Oilers Host #4 Bellarmine in Blackout Game
The Oilers will be at home for the first time this season on Nov. 24 when they host 4th-ranked Bellarmine in a "Blackout" game. The contest is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. in Croy Gymnasium.
Blackout
The Oilers are calling for fans to "Blackout" Croy Gymnasium for their game against the Knights. The Oilers want you to wear black to the game in a show of support for the men's basketball program.
Sights and Sounds
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:
If you can't watch the game in person, you can view the contest by clicking on the following link:
Live stats will also be available for all contests. A link to retrieve the live stats can be found on the schedule page of the 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 aired live from Fricker's on Monday evenings during the season. The show will be aired live from 6-6:30 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.
For more information on Fricker's, please click below:
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Series Information
The Oilers and Knights have played four times before with each team winning two games. They first met in the 2001-02 campaign, which was won by Findlay 93-85. Kyle Hunt led the way with 25 points in the victory.
The Oilers also defeated the Knights in the regional final during their 2009 NCAA Division II National Championship run by a score of 89-86 in overtime. Josh Bostic led the way with 37 points while Tyler Evans came off the bench to provide 14 points.
The Knights have won two in a row against the Oilers. They claimed an 86-63 win over Findlay in the 2011-12 NCAA Division II Tournament and defeated the Oilers by a score of 63-54 last season in Louisville.
Tyler Stern-Tucker led the Oilers with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting. He hit 3-of-6 attempts from behind the three point line while also grabbing six rebounds in the game.
Jake Heagen had nine points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocks while John Staley recorded eight points, three rebounds and three assists.
Findlay
The Oilers began their season with a pair of losses at the D2 Vegas Showdown in Las Vegas, Nev. They lost 88-80 to Southern Indiana and 82-80 to Illinois-Springfield.
Sophomore guard Martyce Kimbrough averaged 14.0 points per game in the two contests, hitting 8-of-12 attempts from three point range.
Sophomore forward Taren Sullivan averaged 12.5 points per game while senior forward John Staley contributed 12.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per contest.
Bellarmine
The Knights are 3-0 on the season and ranked fourth in the nation. They have been one of the most dominant NCAA Division II programs in recent history, reaching the Final 4 in 2012 and 2015 to go along with a national title in 2011.
Rusty Troutman leads the team in scoring at 28.0 points per game while Yasin Kolo is giving the squad 16.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest.
As a team, the Knights are hitting 52.7 percent of their field goal attempts and 41.7 percent of their tries from three point range.
1,000-Point Plateau
Senior guard Dylan Kaufman is looking to become the Oilers 44th player to reach the 1,000-point plateau during his senior season with the team. During his career, Kaufman has scored 805 points, leaving him 195 points shy of reaching the milestone.
Hot Hand
Sophomore guard Martyce Kimbrough has had a hot hand from three point range in the Oilers first three games, connecting on 11-of-19 (57.9%) attempts from long range.
A Tough Place to Play
The Oilers are 569-116 (.830) in Croy Gymnasium since they starting playing home games there during the 1969-70 season. They have gone undefeated at home eight times in a season since they began play in Croy Gymnasium as well.
In the past ten years the Oilers have posted a staggering 144-8 record at home for an incredible winning percentage of .947.
From 2004-11, the Oilers won 71-straight home games, which at the time was the longest streak in the nation regardless of NCAA division.
Handling Non-Conference Foes
The Oilers have posted a 59-3 record (.952) 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 13 GLIAC South Division titles in their 18-year affiliation with the conference and have also won eight conference tournaments, capturing titles in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
In the last 14 years, the Oilers have won 12 GLIAC South Division titles. Overall, Findlay has won GLIAC South Division titles in 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
A History of League Excellence
The Oilers have had a total of 24 first team all-conference performers since joining the GLIAC during the 1997-98 campaign. Additionally, 13 more players have earned second team all-conference accolades.
Findlay has also been fortunate enough to have three players who were named the GLIAC Player of the Year. Greg Kahlig (2014), Josh Bostic (2009) and Dustin Pfeifer (2006) all earned the award during their senior seasons with the Oilers. Pfeifer was also tabbed the GLIAC Freshman of the Year in 2003 while Marcus Parker earned the honor for Findlay in 2007.
Former head coach Ron Niekamp was recognized as the GLIAC Coach of the Year five times during his career. He earned the award in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009. His five coach of the year awards are tied for the most in league history.
The Oilers, who have buiit a stong program based on defense, have also had 19 players earn a spot on the GLIAC all-defensive team.
All-Americans
The Oilers have had six NCAA Division II All-Americans in the past ten years. Dustin Pfeifer was the Oilers first player to earn All-American honors for his performance during the 2005-06 campaign. Additionally, Frank Phillips (2006-07), Josh Bostic (2007-08 and 2008-09), Nathan Hyde (2010-11) and Greg Kahlig (2013-14) have earned All-American honors for Findlay.
Bostic, the Oilers only two-time All-American, was also named the 2009 NCAA Division II National Player of the Year. He led the Oilers to a 36-0 record and a national championship during his final season with the team.
Helpful Links
NCAA
NCAA Division II Stats
National Association of Basketball Coaches
GLIAC
NCAA Division II Basketball