#22 Oilers Face #7 Drury in Opening Round of NCAA Tournament
The Oilers, ranked 22nd in the nation, will battle seventh-ranked Drury University on Saturday, March 16 in the first round of the NCAA Division II National Tournament. The contest is scheduled to tip at 7 p.m. (Eastern) in Springfield Mo.
2013 Midwest Regional
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2013 Midwest Regional Tournament
Tickets will be priced $10 for reserve, $8 for general admission and $4 for students. For tickets, please contact the UF athletic department at (419) 434-4663.
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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For live stats, please click on the following link:
The Series
The #22 Oilers have never met the Panthers on the hardwood before.
Drury is currently ranked seventh in the nation with a 25-4 record and won the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Tournament this season.
The Oilers have an overall record of 16-9 in the NCAA Division II National Tournament and have made 11 appearances in the event.
Findlay has a 7-1 record during home games in the tournament and have posted a 9-8 mark in road/neutral games.
The Oilers reached the Elite 8 in 2005, made the Sweet 16 in 2008 and finished the 2009 campaign as the NCAA Division II National Champions with a perfect 36-0 record.
The University of Findlay
The Oilers won their second straight GLIAC Tournament title on the road with a 75-69 win over Lake Superior State University on March 10 in Houghton, Mich. The Oilers are the first team in conference history to win back-to-back titles on the road and their seven tournament championships are the most in league history.
The Oilers shot 45.1 percent (23-of-51) from the floor and held the Lakers to a 38.3 percent (23-of-60) shooting clip. They also hit 22-of-26 (84.6%) attempts from the free throw line and registered nine steals in the game.
Brad Piehl led the way with 14 points, eight rebounds and two blocks en route to GLIAC Tournament MVP honors.
Greg Kahlig added 12 points and four rebounds while Dylan Kaufman had 12 points off the bench. Both players were rewarded for their efforts as they earned spots on the GLIAC all-tournament team.
Jake Heagen and senior forward Jack Smith each had nine points while Aaron Robinson and Sean Samsel contributed eight points apiece.
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:
#7 Drury University
The #7 Panthers are 25-4 on the year and have been led by Alex Hall, who is averaging 19.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
Brandon Lockhart is averaging 11.5 points, 5.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game for Drury as well.
For Drury's 2012-13 season statistics, please click on the following link:
For Drury'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 332 games and lost only 70 for an overall winning percentage of .826.
Another Tournament Title
The Oilers won their seventh GLIAC Tournament title with a 75-69 win over Lake Superior State on March 10 in Houghton, Mich. The Oilers seven titles are the most in league history.
Senior forward Brad Piehl was named the GLIAC Tournament MVP after averaging 13.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game during the three-game set.
Junior forward Greg Kahlig and freshman forward Dylan Kaufman also earned spots on the all-tournament team for their performances in Findlay's victories.
Kahlig averaged 12.7 points per game and Kaufman chipped in 12 big points during the championship game to help lead the Oilers to victory.
All-GLIAC
Junior forward Greg Kahlig was named first team all-conference as the league office announced their annual postseason awards on March 8.
In addition, senior guard Aaron Robinson was honored as a second team all-conference pick and earned a spot on the all-defensive team for the third time during his career.
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 (521) and free throw shooting percentage (78.9%).
The Oilers free throw shooting percentage is also the second best mark in the nation.
Individually, senior forward Brad Piehl ranks fourth in the conference with a 88.4 percent shooting mark from the charity stripe. His free throw shooting percentage is also the 18th best mark in the nation.
Scoring in Bunches
Junior forward Greg Kahlig is ranked fifth in the GLIAC in points per game as he is averaging 16.9 per outing.
The Oilers are averaging 71.6 points per game this season, the fifth best mark in the league.
Defense Wins Championships
The Oilers are holding their opponents to 62.2 points per game, which is the third best mark in the GLIAC and the 21st best mark in the nation.
Grand Theft
The Oilers are averaging 7.8 steals per game, which ranks third in the conference.
Sophomore forward Jake Heagen leads the team with 1.2 steals per contest.
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 28.2 percent shooting clip from long range, the second best mark in the nation.
Raining 3's
The Oilers have made 207 three pointers this season, the second best total in the GLIAC.
Junior forward Greg Kahlig leads the team with 61 made triples and is shooting 45.2 percent from long range, the fifth best mark in the GLIAC.
Pounding the Boards
The Oilers are averaging 35.6 rebounds per game, the third best total in the GLIAC.
Senior forward Brad Piehl leads the team with 6.2 rebounds per game.
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 37th all-time with 1,121 career points and is chasing Tyson McGlaughlin (2002-05), who scored 1,134 points, for 36th place.
Senior guard Aaron Robinson also reached the 1,000-point plateau in Findlay's 74-66 win over Hillsdale on March 2. Robinson ranks 42nd all-time with 1,016 career points.
Racking up the Victories
The Oilers have been playing basketball since the 1902-03 campaign and have amassed a 1,443-858-2 (.626) record since their initial season of competition.
GLIAC Tournament Success
The Oilers sport a 28-6 record in the GLIAC Tournament, winning titles in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013.
Findlay has appeared in the championship game of the event nine times in the past 11 years. They reached the finals in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013.
The Oilers have captured seven GLIAC Tournament titles, the most in league history. Their win in the 2013 tournament gave them two in a row away from home, the first time a school has ever accomplished the feat in the GLIAC.
Taking Care of Business
The Oilers have never lost a GLIAC Tournament game at home. Since 2002-03, the Oilers have an 19-0 record in GLIAC Tournament games within the friendly confines of Croy Gymnasium.
A Tough Place to Play
The Oilers are 543-112 (.828) 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 167-5 at home for a winning percentage of .971.
Dominating GLIAC Home Games
The Oilers have won 86 of their last 87 regular season 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.
Dancing
The Oilers have appeared in 11 out of the last 12 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.
Conference Championships
The Oilers have won 11 GLIAC South Division titles in their 16-year affiliation with the conference and have also won seven conference tournaments, capturing titles in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013.
In the last 12 years, the Oilers have won ten GLIAC South Division titles. Overall, Findlay has won GLIAC South Division titles in 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013.
GLIAC Player of the Week
Junior forward Greg Kahlig was named the GLIAC South Division Player of the Week Nov. 19. He received the honor for his performances against West Liberty State and Cedarville.
In the Oilers 90-74 loss to #1 West Liberty State (11/14), Kahlig had 14 points, three rebounds and three assists. He then followed with 23 points and six boards in the Oilers 74-65 win over Cedarville (11/17).
The 20-Win Plateau
The Oilers have achieved 20 wins in each of the past 12 years and sport a sparkling 315-63 (.833) record since the 2001-02 campaign.
Scoring 100
The Oilers have reached the 100-point plateau 175 times since 1902 and have a 169-6 (.966) record in those games.
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.
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: