The Malone University men’s basketball team fell 81-58 on the road to Cedarville University Tuesday evening in the first round of the American Mideast Conference Postseason Tournament as the host Yellow Jackets took control of the contest with a 19-0 scoring run midway through the first half.  The opening-round playoff loss brings Malone’s season to a close as the squad ends the year with a final overall record of 13-16.  Cedarville, ranked 14th in the most recent NAIA Division II National Poll, improves to 23-8 with the victory and will travel to Amherst, New York on Saturday to face Daemen College in the tournament’s second round.

Malone jumped out to a 17-11 lead eight minutes into Tuesday’s contest before Cedarville stormed back, outscoring the Pioneers 30-7 over the remainder of the first half to take a commanding 41-24 advantage into the locker room at intermission.  A three-pointer by Malone guard Eric Coblentz (pictured left; So., Lake H.S.) pulled the Pioneers to within 41-27 at the start of the second stanza, but the visitors were unable to get any closer the rest of the way as the Yellow Jackets went on to record the 81-58 postseason victory.

Cedarville shot the ball well throughout the evening, hitting 14 of 16 (87.5%) free throws and 28 of 57 (49.1%) field goals, including 11 of 24 (45.8%) three-pointers.  Malone countered by knocking down 24 of 59 (40.7%) shots from the field, six of 18 (33.3%) threes and four of eight (50.0%) attempts from the charity stripe.  The Pioneers committed just eight turnovers on the night compared to 14 for the Yellow Jackets but Cedarville was able to overcome the miscues with its hot shooting and dominating 44-23 advantage in total rebounds. 

Coblentz made six of 12 shots from the floor including three of six tries from beyond the three-point arc to end the night with a team-high 15 points.  Junior forward Nick Watts (Holland, MI) came off the bench to post 11.  Senior guard Jeremy Duerr (Lake H.S.) and senior forward Mark Young (Jackson H.S.) also put together solid performances as Duerr registered seven points, five boards, four steals and three assists while Young notched seven points and four rebounds.  Forward Matt Harner tossed in a game-high 24 points for Cedarville with guard Chris Beals adding 19 points and center Ricardo Alliman recording a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Notes:  After a 4-12 start to the season, Malone won nine of its final 12 regular-season games to qualify for the conference tournament…The Pioneers led the conference in free-throw shooting during the regular season, hitting 75% (397 of 529) of their foul shots…Cedarville and Malone entered the postseason ranked first and second, respectively, in the AMC in three-pointers made this year as the Yellow Jackets hit 251 threes while the Pioneers connected on 234 attempts from long range…Coblentz’s 87 made three-pointers in 2009-2010 marked the most treys hit by a Pioneer since Jesse Schlabach drained 93 during the 2006-2007 campaign....Coblentz led the conference in both free-throw shooting (90.1%) and three-pointers made per game (3.0) during the regular season.

The Malone University men’s basketball team suffered a narrow 65-64 overtime defeat in its regular-season finale at Mt. Vernon Nazarene University on Saturday evening as the host Cougars held the Pioneers to just six points over the final 12 minutes of action, which included two points during the last seven minutes of regulation and four points in the five-minute overtime period.  Despite the tough defeat, Malone had already secured a spot in the American Mideast Conference Postseason Tournament with its win at Point Park (PA) University last Saturday.  The Pioneers, now 13-15 overall and 9-7 in the AMC, will travel to NAIA Division II No. 16 Cedarville University on Tuesday evening for an opening-round playoff game against the Yellow Jackets at 7:30 p.m.  Mt. Vernon Nazarene, meanwhile, ended its season at 13-16 overall and 5-11 in the conference with the hard-fought victory.

A three-pointer by Pioneer guard Kyle Higgins (Jr., Columbus West H.S.) put the visitors in front 58-50 with 7:04 to go in regulation before the Cougars clawed back  into the game, rattling off 10 unanswered points to take their first lead of the second half at 60-58 with 18 seconds remaining.  Following a timeout, Malone sophomore guard Eric Coblentz (Lake H.S.) drove into lane and dished the ball off to junior forward Ebiowei Porbeni (Plainfield, IL), who hit a shot from the paint just as the buzzer sounded to end the Pioneer scoring drought and send the contest into overtime knotted at 60-60.

Mt. Vernon Nazarene scored the first three points of the extra frame before a pair of free throws by senior guard Jeremy Duerr (pictured above; Lake H.S.) pulled Malone back to within one at 63-62.  Cougar guard Brandon Short answered with a lay-up on MVNU’s next trip down the floor, pushing his squad’s advantage back to three at 65-62 with 2:11 to play.  Coblentz then made it 65-64 after connecting on a jumper on Malone’s ensuing possession.  Following missed shot attempts by each team, Duerr came up with a clutch steal to give the ball back to the Pioneers with under 20 seconds remaining on the overtime clock.  After a timeout, Malone managed to get off a pair of shots in the final moments, but neither of its potential game-winning attempts would fall as MVNU snagged a defensive rebound just before time expired to secure the one-point triumph.

Mt. Vernon Nazarene trailed 33-22 at halftime after converting on just seven of its 30 (23.3%) first-half field goals.  The Cougars picked things up over the remainder of the game, though, hitting 13 of 26 (50.0%) second-half shots from the floor and two of three (66.7%) overtime attempts to end the game with an overall shooting percentage of 37.3% (22 of 59).  MVNU also knocked down three of 13 (23.1%) three-pointers and 18 of 27 (66.7%) foul shots over the course of the evening.  Malone countered by connecting on 23 of 61 (37.7%) shots from the field, five of 20 (25.0%) treys, and 13 of 19 (68.4%) free throws.  The Cougars held a 46-36 advantage in total rebounds and outscored the Pioneers by a 34-16 margin in the paint.

Junior forward Nick Watts (Holland, MI) came off the bench to pace Malone with 13 points.  Coblentz followed with 12 points and three steals while Porbeni and junior forward Jock Rottman (Triway H.S.) each added 11.  Duerr ended the night with five points, six rebounds and six steals.  Senior forward Mark Young (Jackson H.S.) also made significant contributions with five points and a team-high eight rebounds.  Guard Travis Brown paced MVNU with 22 points.

Notes: Tuesday’s contest at Cedarville will mark the second meeting of the year between the two squads as the Yellow Jackets edged Malone at Osborne Hall on December 5th by a final score of 64-62...Malone won nine of its final 12 regular-season games…Cedarville enters the postseason on a six-game winning streak, having registered victories in 12 of its last 13 games.

Playoff Picture:  The top three teams from the AMC North Division and the top three teams from the AMC South Division qualify for postseason play.  Two automatic bids will be awarded to the NAIA Division II National Tournament from this six-team playoff field. 

With a 9-7 conference record, Malone concluded the regular season in a three-team tie with Daemen (NY) College and Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College for second place in the North Division standings.  Daemen tallied the best record among the three teams to earn the No. 2 North seed.  The Pioneers then claimed the tie-breaker over Roberts Wesleyan for the third and final North playoff spot by virtue of their win over Daemen on January 8th (Roberts Wesleyan’s two losses to Daemen this year caused the Raiders to miss out on postseason play).

AMC Men's Basketball Standings

AMC Men's Basketball Playoff Pairings

AMC Men's Basketball Playoff Bracket (PDF)

The Malone University men’s basketball team picked up an important American Mideast Conference road victory on Saturday afternoon at Point Park (PA) University as the squad shot nearly 60% from the field and hit 15 three-pointers en route to a 98-95 triumph.  The three-point win, combined with Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College’s loss at Daemen (NY) College on Saturday, clinched an AMC Postseason Tournament spot for Malone and improved the Pioneers’ record to 13-14 overall and 9-6 in the conference.  The loss, meanwhile, dealt a serious blow to Point Park’s playoff chances as the hosts dropped to 9-14 overall and 5-9 in the AMC.

Incredibly, Malone drained 11 of its 13 three-pointers (84.6%) over the first 20 minutes to build a 60-46 halftime advantage.  The visitors then maintained a comfortable lead until a 10-0 PPU scoring run pulled Point Park to within two at 93-91 with 3 ½ minutes to play.  Malone guard Kyle Higgins (pictured left; Jr., Columbus West H.S.), who ended the night with a team-high 25 points, then managed to bring his squad’s scoring drought to an end, sinking two free throws to push the lead to 95-91.  A Point Park steal and lay-up pulled the hosts back to within two at 95-93 with 2:09 showing on the clock before Malone guard Eric Coblentz (So., Lake H.S.) answered on the visitors’ next trip down the floor, draining a three to push the lead back to five at 98-93.  PPU then made things interesting in the final minute as another Point Park steal and lay-up with 51 ticks remaining made the score 98-95.  Malone then committed an offensive foul on its next possession, giving the ball back to Point Park with 21 seconds to go.  Following a timeout, PPU guard T.J. Heatherington launched a three just before time expired, but his potential game-tying shot bounced off the rim as the final horn sounded, sealing the Malone victory.

After its sizzling three-point shooting performance in the first half, Malone came back to room temperature in the second stanza, hitting four of 13 (30.8%) treys over the final 20 minutes to conclude the afternoon with an overall three-point percentage of 57.7%.  MU also shot the ball well from inside the arc and at the foul line over the course of the game, converting on 37 of its 62 (59.7%) overall attempts from field and nine of its 13 (69.2%) foul shots.  Point Park had success from the floor, connecting on 37 of 73 (50.7%) field goals and five of 12 (41.7%) threes, but the hosts struggled at the foul line, hitting just 16 of their 30 (53.3%) free throws.  PPU scored 34 points off 20 Malone turnovers but also trailed 38-32 in total rebounds.   

Higgins made eight of 12 shots from the field and seven of 11 threes on the afternoon as 23 of his 25 total points and all seven of his threes came in Malone’s big first half.  Coblentz followed with 20 points (7-15 FG, 4-10 3PT FG, 2-2 FT), five rebounds and three assists.  Junior forward Ebiowei Porbeni (Plainfield, IL) notched 16 points, 11 boards and four assists while senior guard Jeremy Duerr (Lake H.S.) matched his season-high with seven assists.  Junior forward Nick Watts (Holland, MI) and sophomore guard Jordan Lindesmith (Jackson H.S.) each provided a lift off the bench as Watts tallied 13 points and six rebounds while Lindesmith tossed in nine points and dished out four assists.  Heatherington led the way for Point Park with 25 points, five assists and four steals.

The Pioneers will now be idle until Saturday when the squad concludes its regular season schedule with a 7:30 p.m. AMC contest at Mt. Vernon Nazarene University (11-15 overall, 3-10 AMC). 

Notes: Saturday marked the ninth time this season that Malone has drained 10 or more three-pointers…The Pioneers’ 57.7% shooting from beyond the arc on Saturday marked the second time Malone has eclipsed 55% from three-point range this season as the squad hit 16 of 27 (59.3%) treys in a lop-sided 110-57 victory over Wilberforce University on January 30th…Including his 2-for-2 performance from the foul line on Saturday, Eric Coblentz has now hit 13 consecutive free throws over the past four games…Coblentz entered Saturday’s contest with the fourth-best free throw percentage in all of NAIA Division II at 89.9% (80 of 89).

Playoff Picture: The top three teams from the AMC North Division and the top three teams from the AMC South Division will qualify for postseason play.  Two automatic bids will be awarded to the NAIA Division II National Tournament from this six-team playoff field. 

With an 9-6 conference record and just one AMC game remaining on its schedule (at Mt. Vernon Nazarene University on Feb. 20th), Malone is currently second in the North Division standings, 1 ½ games behind first-place Notre Dame (OH) College and one game ahead of third-place Daemen (NY) College.

Depending on the outcome of Saturday’s contest at MVNU and the other conference games that will be played throughout the coming week, Malone could still claim a share of the AMC North Division Title.  In another scenario, the Pioneers would finish second in the division, in which case they would host a first-round contest against the AMC South Division’s third-place finisher.  However, regardless of the outcome of this week’s games, Malone has assured itself of a spot in the six-team AMC Postseason Tournament with Saturday’s victory at Point Park.

AMC Men's Basketball Standings

AMC Men's Basketball Playoff Bracket:

The Malone University men’s basketball team came up just short in its upset bid of NAIA Division II No. 1 Walsh University at Osborne Hall on Tuesday evening as the visiting Cavaliers outscored the Pioneers 6-0 over the final 90 seconds to record a hard-fought 68-62 American Mideast Conference victory.  A pair of made free throws by Malone guard Eric Coblentz (So., Lake H.S.) had knotted the contest at 62-62 with 1:30 to play but an offensive rebound and put-back by Walsh guard Lamar Skeeter on the Cavaliers ensuing possession put the visitors back in front 64-62 with just over a minute remaining.  Malone then came up empty on its next three trips down the floor as Walsh secured the victory by sinking its final four free throws.  The narrow defeat drops the Pioneers’ record to 12-14 overall and 8-6 in the AMC while the Cavs improved to 24-2 overall and 12-1 in the conference with their fifth consecutive win.

Fueled by the support of a large crowd, including a spirited student section that was clad in “White-Out” T-shirts, Malone stormed out to an early 17-3 lead after connecting on its first six shots from the field.  Senior guard Jeremy Duerr (Lake H.S.) and junior guard Kyle Higgins (pictured left; Columbus West H.S.) each hit a pair of threes in the opening minutes to key the early surge.  Although Malone maintained an advantage throughout the entire first half, Walsh was able to slowly chip away at the deficit, trimming the Pioneer lead to 34-30 at intermission.  The Cavaliers scored the first six points of the second stanza, taking their first lead of the game on a bucket by center Kyelce Cescato with 18:02 showing on the clock.  The contest then remained close until the final moments as the second half featured a total of seven ties and nine lead changes.

After connecting on seven of its 16 (43.8%) threes in the opening period, Malone went cold from beyond the arc in the second stanza, hitting just one of its 10 (10.0%) treys over the final 20 minutes to end the night with an overall three-point percentage of 30.8%.  On the evening, the Pioneers shot 41.5% (22 of 53) from the field overall and 83.3% (10 of 12) from the foul line.  The Cavaliers countered by knocking down 43.3% (26 of 60) of their shots from the floor, 30.8% (four of 13) of their threes and 75.0% (12 of 16) of their free throws.  Walsh committed 13 turnovers but also held a commanding 44-27 advantage on the boards with 18 offensive rebounds leading to a total of 18 Cavalier second-chance points.

Higgins made six of his eight shots from the field, including five of seven threes to end the night with a game-high 17 points.  Junior forward Ebiowei Porbeni (Plainfield, IL) followed with 12 points, three assists and four rebounds.  Coblentz added eight points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals.  Playing in their final regular-season home game, Duerr and forward Mark Young (Sr., Jackson H.S.) each put together solid performances as Duerr registered six points while Young tallied eight points, three boards and two steals.  Forward Ricky Jackson paced four Walsh players in double figures with 15 points.

Malone will return to action on Saturday when the squad travels to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for a 4:00 p.m. AMC contest against Point Park University (8-13 overall, 4-8 AMC).  Earlier this season (January 14th), Malone topped Point Park at Osborne Hall by a final tally of 95-73. 

Notes: The Cavaliers entered Tuesday’s contest ranked second in NAIA Division II with an average of 94.6 points per game…Tuesday’s scoring total of 68 points marked the lowest offensive output for Walsh so far this season…Eric Coblentz went a perfect three-for-three from the foul line on Tuesday and currently leads the AMC in free throw percentage at 89.9% (80 of 89).

Playoff Picture: The top three teams from the AMC North Division and the top three teams from the AMC South Division will qualify for postseason play.  Two automatic bids will be awarded to the NAIA Division II National Tournament from this six-team playoff field. 

