#8 Oilers Welcome #1 West Liberty to Town
The University of Findlay men's basketball team, ranked 8th in the nation, will host top-ranked West Liberty State University on Wednesday, Nov. 14. The key non-conference contest is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. in Croy Gymnasium.
White Out
The #8 Oilers game against #1 West Liberty is scheduled to be a White Out. T-shirts are available for $5 in the UF athletic office and will be available the night of the game in Croy Gymnasium.
Sights and Sounds
All Oilers basketball games can be heard on 88.3 FM "WLFC" or on the internet via their website.
You can listen to the broadcast by clicking on the following link:
For live stats, please click on the following link:
For a webcast of home games, please click on the following link:
The Series
The Oilers hold a 1-0 advantage in the all-time series against West Liberty State as they claimed an 84-80 win in overtime last year on the road against the Hilltoppers
In overtime, the Oilers built a 81-75 lead on a pair of free throws from junior guard Aaron Robinson at the 1:53 mark, before the Hilltoppers scored twice to come within one point at 81-80 with only 43 ticks remaining in the extra session.
After a missed jumper by Sean Samsel, the Hilltoppers raced down the floor on a fast break and had an open lay-up before Greg Kahlig came out of nowhere to reject the shot and haul in the rebound before getting fouled.
Kahlig then hit both free throws to make the score 83-80 in favor of the Oilers with nine seconds remaining and Jack Smith iced the game by hitting 1-of-2 from the charity stripe after hauling in a defensive rebound with five ticks left.
Jake Heagen led the Oilers with a career-high 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting.
Brad Piehl added 15 points while Kyle Caiola scored 14.
Kahlig added 12 points and a career-high 10 rebounds and five blocks while Smith registered a career-best 12 boards in the win.
As a team, the Oilers shot 48.3 percent (29-of-60) from the floor and drained 6-of-14 (42.9%) shots from behind the three point line.
The Oilers held the Hilltoppers to a mere 30.5 percent (25-of-82) shooting clip, but West Liberty did grab 24 offensive rebounds in the game.
Cedric Harris led the team with 21 points.
The University of Findlay
The University of Findlay men's basketball team, ranked eighth in the nation, lost 91-61 to Brigham Young University on Saturday, Nov. 3 in Provo, Utah.
The Oilers shot only 37.3 percent (19-of-51) from the floor and were out-rebounded by a 50-24 margin in the loss.
The Cougars meanwhile connected on 45.6 percent (31-of-68) from the floor and grabbed 18 offensive rebounds.
Junior forward Greg Kahlig led the Oilers with 11 points and four rebounds while freshman guard Alphonso Baity contributed eight points, going 6-of-6 from the free throw line.
Sophomore forward Jake Heagen added seven points while junior guard Sean Samsel and senior guard Aaron Robinson had six points apiece.
For Findlay's 2011-12 season statistics, please click on the following link:
For Findlay's 2012-13 roster, please click on the following link:
West Liberty State University
The #1 Hilltoppers have established themselves as one of the top programs in NCAA Division II basketball and have made two straight trips to the Elite 8.
This season, West Liberty State is off to a 2-0 start this season and are averaging 105 points per game.
Alex Falk leads the team with 22 points per game while Cedric Harris is clicking for 20 points per outing.
For West Liberty State's 2012-13 season statistics, please click on the following link:
For West Liberty State's 2012-13 roster, please click on the following link:
Preseason National Poll
The Oilers are ranked eighth in the preseason National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) poll, which was released on Nov. 2.
The Oilers were also ranked third in the preseason NCAA Division II Bulletin Poll, which was released on Oct. 12.
The Oilers finished last season with a 24-7 record and qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament. They ended the season ranked 25th in the nation.
Simply the Best
The Oilers have the best winning percentage in NCAA Division II competition since the year 2000, having won 310 games and lost only 64 for an overall winning percentage of .829.
A Tough Place to Play
The Oilers are 529-110 (.828) in Croy Gymnasium since they starting playing home games there during the 1969-70 season. The number is even better in the past nine years as the Oilers are a staggering 153-3 at home for a winning percentage of .981.
1,000-Point Club
The Oilers have several players who will look to reach the 1,000-point plateau this season.
Senior guard Aaron Robinson has the best chance as he has accumulated 773 points during his tenure with the team.
Senior forward Jack Smith has scored 687 points while junior Greg Kahlig has recorded 630 points with the program.
On the Winning Side
The Oilers have not had a losing season since the 1981-82 campaign when they finished with a 9-17 record. Since that losing season, the Oilers have achieved a 670-228 (.746) record.
The 20-Win Plateau
The Oilers have achieved 20 wins in each of the past 11 years and sport a sparkling 291-56 (.839) record since the 2001-02 campaign.
Racking up the Victories
The Oilers have been playing basketball since the 1902-03 campaign and have amassed a 1,421-851-2 (.625) record since their initial season of competition.
New Faces
The Oilers have four new players on the team this year in freshmen Alphonso Baity, Konnor Baker, Quaran Jones and Dylan Kaufman.
Dominating GLIAC Home Games
The Oilers have won 76 straight GLIAC games at home during the regular season.
Their last loss at home in conference play came in 70-68 fashion against Gannon University on February 12, 2004.
Handling Non-Conference Foes
The Oilers have posted a 78-4 record (.951) against non-conference opponents in games played at Croy Gymnasium during the past ten years.
Their last loss at home to a non-conference team came against Malone University on November 15, 2011 by a 74-71 margin.
Conference Championships
The Oilers have won ten GLIAC South Division titles in their 16-year affiliation with the conference and have also won six conference tournaments, capturing titles in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012.
In the last 11 years, the Oilers have won nine GLIAC South Division titles. Overall, Findlay has won GLIAC South Division titles in 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
GLIAC Tournament Success
The Oilers sport a 25-6 record in the GLIAC Tournament, winning titles in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012.
Findlay has appeared in the championship game of the event eight times in the past ten years. They reached the finals in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012.
Findlay is tied with Grand Valley State for a GLIAC best six league tournament titles.
Taking Care of Business
The Oilers have never lost a GLIAC Tournament game at home. Since 2002-03, the Oilers have an 18-0 record in GLIAC Tournament games within the friendly confines of Croy Gymnasium.
National Elite
The Oilers have appeared in ten out of the last 11 NCAA Division II National Tournaments with a 16-9 record, reaching the Elite Eight during the 2004-05 campaign and the Final Four in the 2008-09 season when they captured their first NCAA Division II National Championship.
They also reached the Sweet 16 during the 2007-08 campaign.
All-GLIAC
Junior forward Greg Kahlig returns to the Oilers in 2012-13 after being named second team all-conference.
Last year as a sophomore, Kahlig averaged 12.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. He also shot 52.2 percent from the field, 82.6 percent from the free throw line and 41.1 percent from behind the three point arc.
A Defensive Stopper
Senior guard Aaron Robinson has been named to the GLIAC all-defensive team in each of the past two seasons.
Robinson has started 81 games during his tenure with the program, accumulating 773 points. As a junior, Robinson averaged 7.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game.
A Championship Season
The Oilers won their sixth GLIAC Tournament title last year and their first away from Croy Gymnasium.
Senior forward Brad Piehl and sophomore forward Jake Heagen return after being named to the GLIAC all-tournament team in 2012.
Helpful Links
For more information on the GLIAC, please click on the following link:
For more information on NCAA Division II Men's Basketball, please click on the following links: