#24 Oilers Hold Off Cardinals, Win 64-56
The University of Findlay men's basketball team grinded out a 64-56 win over Saginaw Valley State University on Thursday, Jan. 3 in University Center, Mich.
The #24 Oilers, who improved to 9-2 on the season with a 6-1 record in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play, built a 13-point lead with just over five minutes to play in the second half before turnovers allowed the Cardinals to crawl back into the game.
The Cardinals eventually cut the Oilers lead to four at 60-56 with just under a minute left, but the Oilers hit four free throws down the stretch to claim a key road victory.
The Oilers, who turned the ball over 22 times in the game, shot 52.3 percent (23-of-44) from the floor and held a 38-26 advantage on the boards. Findlay also received great production from their bench as the subs scored 28 points in the contest.
Senior forward Brad Piehl led the team with 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting while senior forward Jack Smith came off the pine to provide 13 points and nine boards.
Junior forward Greg Kahlig and freshman guard Alphonso Baity each scored seven points while junior guard Sean Samsel, senior guard Aaron Robinson and junior forward Mark Frilling all added six points apiece in the win.
The Cardinals, who shot 39.3 percent (24-of-61) from the floor, were led by Chris Webb's 13 points.
The Oilers will be back in action again on Saturday when they face Wayne State University at 1 p.m. in Detroit, Mich.