With an 8-6 conference record and two AMC games remaining on its schedule (at Point Park on Saturday and at Mt. Vernon Nazarene University on Feb. 20th), Malone is currently second in the North Division standings, 1 ½ games behind first-place Notre Dame (OH) College and ½ game ahead of third-place Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College.

AMC Men's Basketball Standings

AMC Men's Basketball Playoff Bracket:

The Malone University men’s basketball team had its streak of eight consecutive victories come to an end on Saturday afternoon at Osborne Hall as visiting Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College overcame a 53-41 halftime deficit, out-scoring the Pioneers 51-23 over the final 20 minutes to record a 92-76 American Mideast Conference triumph.  After allowing Malone to hit nearly 50% of its field goal attempts in the first half, including six of 11 (54.5%) three pointers, the Raiders clamped down on the defensive end in the final stanza, forcing 12 Pioneer turnovers while limiting the hosts to just 22.6% (seven of 31) shooting from the field during the second period, including only 7.7% (one of 13) from beyond the three-point arc.  Malone’s record dropped to 12-13 overall and 8-5 in the AMC with the tough defeat while Roberts Wesleyan improved to 13-10 overall and 6-6 in the conference.

The Pioneers led by as many as 18 points with 2 ½ minutes to play in the opening stanza.  Roberts Wesleyan cut the deficit to 12 at intermission and then opened the second frame on a 26-8 scoring run to grab a 67-61 advantage with 9:52 showing on the clock.  A tip-in by Malone guard Cody Miller (So., Lake Center Christian H.S.) on the Pioneers’ next possession cut the deficit to four at 67-63, but the hosts got no closer the rest of the way as the Raiders pulled away for the win.

On the afternoon, Malone knocked down 35.5% (22 of 62) of its field-goal tries, 29.2% (seven of 24) of its three-pointers, and 89.3% (25 of 28) of its free throws.  Roberts Wesleyan countered by sinking 33 of its 55 (60.0%) field goals, two of its seven (28.6%) threes and 24 of its 32 (75.0%) foul shots.  The Raiders trailed by a narrow 34-32 margin in total rebounds but also outscored the Pioneers 48-16 in the paint and held a 20-5 advantage in fast-break points.

Junior forward Nick Watts (Holland, MI) paced five Pioneers in double figures with 18 points.  Junior forward Ebiowei Porbeni (pictured above; Plainfield, IL) followed with 12 points, a team-high seven rebounds, two blocks, and two assists.  Sophomore guard Eric Coblentz (Lake H.S.) tossed in 11 points and dished out four assists.  Junior forward Jock Rottman (Triway H.S.) also posted 11 while junior guard Kyle Higgins (Columbus West H.S.) totaled 10 points.  Center Alif Bland made his presence felt inside for the Raiders as he registered game-highs of 24 points, 15 rebounds and six blocked shots.

The Pioneers will look to bounce back on Tuesday as they host NAIA Division II #2 Walsh University (23-2 overall, 11-1 AMC) at 7:30 p.m.  The Cavaliers entered Saturday with a 1 ½ game lead on Cedarville University for first place in the AMC South Division standings.  Malone, meanwhile, remains in second place in the AMC North, 1 ½ games in front of both Roberts Wesleyan and  Daemen (NY) College, who are currently tied for third.  Streaming audio, video and statistics will all be available over the internet for Tuesday’s game (click here for links to each).  In addition, the contest will also be broadcast on the radio at WNPQ 95.9 FM.

Playoff Picture: The top three teams from the AMC North Division and the top three teams from the AMC South Division will qualify for postseason play.  Two automatic bids will be awarded to the NAIA Division II National Tournament from this six-team playoff field. 

With an 8-5 conference record and three AMC games remaining on its schedule, Malone is currently second in the North Division standings.

Notes: Roberts Wesleyan’s 60% shooting on Saturday marked the highest field-goal percentage compiled by a Malone opponent so far this season…The Pioneers had held their opponents under 60 points in six straight games prior to the Raiders’ 92-point outburst on Saturday.

AMC Men's Basketball Standings

AMC Men's Playoff Bracket: