FG, 0-1 3PT FG, 7-8 FT) for Malone to go with five rebounds and three assists. Carver notched 19 points, three assists and a season-high 10 rebounds while junior guard Andrew Weaver (Hiland H.S.) tossed in 18 points.
Rimgaudas Valaitis paced Houghton with 18 points followed by Mada Abdelhamid with 11 points and Ben Kopp with 10.
Playoff Picture: The AMC postseason structure has changed this year with only two automatic bids up for grabs to the NAIA Division II National Tournament (instead of three because the AMC fell below the 16-team minimum this season that the NAIA requires for a conference to receive three automatic bids). One of the two automatic bids will be awarded on Feb. 26 when the North Division champion (Malone) visits the South Division Champion (Walsh). The loser of this game will then be sent to the six-team AMC Tournament as the automatic #1 seed. The rest of the AMC Tournament field will consist of finishers 2 and 3 in the North Division (Notre Dame, Point Park) as well as finishers 2, 3, and 4 in the South (Cedarville University, Mount Vernon Nazarene University and Ohio Dominican University). Those five teams will be seeded by a Seeding Committee today ( Monday). The AMC Tournament will be contested on Feb. 28, March 1 and 4 with the tournament’s top two seeds earning first-round byes. The tournament champion earns the second automatic NAIA national tournament bid.
Malone vs. Walsh: Tuesday’s game will mark the 97th meeting between the two schools. Walsh, ranked sixth in the most recent NAIA Division II national poll with a 24-4 overall record (12-2 AMC South), leads the all-time series 57-39 and has won 17 of the last 19 contests with the Pioneers, including victories of 70-56 (at Malone on Nov. 29th) and 81-76 (in the Mayors’ Cup game at Walsh on Feb. 7th) earlier this season. Walsh has not lost to Malone on its home court (Walsh Physical Education Center) since January 27, 1997. The last postseason meeting between the teams was in 2000-01 when the Cavaliers defeated Malone 76-64 (Feb. 22, 2001 at Walsh). In postseason meetings, Walsh holds a 10-3 advantage over Malone and has won 10 of the last 11 postseason matchups.
Pioneer Notes: Tyler Renner currently paces the team in scoring at 16.7 points per game followed closely by Ben Carver at 16.3 and Shane Humphrey at 11.0…Renner also leads the team in rebounding with 8.0 boards per outing followed by Humphrey at 5.8 and Carver at 5.1…Carver is also averaging a team-high 3.0 assists per contest…2007-2008 marks the 15th season that Malone has tallied 20 or more victories and 12 of those 15 seasons have come under the direction of current head coach Hal Smith with the most recent occurring in 2001-2002 when the Pioneers notched a 20-14 record.
Women’s Basketball Eliminated From Playoff Contention After Dropping Final Three Contests; Season Complete at 7-20
The Malone College women’s basketball team’s season came to an end after the squad lost three tough contests last week to American Mideast Conference North Division opponents Notre Dame (OH) College, Ursuline College, and Houghton (NY) College. After falling 80-49 at Notre Dame on Tuesday and 86-64 at home to Ursuline on Thursday, the Pioneers’ postseason aspirations were still alive as the squad entered Saturday tied with Ursuline (with identical 5-8 records in AMC North play) for the final North Division playoff spot. Malone battled hard in Saturday’s home game with Houghton but came up just short, suffering a 62-60 defeat in overtime. Due to this tough loss on Saturday evening and the Arrows’ 90-77 home victory over Carlow (PA) University earlier in the day, Ursuline finished one game ahead of the Pioneers in the division standings and therefore advanced to the eight-team AMC Tournament as the North’s fourth and final seed. Following last week’s three tough losses, Malone concluded its season with a 7-20 overall record and a 5-9 mark in the AMC North Division.
In Tuesday’s game at Notre Dame, the host Falcons snapped a ten-game losing streak to Malone after outscoring the Pioneers 27-6 over the final nine minutes of play to pull away for the 80-49 victory. Malone held a 16-14 lead midway through the first half before an 8-0 run put Notre Dame in front 22-16 at the 8:46 mark of the opening stanza. The Falcons stretched their advantage to 36-27 at intermission and then put the game away with their late second-half surge.
Notre Dame shot over 52% (33 of 63) from the field on Tuesday evening, held a 42-31 advantage in total rebounds, and blocked ten shots. Malone converted on only 21 of its 60 (35%) field goal attempts and committed 19 turnovers.
Junior forward Tara Miller (Miami East H.S.) led the way for the Pioneers with 12 points and nine boards. Senior guard Kellyn Murphy (St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S.) also registered 12 points while sophomore guard Amanda Bryan (Carrollton H.S.) tossed in seven.
Jamie Henry led four Falcons in double figures with 20 points followed by Yvette Hunter, who notched 17 points and nine rebounds.
Against Ursuline on Thursday, the Arrows shot 50% (18 of 36) from the field in the opening stanza to take a 41-31 lead into the locker room at intermission. The Pioneers scored the first basket of the second half to trim the deficit to eight points but then got no closer over the remainder of the game as Ursuline stretched its lead to as many as 23 points in the final frame as it pulled away for the 86-64 victory.
The 22-point triumph marked the Arrows first-ever win over Malone (the Pioneers had won all seven of the previous meetings between the two schools including an 88-80 victory earlier this season at Ursuline) and moved Ursuline into a tie with the Pioneers for fifth place in the divisional standings and the final AMC Tournament spot.
Ursuline had success shooting the ball throughout Thursday’s contest as the squad connected on over 47% (35 of 74) of its attempts from the field, including 45.5% (10 of 22) of its shots from beyond the three-point arc. Malone trailed 46-41 in total rebounds and struggled somewhat to get its offense on track, hitting only 23 of 65 (35.4%) field goal attempts, four of 15 (26.7%) three-pointers, and 14 of 23 (60.9%) free throws.
Murphy paced the Pioneers with 15 points, seven rebounds, and four steals. Freshman guard Allyson Wilson (Firestone H.S.) followed with 13 points, seven boards, and four assists while senior guard Heather Fenner (Shelby H.S.) tossed in 10 points.
Jessica Wood led five Ursuline players in double figures with 16 points. Diona Graham added 15 points, 10 rebounds, and four steals for the visitors while Diolani Oshima and Kierra Turner both chipped in with 12 points.
In Saturday’s contest with Houghton, a Highlander jumper put the visitors in front 53-49 with 1:44 remaining but Miller answered back for Malone with offensive rebounds and put-backs on the Pioneers’ next two possessions to knot the score at 53-53. With 15 ticks remaining in regulation, the Malone defense then clamped down, forcing the Highlanders into a tough shot at the buzzer. The visitors’ game-winning attempt was off the mark, sending the important conference game into overtime. The hosts jumped out to a quick 57-54 lead in the opening minutes of the extra frame before Houghton fought back to tie the score at 57-57 with 3:12 to play. The Highlanders then outscored Malone 5-1 over the next two and a half minutes, giving Houghton a 62-58 advantage with 40 seconds remaining. Pioneer junior forward Nicole Feher (Lutheran West H.S.) cut the deficit to 62-60 with a basket on Malone’s next possession. The hosts then immediately fouled on the ensuing inbounds play and, after a pair of Highlander misses from the charity stripe with 15 ticks showing on the game clock, the Pioneers snagged the rebound and rushed down the court. Unfortunately, though, the Houghton defense held strong on the game’s final possession, preventing Malone from getting a shot attempt off before the final horn sounded.
The Pioneers led Saturday’s game 25-18 at halftime but the Highlanders opened the second stanza on an 11-4 run to tie the score at 29-29. The contest then remained close throughout the second half leading up to the dramatic finish.
Both teams played tough defense throughout the contest as neither squad was able to get into much of an offensive rhythm. Houghton knocked down 24 of its 70 (34.3%) overall shot attempts, five of 21 (23.8%) three-pointers, and nine of 17 (52.9%) free throws. Malone, meanwhile, connected on 22 of 70 (31.4%) field goals, one of seven (14.3%) three-pointers, and 15 of 26 (57.7%) free throws. The Pioneers posted a season-high 63 rebounds compared to just 39 boards for the Highlanders but the hosts also committed 25 turnovers. Houghton turned the ball over 20 times while grabbing 18 steals and blocking six shots.
Senior guard Nicki Sisson (Wayne Trace H.S.) turned in a strong performance in her final game as a Pioneer as she scored a team-high 16 points to go with four rebounds and two steals. Murphy also played well in her last contest for Malone, tallying 14 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four steals. Miller added 12 points and 11 boards for her fourth double-double of the year and Feher finished with nine points and 11 rebounds. Ashley Dupler led the way for Houghton with 20 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots. Lisa Skrypnik followed with 10 pointes and nine boards.
Pioneer Notes: Kellyn Murphy led the team in scoring this season at 15.4 points per game followed by Tara Miller at 9.3 and Allyson Wilson at 7.3…Miller paced the squad in rebounding with 8.5 boards per outing followed by Nicole Feher with 6.9 and Murphy with 5.9…Murphy also averaged a team-high 2.3 assists per contest.
Senior Stats: Guard Heather Fenner finished her four-year Malone playing career with 399 points and 140 rebounds…Guard Kellyn Murphy scored 1064 points in her four years in a Pioneer uniform which ranks as the 17th highest career point total in Malone women’s basketball history…Murphy also ranks 17th on the career rebounding list with 465 boards…Guard Nicki Sisson’s 459 career points rank 46th on the Pioneers’ all-time scoring list…Sisson also pulled down 127 rebounds during her four-year Malone playing career…Student assistant coach Becky Preusser started Saturday’s game against Houghton and registered two assists…Preusser played for the Pioneers during the 2005-2006 season and has served as an assistant coach for each of the last two years.
Track & Field Teams Post Numerous NAIA National Qualifying Marks At Kent State Tune-Up Saturday
The Malone College men's and women's indoor track & field teams competed in one final meet last Saturday, at the Kent State University Tune-Up, in advance of the NAIA Indoor National Championships March 6-8 as numerous national qualifying marks and two Malone indoor records were broken in the process.
For the men, Chris Sinick (So., Field H.S.) captured first place in the 1000 meters in a new school record time of 2:27:04 to automatically qualify for the NAIA national meet. In fact, that time is currently the second-best in the NAIA.
Other NAIA automatic qualifying marks for the men included James Zeuch (Fr., Galion H.S.) in the one mile (5th; 4:15.20), Mike Coates (Sr., Sandy Valley H.S.) in the one mile (7th; 4:16.38), Aaron Melhorn (Fr., Fairless H.S.) in 3000 meters (5th; 8:36.84), Matt Nichols (Fr., Crestwood H.S.) in the 3000 meters (7th; 8:42.42) and Paul Robinson (So., Field H.S.) in the 5000 meters (6th; 15:05.66).
Qualifying provisionally to the NAIA national meet were Nik Schweikert (Jr., Beavercreek H.S.) in the 3000 meters (10th; 8:47.18), Justin Baum (Sr., Kenston H.S.) in the 3000 meters (13th; 8:49.30), Evan Gaynor (So., Delta H.S.) in the 5000 meters (12th; 15:15.68), Shane McLaughlin (So., Caldwell H.S.) in the high jump (2nd; 6' 6") and the
4 x 400-meter relay team of Bryan Krieger (So., Cuyahoga Falls H.S.), Garrett Oliver (So., Benjamin Logan H.S.), Jay Brueckner (Sr., Crestview H.S.) and Chris Cruise (Sr., Field H.S.) in a time of 3:22.85 (8th).
In addition, Brueckner had an outstanding third-place finish in the 500-meter dash in 1:07.65 while Jon Easterling also posted a third-place finish in the 1000 meters in 2:34.70.
Others who finished in the top eight in an event for the men included Bryan McCanna (Fr., Smithville H.S.) in the 500 meters (6th; 1:08.41) and Steven Young (Fr., Gladstone, MO) in the triple jump (8th; 41' 10.75").
For the women, Megan Patton (Jr., Perry H.S.) set a new Malone indoor record as she finished third in the 60-meter hurdles in a time of 9.19 seconds to automatically qualify for NAIA nationals. Two other women also posted auto qualifying marks as Laura McElrath (Sr., Tallmadge H.S.) did so in the high jump (3rd; 5' 5") and Becky Rospotynski (So., Copley H.S.) accomplished the feat in the pole vault (3rd; 11' 4.5").
Vallie Scott (Jr., West Branch H.S.) notched a provisional qualifying time for the NAIA national meet with a time of 59.34 seconds in the 400-meter dash (6th). In addition, Kim Winton (Jr., Medina H.S.) captured a first-place finish in the 500 meters in a time of 1:19.81.
Others who finished in the top eight in an event for the women included Kayleigh Bildstein (Fr., Madison H.S.) in the 1000 meters (2nd; 3:07.26), Megan Miller (Fr., Crestwood H.S.) in the 1000 meters (5th; 3:12.11) and the women's distance medley relay team of Bildstein, Patton, Amanda Theis (Fr., Seneca East H.S.) and Lindsey Pifher (Fr., Colonel Crawford H.S.) in a time of 13:00.59 (2nd).
This week, the Pioneer teams are idle and will next compete in the NAIA Indoor National Championships in Johnson City, Tennessee March 6-8 with approximately 30 athletes making the trip. 
