Oilers Host Walsh, Head to Malone
The Oilers men's basketball team will be at home to face Walsh University on Thursday before heading to Canton, Ohio to take on Malone University on Saturday. The Oilers game against Walsh, which would clinch a share of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) South Division title if Findlay wins, is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. in Croy Gymnasium. They will then tip at 1 p.m. on Saturday against the Pioneers.
Sights and Sounds
All Oilers basketball games can be heard on 88.3 FM "WLFC" or on the internet via their website.
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The Series
The Oilers hold a 13-7 lead in the all-time series against Walsh dating back to the 1964-65 campaign when Findlay came away with a 77-71 victory.
The Oilers claimed a 67-65 win at Walsh on Jan. 24 behind 16 points and six rebounds from Brad Piehl.
Alphonso Baity hit a layup with only 21 seconds left to give the Oilers the victory as the Cavaliers were unable to convert down the stretch.
Jake Heagen stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, eight rebounds and five assists while Greg Kahlig registered 11 points and five boards.
Aaron Robinson and Jack Smith each added eight points as the Oilers shot 46.4 percent (25-of-56) from the floor and forced 17 turnovers.
Jeff Copeland led Walsh, who shot 54.2 percent (26-of-48) in the game, with 18 points.
The Oilers currently lead the all-time series against Malone by a 28-13 margin, winning the first meeting by a score of 86-63 during the 1959-60 campaign.
The Oilers earned a 74-62 win against Malone on Jan. 26 in Croy Gymnasium as Greg Kahlig scored 14 points to go along with six rebounds.
Jake Heagen added 13 points and six boards while Jack Smith came off the bench to provide 11 points during the win.
Aaron Robinson and Dylan Kaufman each recorded nine points while Brad Piehl tallied eight points, seven rebounds and three assists.
The Oilers shot 42.6 percent (23-of-54) from the field while the Pioneers connected on 51.9 percent (27-of-52) of their shots during the game.
Isaiah Elliott led Malone with 21 points.
The University of Findlay
The Oilers cruised to a 67-41 win over Lake Erie College on Saturday, Feb. 16 in Croy Gymnasium.
The Oilers had 11 players score in the game and shot 47.6 percent (20-of-42) from the floor. They also held the Storm to a mere 32.1 percent (18-of-56) shooting clip as no Lake Erie player reached double digures in the game.
Jake Heagen, Greg Kahlig and Dylan Kaufman each scored 11 points apiece in the victory.
Heagen also added four rebounds, three assists and two steals while Kahlig drained a three pointer at the 7:01 mark of the second half to become the Oilers 41st member of the 1,000-point club.
Kaufman meanwhile hit 4-of-6 shots from the field off the bench in only 15 minutes of action.
Jack Smith added nine points and four rebounds while Alphonso Baity contributed seven points, five rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
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:
Walsh University
The Cavaliers are 16-6 on the season with a 12-6 record in conference play. Kenny Kornowski has had a standout season for Walsh, averaging 19.4 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.
Rian Burrell (13.4) and Jesse Hardin (11.1) are also averaging in double figures while Jeff Copeland (9.6) and Davonte Beard (9.3) are near the double digit mark on a nightly basis.
Walsh shoots 48.3 percent from the field and has nine players averaging more than 6.0 points per game. They are also the league leader in points per game, averaging 81.1 per contest.
For Walsh's 2012-13 season statistics, please click on the following link:
For Walsh's 2012-13 roster, please click on the following link:
Malone University
The Pioneers are 12-11 on the year with a 9-10 record in GLIAC contests. Isiah Elliott leads the team with 19.2 points per game and Cory Veldhuizen is averaging 10.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per outing.
For Malone's 2012-13 season statistics, please click on the following link:
For Malone'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 327 games and lost only 69 for an overall winning percentage of .826.
Scoring in Bunches
Junior forward Greg Kahlig is ranked tenth in the GLIAC in points per game as he is averaging 16.1 per outing.
The Oilers are averaging 72.1 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.
Sophomore forward Jake Heagen 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 (416) and free throw shooting percentage (77.9%).
The Oilers free throw shooting percentage is also the third best mark in the nation.
Individually, senior forward Brad Piehl ranks sixth in the conference with a 88.8 percent shooting mark from the charity stripe. His free throw shooting percentage is also the 13th best mark in the nation.
Raining 3's
The Oilers have made 165 three pointers this season, the fourth best total in the GLIAC.
Junior forward Greg Kahlig leads the team with 45 made triples while senior guard Aaron Robinson is second with 35.
Pounding the Boards
The Oilers are averaging 36.6 rebounds per game, the second best total in the GLIAC.
Senior forward Brad Piehl leads the team with 5.7 rebounds per game.
Defense Wins Championships
The Oilers are holding their opponents to 61.7 points per game, which is the third best mark in the GLIAC.
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 27.2 percent shooting clip from long range, the best mark in the nation.
1,000-Point Club
Junior forward Greg Kahlig reached the 1,000-point plateau in the Oilers 67-41 win over Lake Erie on Feb. 16. Kahlig ranks 41st all-time with 1,000 career points and is chasing Garry Merrill (1965-68), who scored 1,022 points, for 40th place.
Senior guard Aaron Robinson is also looking to top the barrier and has accumulated 972 points thus far.
Senior forward Jack Smith also has a chance to reach the milestone, having scored 860 points with the program.
Racking up the Victories
The Oilers have been playing basketball since the 1902-03 campaign and have amassed a 1,438-857-2 (.626) record since their initial season of competition.
A Tough Place to Play
The Oilers are 540-112 (.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 164-5 at home for a winning percentage of .970.
Dominating GLIAC Home Games
The Oilers have won 84 of their last 85 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: