Oilers to Host Cardinals and Warriors
The University of Findlay men's basketball team will host Saginaw Valley State University and Wayne State University this week in Croy Gymnasium. The Oilers will play the Cardinals on Thursday (1/9) at 8 p.m. and then take on the Warriors this Saturday (1/11) at 3 p.m.
Sights and Sounds
All Oilers basketball games can be heard on 88.3 FM "WLFC" or on the internet via their web site.
You can listen to the broadcast by clicking on the following link:
The University of Findlay will also broadcast all of their home basketball games on the internet. You can watch the games live by clicking on the following link:
UF athletics will also offer live stats for all home games. A link to this process can be retrieved by clicking on the live stats window located on the left side of the Oilers athletic website.
Center Court with Charlie Ernst
Don't forget to tune into 88.3 FM "WLFC" for Center Court with Charlie Ernst. The radio show will be broadcast live from Fricker's on Monday evenings during the season. The show will be aired live from 6-7 p.m. Fans are encouraged to attend the show so they can listen live over the sound system and enjoy the great food Fricker's has to offer.
Fans are also encouraged to send questions in for coach Ernst through Twitter. Please send questions during the show to Tim Montgomery and Jason Granger at @Oilersonair.
To find an archive of the show, please click below:
Center Court with Charlie Ernst
For more information on Fricker's, please click below:
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Series Information
The Oilers hold a commanding 18-2 lead in the all-time series against Saginaw Valley State dating back to the 1992-93 campaign when the Cardinals were victorious by a score of 75-67.
Findlay won the only meeting of last season by a score of 64-56 in University Center, Mich. behind 16 points from Brad Piehl.
Jack Smith came off the bench to provide 13 points and nine boards while Greg Kahlig and Alphonso Baity contributed seven points apiece in the victory.
Sean Samsel, Aaron Robinson and Mark Frilling all added six points apiece in the win as well.
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.
The Oilers hold a 24-17 advantage in the all-time series against Wayne State dating back to the 1990-91 campaign when they came out on top by a score of 80-79.
Last season the Warriors claimed a 65-61 win in overtime against the Oilers in Detroit, Mich.
The Oilers, who led by as many as 11 points in the game, turned the ball over 23 times and shot only 37.9 percent (22-of-58) from the field. Findlay also hit only 22.2 percent (6-of-27) of their three point tries and trailed the Warriors by a 25-13 in points off of turnovers.
Jack Smith led the team with 17 points and six rebounds while Brad Piehl recorded 13 points and six boards.
Greg Kahlig and Aaron Robinson contributed 11 and ten points, respectively, in the game.
The Warriors shot 40.3 percent (25-of-62) from the field and recorded 13 steals in the game. They were paced by Mike Hollingsworth, who scored 15 points.
Findlay
The Oilers dropped their second straight game with an 81-76 loss at Grand Valley State University on Jan. 4 in Allendale, Mich.
The Oilers got a long three pointer by Greg Kahlig at the buzzer to give Findlay a 31-30 lead at the half. They then extended their lead to as many as ten points in the second half, but couldn't put the Lakers away for good.
Findlay was clinging to a two-point lead with 1:16 remaining after a pair of free throws by Jake Heagen. Grand Valley's Ricardo Carbajal then made two free throws to tie the game up before Alphonso Baity turned the ball over. The Lakers then used the turnover to connect on a three pointer to give them a 77-74 lead with only 20 ticks left.
Down three, Kahlig missed a three pointer and the team had to foul. After a pair of free throws by the Lakers, Heagen scored on a layup, but Grand Valley closed the game out at the line.
The Oilers shot 38.3 percent (23-of-60) from the floor in the game. The Lakers meanwhile hit 53.5 percent (23-of-43) of their shots in the contest. They were deadly in the second half, shooting 76.5 percent (13-of-17) from the floor.
Kahlig led the team with 30 points on 9-of-18 shooting while Heagen had 12 points and seven boards. Dylan Kaufman added 12 points and Baity chipped in nine.
Findlay Basketball Links
Saginaw Valley State
The Cardinals come into the game with a 5-5 record, which includes a 1-5 mark in conference play. The team is averaging 75.2 points per outing.
Damon Bozeman and C.J. Turnage lead the squad with averages of 15.8 and 15.7 points per game, respectively.
Garrett Hall is averaging 11.8 points per game while Wade Gelhaus is chipping in 8.7 points per game with a 72.7 percent shooting clip from the floor.
Saginaw Valley State Links
Wayne State
The Warriors sport a 6-3 record on the year with a 4-2 mark in conference competition. They feature a balanced scoring attack with four players averaging in double figures on the year.
Bryan Coleman leads the team with a scoring average of 17.8 points per game while Chene Phillips is contributing 15.7 points, 5.0 assists and 3.8 rebounds per outing.
Gavin Toma and Michael Lewis are also scoring in double figures on a nightly basis at 12.3 and 11.0 points per outing, respectively.
Wayne State Links
An Elite Program
The Oilers have the second best winning percentage in NCAA Division II competition since the year 2000, having won 339 games and lost only 76 for an overall winning percentage of .817.
During that timeframe, the Oilers reached the Elite 8 in 2005, appeared in the Sweet 16 in 2008 and won the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2009 with a perfect 36-0 record.
1,000-Point Club
Senior forward Greg Kahlig is ranked 20th all-time at Findlay with 1,355 career points. He is chasing Ken Burgei (1969-72) for 19th place on the all-time scoring list as Burgei registered 1,363 points during his tenure with the Oilers. Marty Arft (1969-72) ranks 18th all-time at Findlay with 1,367 career points.
Kahlig scored a season-high 32 points in the Oilers 86-73 win over Michigan Tech on Dec. 12. He also scored 30 in an 81-76 loss to Grand Valley State on Jan. 4.
The Ft. Recovery, Ohio native posted a career-high 38 points in an 83-67 win over Walsh on Feb. 21, 2013.
Getting Buckets
Senior forward Greg Kahlig is averaging 21.4 points per game this season, the sixth best total in the GLIAC. The Oilers have not had any player average over 20 points per game in a season since Greg Denecker put up 20.3 points per contest during the 1993-94 campaign.
As a team the Oilers are averaging 89.0 points per game, the best mark in the conference and 16th best output in the nation.
They put up a season-high 114 points in a win over Notre Dame (Ohio) on Dec. 21 in Croy Gymnasium. The point total was the most scored by a Findlay team since they defeated St. Mary's (Mich.) by a score of 120-70 on Dec. 15, 2001.
Pounding the Boards
The Oilers are averaging 39.8 rebounds per game this season, the fourth best total in the GLIAC. They are led by junior forward Jake Heagen, who ranks fifth in the GLIAC with 7.7 rebounds per contest.
Heagen has recorded two double-doubles so far this season. He had 13 points and 12 rebounds in a 96-68 win at Cedarville on Nov. 14 and recorded 20 points and 11 boards during the Oilers 86-69 loss at Northwood on Dec. 7.
Swatting Shots
Findlay is blocking 3.8 shots per game, the fourth best total in the GLIAC. They have been led by sophomore guard Alphonso Baity, who ranks 18th in the league with a 0.7 blocked shot per game average.
Sharing the Rock
The Oilers are averaging 16.7 assists per game this year, the third best mark in the GLIAC. Sophomore guard Alphonso Baity leads the team with 3.3 assists per game, the 16th best total in the league.
Putting the Ball in the Hole
The Oilers are shooting 49.1 percent from the field this season, the fourth best shooting clip in the GLIAC. Sophomore forward John Staley leads the team with a 74.3 percent shooting clip while red-shirt freshman Quaran Jones is putting the ball in the hole at a 60.7 percent clip.
Triple Your Pleasure
The Oilers are hitting 39.6 percent of their three point tries this season, the fifth best mark in the conference. Individually, sophomore guard Dylan Kaufman leads the squad and ranks sixth in the GLIAC with a 47.9 percent shooting clip from long range.
The Oilers are also making 8.2 three pointers per contest, the seventh best total in the GLIAC. Sophomore guard Dylan Kaufman is canning 2.3 triples per game while senior forward Greg Kahlig is making 2.0 three pointers each contest.
Kaufman made a season-high seven triples in the Oilers 114-82 win over Notre Dame (Ohio) on Dec. 21 this season.
Defense Wins Championships
The Oilers are holding their opponents to a 40.9 percent shooting clip, the fourth best mark in the league. They are also defending the three point line well and rank eighth in the conference by limiting their opponents to a 34.7 percent shooting clip from long range.
Staying Out of Foul Trouble
The Oilers are doing a good job of not fouling this season and are leading the GLIAC with only 15.6 personal fouls per contest. The mark is also the eighth highest in the nation.
Grand Theft
Sophomore guard Dylan Kaufman ranks sixth in the GLIAC in steals per game, recording 1.8 per game.
Automatic from the Line
Junior forward Jake Heagen is connecting on 85.7 percent of his free throw attempts this year, the 11th best mark in the GLIAC.
Getting to the Line
The Oilers have made 196 free throws this season, averaging 19.6 points per game from the charity stripe. Because of their ability to get to the foul line, the Oilers are making 6.8 more free throws per game than their opponents.
Does He Miss?
Sophomore forward John Staley is shooting 74.3 percent from the floor this season for the Oilers. The Dayton, Ohio native has only missed five shots in his last eight games, going 22-of-27 from the field during that span.
Racking up the Victories
The Oilers have been playing basketball since the 1902-03 campaign and have amassed a 1,450-862-2 (.627) record since their initial season of competition.
A Tough Place to Play
The Oilers are 547-112 (.830) 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 157-4 at home for a winning percentage of .975.
Dominating GLIAC Home Games
The Oilers have won 88 of their last 89 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 69-3 record (.958) 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.
Kahlig Named GLIAC Player of the Week
Senior forward Greg Kahlg was named the GLIAC South Division Player of the Week on Nov. 20 for his performances in the Oilers first three games of the 2013-14 season. Kahlig averaged 21.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, shooting 55.6 percent from the floor, 43.8 percent from behind the three point line and 80.0 percent from the charity stripe in the three contests.
100-Point Plateau
The Oilers have scored over 100 points twice this season. They put up 105 points in a win over Marygrove on Nov. 9 and also posted 114 points in a victory against Notre Dame (Ohio) on Dec. 21.
The Oilers have scored over 100 points 177 times during the history of their program and sport a 171-6 (.966) record in those games.
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. Their seven tournament titles are the most in GLIAC history.
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 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 the friendly confines of Croy Gymnasium, the first time a school has ever won back-to-back championships on the road in the history of the GLIAC Tournament.
Unbeatable
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.
Dancing
The Oilers have appeared in 11 out of the last 12 NCAA Division II National Tournaments and have recorded a 16-10 record in those games. The team reached the Elite 8 for the first time in school history during the 2004-05 campaign and advanced to the Sweet 16 during the 2007-08 season. They then used that success to win a NCAA Division II National Championship during the 2008-09 campaign, finishing the year with a perfect 36-0 record. Their 36 wins as an undefeated national champion are the most in the history of NCAA Division II men's basketball.
The 20-Win Plateau
The Oilers have achieved 20 wins in each of the past 12 years. The last time they failed to reach the 20-win plateau came during the 2000-01 campaign when they went 19-11.
Preseason GLIAC Player of the Year
Senior forward Greg Kahlig was voted the favorite to win the player of the year award in the GLIAC for the 2013-14 season. Kahlig was a first team all-conference and first team all-region performer for the Oilers last season when he averaged 17.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
Preseason Favorites
The Oilers were picked as the preseason favorite to win the GLIAC South Division as they received a league-best 24 first place votes in the annual poll.
Preseason All-GLIAC
Senior forward Greg Kahlig and junior forward Jake Heagen were each named first team all-conference in the preseason.
Preseason All-American
Senior forward Greg Kahlig was picked as a preseason All-American by NCAA Division II Bulletin after being named first team all-region and first team all-conference last year for the Oilers.
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: