Oilers to Battle Chargers on Saturday
The Oilers men's basketball team will face Hillsdale College in a key Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) South Division battle on Saturday, Feb. 2. The contest is scheduled to tip at 1 p.m. in Hillsdale, Mich.
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 currently own a commanding 44-6 advantage in the all-time series against the Chargers dating back to the 1959-60 campaign when Findlay won 90-59.
The two teams split their regular season series last year as both won on their home floor. The Oilers fell 75-69 at Hillsdale and won 90-73 in Croy Gymnasium.
Kyle Caiola scored 20 points in the loss at Hillsdale and then led the team with 22 points in the win at home.
The Oilers also came away with a 71-52 victory at Hillsdale to secure the GLIAC Tournament title behind 22 points from Caiola who was named the MVP.
Jake Heagen added 14 points and seven boards in the tournament game.
The University of Findlay
The University of Findlay men's basketball team earned a 74-62 win against Malone University on Saturday, Jan. 26 in Croy Gymnasium. The victory pushed the Oilers record to 13-5 on the year with a 10-4 mark in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).
The Oilers shot 42.6 percent (23-of-54) from the floor while the Pioneers connected on 51.9 percent (27-of-52) of their field goal attempts. Most of Findlay's offensive damage came from the free throw line as they converted 21-of-27 (77.8%) attempts. Malone meanwhile made only 2-of-9 (22.2%) shot attempts from the charity stripe.
Greg Kahlig led the team with 14 points and six rebounds while Jake Heagen had 13 points and six boards.
Jack Smith came off the bench to contribute 11 points while Aaron Robinson and Dylan Kaufman had nine points apiece.
Brad Piehl had a good all-around game with eight points, seven rebounds and three assists as well for the Oilers in the win.
For Findlay's 2012-13 season statistics, please click on the following link:
For Findlay's 2012-13 roster, please click on the following link:
Hillsdale College
The Chargers have achieved a 12-6 record thus far with an 8-6 mark in the GLIAC. Tim Dezelski leads the team with 15.9 points per game while Nick Washburn is contributing 13.7 points per outing.
Dezelski is also giving Hillsdale 7.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 blocks per game while Washburn is grabbing 7.4 rebounds and blocking 1.9 shots per night.
For Hillsdale's 2012-13 season statistics, please click on the following link:
For Hillsdale's 2012-13 roster, please click on the following link:
Simply the Best
The Oilers have the best winning percentage in NCAA Division II competition since the year 2000, having won 323 games and lost only 68 for an overall winning percentage of .825.
Scoring in Bunches
Junior forward Greg Kahlig is ranked 11th in the GLIAC in points per game as he is averaging 15.4 per outing.
The Oilers are averaging 72.9 points per game this season, the fourth best mark in the league.
Grand Theft
The Oilers are averaging 8.0 steals per game, which ranks third in the conference.
Senior guard Aaron Robinson leads the team with 1.2 steals per contest.
Getting to the Line
The Oilers have made a big impact on the offensive end with their ability to get to the free throw line and rank first in the conference in free throws made (324) and free throw shooting percentage (76.4%).
The Oilers free throw shooting percentage is also the 14th best mark in the nation.
Individually, senior forward Brad Piehl ranks sixth in the conference with a 85.9 percent shooting mark from the charity stripe.
Raining 3's
The Oilers have made 133 three pointers this season, the second best total in the GLIAC.
Junior forward Greg Kahlig leads the team with 34 made triples while senior guard Aaron Robinson is second with 31.
From a percentage standpoint, Kahlig ranks ninth in the league with a 41.5 percent shooting clip from long range.
Pounding the Boards
The Oilers are averaging 36.6 rebounds per game, the third best total in the GLIAC.
Sophomore forward Jake Heagen leads the team with 5.7 rebounds per game.
Defending the 3
The Oilers have had excellent perimeter defense this season making it difficult for opponents to get good looks at three point opportunities. The team is holding opponents to a mere 27.1 percent shooting clip from long range, the third best mark in the nation.
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 946 points during his tenure with the team.
Junior forward Greg Kahlig has recorded 906 points during his career while senior forward Jack Smith has scored 829 points with the program.
Racking up the Victories
The Oilers have been playing basketball since the 1902-03 campaign and have amassed a 1,434-856-2 (.626) record since their initial season of competition.
A Tough Place to Play
The Oilers are 538-112 (.827) in Croy Gymnasium since they starting playing home games there during the 1969-70 season. The number is even better in the past ten years as the Oilers are a staggering 162-5 at home for a winning percentage of .970.
Dominating GLIAC Home Games
The Oilers have won 82 of their last 83 conference games at home. They fell 57-55 to Tiffin University on Jan. 12, 2013. Before that game, their last loss came in 70-68 fashion against Gannon University on February 12, 2004.
Handling Non-Conference Foes
The Oilers have posted a 74-3 record (.961) 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 #1 West Liberty State by a score of 90-74 on Nov. 14, 2012.
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.
Dancing
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.
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.
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: