Malone University - Mens Basketball

Mens Basketball

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Men's Basketball

Malone's longest tenured athletic program, men's basketball, has also been one of its most successful through the years. Under the leadership of NAIA Hall of Fame Coach Hal Smith, the men's basketball program experienced 22 winning seasons in his 25 years at the helm, including two NAIA National Tournament appearances and an NCCAA National Championship in 1996. The program has a total of three NAIA National Tournament appearances to its credit. Smith's 485 wins at Malone are more than all other Pioneer men's basketball coaches combined and he ended his outstanding 35-year coaching career with a 659-472 (.583) record. A new era begins at Malone in 2009-2010 as first-year head coach Tim Walker takes over the reins of the program. Walker previously spent seven years as the head coach at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois where he guided the Trolls to 20-win seasons in each of the last two years, including a conference title and NAIA Division II National Tournament appearance in 2008-09.

2009-2010 Malone Men's Basketball Team

Latest Headlines

Malone Men’s Basketball To Play University of Akron December 12th; Tickets On Sale At Malone

November 9, 2009

The Malone University men’s basketball team, led by first-year head coach Tim Walker, will play at NCAA Div. I University of Akron on Saturday, December 12th at 7:00 p.m. The Dec. 12th contest will be nearly 20 years to the day since the Pioneers last played an NCAA Div. I... Read More

Malone Men's Basketball Undergoes Major Restructuring Under New Head Coach

November 3, 2009

Throughout its 52-year history, the Malone University men’s basketball program has certainly had re-building years before. But with only four student-athletes from last year’s roster participating on the current 15-man squad, it has indeed been quite a while since a restructuring of this... Read More

Malone University Names Basketball Court After Hal Smith

October 15, 2009

Malone University has officially named its basketball court in Osborne Hall after its former and long-time men’s basketball head coach Hal Smith. The unveiling of “Hal Smith Court”, complete with his signature roughly one foot by seven feet in size just on the court in front of the... Read More

Hal and Barbara Smith Recognition Dinner Set For October 10

September 21, 2009

The Hal and Barbara Smith Recognition Dinner will be held in conjunction with Malone University Homecoming activities on Saturday, October 10th at 6:00 p.m. in the Malone gymnasium (Osborne Hall). Reservations may be made at the bottom of the following... Read More

Mike Brown Hired As Assistant Coach For Malone University Men’s Basketball

September 18, 2009

Mike Brown will join the Malone University men’s basketball staff as an assistant, Pioneer head coach Tim Walker announced today. Brown, a native of Canton and graduate of McKinley High School, spent the last two seasons as the head coach of Heritage Christian School and is currently... Read More

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Findlay Pulls Away From Pioneers In Second Half

November 19, 2009

The Malone University men’s basketball team fell on the road to the University of Findlay on Thursday evening as the Oilers, who are currently ranked fourth in NCAA Division II, used a 14-0 scoring run midway through the second half to pull away for an 81-70 victory. The Pioneers shot 50% (27 of 54) from the field over the course of the evening but also committed a season-high 23 turnovers. Malone’s record fell to 1-2 with the hard-fought defeat while Findlay, which won the NCAA Division II National Championship last season with a perfect 36-0 record, improved to 2-0 on the season.

The Pioneers held a 31-28 advantage with four minutes remaining in the first half of Thursday’s contest but the Oilers outscored Malone 10-2 over the remainder of the period to take 38-33 lead into the locker room at intermission. Findlay then held the Pioneers scoreless for a nearly five-minute stretch early in the second stanza to grab a commanding 61-41 advantage.

21 of the Oilers’ points came at the foul line as the hosts shot 84.0% (21 of 25) from the charity stripe. Findlay also totaled 16 steals and shot the ball well from the field, hitting 26 of 56 (46.4%) field-goal attempts, including eight of 19 (42.1%) three-pointers. Malone held a 37-25 advantage in total rebounds while hitting nine of its 25 (36.0%) shots from beyond the three-point arc and seven of its eight (87.5%) tries from the foul line.

Senior forward Mark Young (Jackson H.S.) tossed in 15 points as he made both of his free throw attempts and sank six of seven shots from the field, including the only three-pointer he attempted. Sophomore guard Eric Coblentz (Lake H.S.) also tallied 15 points with three assists. Junior guard Kyle Higgins (Columbus West H.S.) followed with 11 points, six rebounds, and two steals. Junior forward Nick Watts (Holland, MI) added seven points, five rebounds, and three assists while senior guard Jeremy Duerr (Lake H.S.) scored five points and dished out a season-high six assists.

The Pioneers will return to action on Saturday when they face another highly-ranked opponent, NAIA Division II No. 9 Indiana Wesleyan University (5-1 overall). Tip-off for Saturday’s home contest is slated for 4:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on WNPQ 95.9 FM and on the internet at www.thelight959.com. Live statistics will also be available on the internet at http://multimedia.malone.edu/athletics/basketball/mens/xlive.htm.

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Goshen Rallies In Second Half To Edge Malone, 72-70

November 14, 2009

The Malone University men’s basketball team endured a narrow 72-70 defeat on Saturday afternoon at Osborne Hall in its home opener against Goshen (IN) College as the Maple Leafs fought back from a 17-point second-half deficit to record the two-point victory. After falling behind 48-31 five and a half minutes into the final frame, the Maple Leafs used a 22-5 scoring run midway through the second half to grab a 60-56 advantage. Goshen took it largest lead of the afternoon at 71-66 with a little over a minute remaining and then held on for the two-point triumph. The Maple Leafs improved to 3-2 on the season with the come-from-behind victory while Malone fell to 1-1.

The Pioneers led Saturday’s contest 36-27 at halftime after limiting Goshen to just 29.0% (nine of 31) shooting over the first 20 minutes of play. Malone then outscored the Maple Leafs 12-4 over the first five and a half minutes of the second half before Goshen battled back to take the lead. The Pioneers shot exactly 50% in both halves, making 25 of their 50 shots from the field on the afternoon, including six of 16 (37.5%) three-pointers. After struggling to get their offense on track in the first half, the Maple Leafs knocked down 13 of 28 (46.4%) second-half field-goal attempts to end the day with a 37.3 shooting percentage (22 of 59). 22 of Goshen’s points in the contest came at the charity stripe as the visitors made 22 of 33 (66.7%) free throws on the afternoon. The Maple Leafs also held a 39-34 advantage in total rebounds and forced 20 Malone turnovers.

Sophomore guard Eric Coblentz (Lake H.S.) led the way for the Pioneers with 14 points. Junior forward Vaso Aleksic (Bar, Montenegro) came off the bench to record his second consecutive double-double of the season with 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Sophomore guard Jordan Lindesmith (Jackson H.S.) added 10 points while junior forward Ebiowei Porbeni (Plainfield, IL) and junior guard Kyle Higgins (Columbus West H.S.) each tossed in eight.

Canton native and GlenOak High School graduate Errick McCollum led the way for Goshen with 21 points.

The Pioneers will return to action on Thursday evening when they travel to the University of Findlay (0-0 overall) for a 7:30 p.m. matchup with the NCAA Division II Oilers.

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Pioneers Top Calumet In Season Opener

November 7, 2009

The Malone University men’s basketball team, under the direction of first-year head coach Tim Walker, picked up an 85-76 victory on the road Saturday afternoon in its season opener at Calumet (IN) College of St. Joseph. The Pioneers shot over 50.0% from beyond the three-point arc (7 of 13 attempts) and featured a balanced scoring attack as five different Malone players reached double figures. The Pioneers moved to 1-0 on the year with the nine-point triumph while the Crimson dropped to 1-2.

Calumet trailed 48-38 at halftime but then outscored Malone 15-4 over the first five minutes of the second half to grab a 53-52 advantage. The Pioneers quickly answered back, though, as the visitors took the lead for good with an 8-2 run of their own over the next three minutes.

On the afternoon, Malone connected on 24 of 64 shots from the field (37.5%) and 30 of 43 attempts from the foul line (69.8%). The Crimson, meanwhile, hit 28 of 76 field-goal tries (36.8%), three of 12 three-pointers (25.0%) and 17 of 33 free throws (51.5%). The Pioneers held a slim 39-38 advantage in total rebounds and committed just eight turnovers compared to 12 for Calumet.

Sophomore guard Eric Coblentz (Lake H.S.) tossed in a team-high 16 points in his Malone debut. Junior forward Nick Watts (Holland, MI) followed with 15 points with junior guard Kyle Higgins (Columbus West H.S.) contributing 14. Junior forward Vaso Aleksic (Bar, Montenegro) registered 13 points and a team-high 12 rebounds while senior forward Mark Young (Jackson H.S.) totaled 10 points.

The Pioneers will now be idle until Saturday when they host their home opener against Goshen (IN) College at 2:00 p.m.

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Daemen Edges Malone, 69-68

February 21, 2009

The Malone University men’s basketball team suffered a narrow 69-68 American Mideast Conference defeat at home to Daemen (NY) College on Saturday night in its season finale. The Pioneers trailed the tightly-contested match-up 68-63 with twenty seconds to play before an offensive rebound and put back by center Ted Lawver (Jr. CVCA) trimmed the deficit to three at 68-65. After a quick Malone foul, the Wildcats split a pair of free throws with 12.8 seconds remaining, pushing their advantage back to four. Pioneer guard Jeremy Duerr (Jr., Lake H.S.) buried a clutch three-pointer on Malone’s next trip down the floor to pull the hosts to within one. However, the Wildcats were then able to run the final two seconds off the clock and escape Osborne Hall with the hard-fought 69-68 victory. With the loss, the Pioneers concluded their 2008-2009 campaign with a final record of 9-20 overall and 5-8 in the AMC. Daemen, meanwhile, improved to 20-9 overall and 7-6 in the conference.

Saturday’s game remained close throughout as Malone’s 23-15 advantage midway through the first half marked the largest lead for either team. Daemen fought back later in the stanza with a 11-1 run as the two teams went to locker room at intermission with the scored knotted at 35-35. The Wildcats rattled off six unanswered points midway through the second frame to break a 52-52 tie and then clung to the lead until the final horn sounded.

On the evening, Malone connected on 42.4% (28 of 66) of its field goals, 23.5% (four of 17) of its threes, and 72.7% (eight of 11) of its free throws. Daemen hit 22 of 54 (40.7%) shots from the field, seven of 21 (33.3%) attempts from beyond the three-point arc and 18 of 25 (72.0%) tries from the charity stripe. Both squads posted nearly identical turnover and rebound totals as the Pioneers pulled down 38 boards and gave up 16 turnovers while the Wildcats tallied 36 rebounds and 15 miscues. Duerr led the way for Malone with 16 points, four assists, and three steals. Lawver followed with 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Forward Jock Rottman (So., Triway H.S.) registered 12 points, guard Mike Kaisk (Fr., Akron Springfield H.S.) tallied eight points and six boards while forward Taurean Dailey (Sr., McKinley H.S.) notched six points, 11 rebounds and three assists.

Prior to competing in their final collegiate game, Dailey, Lawver, guard Zach Fanning (Sr., Garaway H.S.), and forward Jarrod Ferwerda (Sr., Lake H.S.) were each recognized for their outstanding Malone careers.

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Mt. Vernon Nazarene Holds Off Pioneer Comeback, Eliminates Malone From AMC Postseason Contention With 63-62 Win

February 17, 2009

The Malone University men’s basketball team cut a 47-32 second-half deficit to just one point in the waning moments at Mt. Vernon Nazarene University on Tuesday night, but the Pioneers were unable to come up with the go-ahead basket during their final possession as the Cougars held on for a narrow 63-62 American Mideast Conference victory. Malone had trailed 44-30 at halftime but clamped down on the defensive end in the second stanza, out-scoring MVNU 32-19 while allowing the Cougars, who entered the contest ranked 15th in NAIA Division II, to convert on just five of 24 (20.8%) field-goal attempts over the final 20 minutes of action. The hard-fought, one-point loss eliminated the Pioneers from contention for the one of the AMC’s seven playoff spots, dropping the squad’s record to 9-19 overall and 5-7 in the conference. The Cougars, meanwhile, improved their postseason positioning with the victory, bettering their record to 21-7 overall and 9-3 in the AMC.

Malone jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the opening minutes of Tuesday’s contest but Mt. Vernon Nazarene closed the first half on a 12-0 run to take a 14-point lead into the locker room at intermission. The Pioneers then slowly chipped away at the deficit in the second stanza, pulling to within one with 57 seconds left on a basket by forward Jarrod Ferwerda (Sr., Lake H.S.). MVNU missed a jump shot on its ensuing possession, giving the ball back to Malone with 35 seconds remaining. After running down the clock, Ferwerda drove to the basket and misfired on a go-ahead attempt. Forward Taurean Dailey (Sr., McKinley H.S.) grabbed the offensive rebound and launched a shot just before the buzzer sounded, but his potential game-winning try was also off the mark, allowing MVNU to hang on for the 63-62 triumph.

Malone connected on 38.9% (21 of 54) of its field-goal attempts, 43.5% (10 of 23) of its three-pointers, and a season-high 90.9% (10 of 11) of its free throws over the course of the evening. Mt. Vernon Nazarene hit 20 of 55 (36.4%) shots from the field, nine of 28 (32.1%) attempts from beyond the three-point arc and 14 of 19 (73.7%) tries from the charity stripe. The Pioneers pulled down a season-best 47 rebounds compared to 25 boards for the Cougars but Malone also committed 20 turnovers. Ferwerda led the way for the Pioneers with 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Guard Mike Kaisk (Fr., Akron Springfield H.S.) followed with 13 points while forward Jock Rottman (So., Triway H.S.) came off the bench to post seven points. Other contributors for Malone included guard Jeremy Duerr (Jr., Lake H.S.) with six points and a career-high seven assists and Dailey with six points and a season-high 11 rebounds.

The Pioneers will wrap-up their 2008-2009 campaign on Saturday at home with a 7:30 p.m. Senior Night contest against Daemen (NY) College (19-8 overall, 6-5 AMC).

Playoff Picture: The 14-team American Mideast Conference, which is competing in a one-division format this year as opposed to last season’s two-division setup, will receive two automatic bids to the NAIA Division II National Tournament. The AMC’s regular-season champion will receive the conference’s first automatic bid. The second national-tourney berth will be awarded to the winner of the six-team AMC Postseason Tournament which will consist of finishers two through seven in the final regular-season standings. Finishers two and three will receive first-round byes and will host the tournament’s second-round competitions.

With just one AMC contest remaining on its schedule (Saturday at home against Daemen), Malone is currently in ninth place in the standings with a 5-7 conference record. Notre Dame College, the University of Rio Grande and Ohio Dominican University all hold tiebreakers over the Pioneers because of their victories over Malone this season in conference play. Depending on the outcome of this weekend’s AMC contests, the Pioneers could still potentially finish in a tie for seventh place. However, in that scenario, the squad would lose tiebreakers with the top seven finishers and thus miss out on qualifying for the conference tournament.

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