#8 Oilers Open NCAA Tourney Against Drury
The 8th-ranked Oilers will face Drury University in the opening round of the 2019 NCAA Division II Tournament. The contest will tip at 1:00 p.m. on March 16 in Romeoville, Ill.
Sights and Sounds
Midwest Regional
Tournament Central
Ticket Information
Watch Parties
If you want to watch the game with other Findlay fans, the HD Lounge and Alexandria's will be streaming the Oilers first round contest against Drury. These are not official University of Findlay sanctioned watch parties, but fans are encouraged to attend. If you have any questions, please contact the establishments.
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Series Information
The Oilers have a 1-1 record against Drury in their all-time series dating back to the 2012-13 campaign when the Panthers came away with an 89-77 victory in the first round of the NCAA Division II National Tournament.
Greg Kahlig led the Oilers in the game with 20 points while Brad Piehl had 16 points and seven rebounds.
The Oilers shot 45.6 percent (26-of-57) from the floor and drained 11-of-31 (35.5%) shot attempts from behind the three point line. The Panthers however made an incredible 67.4 percent (31-of-46) from the field and held a 52-24 advantage in points in the paint.
The two programs also met during the first round of the NCAA Division II National Tournament last season. Findlay won that game 84-65.
Taren Sullivan paced Findlay with 26 points and six rebounds while Martyce Kimbrough and Alex White each had 13 points.
The Oilers shot 46.4 percent (32-of-69) from the floor and forced 18 turnovers. They held a 24-7 lead in points off of turnovers and did a great job of protecting the ball as they only committed four turnovers on the day.
Findlay
The Oilers are 27-4 on the season and have been led by Alex White who is averaging 18.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. White was also recently named the 2019 Great Midwest Player of the Year. He also earned first team all-conference honors and a spot on the all-defensive team.
Aaron Overhiser is chipping in 13.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while Trey Smith has made a team-high 73 three pointers and is averaging 11.7 points per contest. Overhiser was named second team all-conference while Smith captured first team accolades and was also selected to the all-defensive team.
Anthony Masterlasco is also averaging in double figures at 10.7 points per outing.
Drury
The Panthers are 21-11 on the season and are coming off of a 65-48 loss to Bellarmine in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Championship.
Conley Garrison leads the squad with an average of 17.8 points per game. He has also made 104 three pointers and is shooting 52.1 percent from the floor.
Allen Billinger is averaging 10.5 points per game while Andrew Ballock is contributing 10.0 points per outing.
Dancing
The Oilers have appeared in 15 NCAA Division II National Tournaments since joining the DII ranks as a full member in 2000-01 and have recorded a 20-13 record in those games. They have appeared in the national tournament during the 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2016-17, 2017-18, and 2018-19 seasons.
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, 2016-17 campaign and again in 2017-18. They then used those experiences to win a NCAA Division II National Championship during the 2008-09 campaign, finishing the year with a perfect 36-0 record. They claimed the title with a 56-53 overtime win against Cal Poly Pomona on March 28, 2009 in Springfield, Mass. Their 36 wins as an undefeated national champion are the most in the history of NCAA Division II men's basketball.
The Best of the Bunch
Senior forward Alex White was named the 2019 Great Midwest Player of the Year after leading the Oilers to a 25-3 finish during the regular season. White ended the regular season with averages of 18.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. He also blocked 1.8 shots per contest and hit 55.1 percent of his field goal attempts during the regular season.
Coach of the Year
Head coach Charlie Ernst was named the 2019 Great Midwest Coach of the Year after leading the Oilers to the regular season title. He was also voted the coach of the year last season as well.
All-Conference Performers
Senior forward Alex White and senior guard Trey Smith were each voted first team all-conference for the Oilers during the 2018-19 campaign.
White, who was also named the Player of the Year, averaged 18.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game during the regular season. Smith meanwhile posted regular season averages of 11.3 points, 2.9 assists and 2.6 rebounds per contest.
In addition, junior forward Aaron Overhiser was named second team all-conference and averaged 14.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game during the regular season.
Getting Defensive
Senior forward Alex White and senior guard Trey Smith were each voted to the Great Midwest all-defensive team for their efforts during the 2018-19 campaign.
Reaching 1,000
Senior forward Alex White reached the 1,000 point plateau in the Oilers 85-59 win over Trevecca Nazarene on March 2. He now has 1,098 career points, the 41st highest total in school history. He is chasing Tyson McGlaughlin for 40th on the all-time scoring list. McGlaughlin scored 1,134 points from 2002-05.
King of Block
Senior forward Alex White has recorded 129 blocks during his career with the Oilers, the best total in school history. The previous record of 105 was set by Marwan Gaines from 2001-05.
The senior has also set the single season block record at Findlay this year with 58. The previous record of 56 was set by Chris Commons during the 2004-05 campaign.
Passing the Rock
Sophomore guard Tommy Schmock has set a new school record for assists in a season this year with 190. His mark eclipsed the previous record of 171, which was set by former Oilers All-American Dustin Pfeifer during the 2004-05 campaign.
As a team, the Oilers have established a new school record for assists in a season. They have 544 assists this season, eclipsing the old record of 539 that was set by the 2017-18 squad.
Putting Up Points
Senior forward Alex White has produced 580 points this year, the 11th-highest total in school history. He is chasing Greg Denecker for 10th place on the single season scoring list. Denecker scored 583 points during the 1993-94 campaign.