Four worthy challengers enter.
But only one champion can be crowned.
For the first time since 2012, the ninth-ranked Hillsdale College men's basketball team plays host to the semifinal and final rounds of a conference tournament, as the Chargers host the G-MAC Championships this Friday and Saturday.
Hillsdale College (20-1) is fresh off a repeat regular-season conference title in the G-MAC and is looking for their first conference tournament crown since a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title in 1995, and with it, an automatic bid to the Chargers' first NCAA Division II tournament since 2017-18.
But Hillsdale will have to get through tough challengers, as the three teams that arguably pushed the Chargers the hardest in the regular season, second-seeded Findlay, fourth-seeded Malone, and sixth-seeded Cedarville, descend on Hillsdale this weekend with championship designs of their own.
Due to Michigan Department of Health and Human Services orders and G-MAC mandates, only a limited number of fans can attend this weekend's events at Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena, and will be required to wear a mask at all times and practice physical distancing from anyone who is not a member of their household. General Admission tickets will go on sale for each Friday semifinal contest on Thursday, March 4 at 2 p.m. on hillsdale.universitytickets.com. If there are any remaining tickets after the online sale, they will be available for in-person sale at the arena ticket office beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, March 5.
General admission tickets for the Championship game will go on sale at 10 a.m., Saturday, March 6, six hours before the tip-off of the tournament final. Those tickets can also be purchased at hillsdale.universitytickets.com.
If you are unable to attend in person, all games will be livestreamed on the Great Midwest Digital Network. You can find links to live stats and live streams for both semifinals below. You can also listen to the games Hillsdale College is playing in locally on the radio at 99.5 FM The Dale and 101.7 FM Radio Free Hillsdale.
Schedule
Malone (15-6, 13-6 G-MAC) at #9 Hillsdale (20-1, 19-1 G-MAC) | 5 p.m. ET Friday, March 5 | Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena | Hillsdale, MI – Semifinal #1
Cedarville (11-8, 10-8 G-MAC) vs #20 Findlay (18-4, 16-4 G-MAC) | 7 p.m. ET Friday, March 5 | Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena | Hillsdale, MI – Semifinal No. 2
Semifinal #1 winner vs Semifinal #2 winner | 4 p.m. ET Saturday, March 6 | Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena | Hillsdale, MI – G-MAC Championship Game
Follow/Watch
Semifinal #1 Live Stats | Semifinal #1 Webcast | Semifinal #2 Live Stats | Semifinal #2 Webcast
Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Malone Roster | Findlay Roster | Cedarville Roster | 2020-21 Hillsdale Stats | 2020-21 Malone Stats | 2020-21 Findlay Stats | 2020-21 Cedarville Stats
Projected Starters
Hillsdale: #15 Patrick Cartier, So., F, Brookfield, WI/East (20.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1 spg); #21 Davis Larson, Sr., F, Sheboygan, WI/North (11 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.7 apg); #24 Austen Yarian, Sr., F, Cleveland, OH/St. Ignatius (13.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.4 apg); #11 Connor Hill, Sr., G, Lenexa, KS/Shawnee Mission South (11.9 ppg, 3.9 apg, 1.6 spg); #1 Tavon Brown, So., F, Columbus, OH, St. Charles Prep (7.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1 bpg)
Malone: #14 Bryce Butler, Sr., G, Cincinnati, OH/Clark Montessori/Alderson Broaddus (18 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.8 apg); #12 Bo Myers, So., F, Rockbridge, OH/Logan (16.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg); #1 Marcus Ernst, Sr., F, Ashtabula, OH/Edgewood (15.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1 bpg); #5 Jaret Majestic, Sr. G, Malvern, OH/Malvern (10.6 ppg, 1 spg); #30 Levi Seiler, So., F, Wauseon, OH/Wauseon (7.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
Findlay: #2 Anthony Masterlasco, Sr., F, Findlay, OH/Liberty Benton (11.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.4 spg); #4 Tommy Schmock, Sr., G, Cleveland, OH/St. Edward (13.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 5.5 apg, 2.3 spg); #5 Nathan Bruns, So., G, Chickasaw, OH/Marion Local (13.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg); #3 Tre'Maine Gray, Sr., G, Akron, OH/Sinclair CC (8.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg); #30 Andrew Owens, Fr., F, Carmel, IN/Carmel (7.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
Cedarville: #2 Branden Maughmer, G, Jr., Chillicothe, OH/Chillicothe (16.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 4.4 apg, 2 spg); #35 Conner TenHove, Sr., F, Valparaiso, IN/Valparaiso (11.1 ppg, 7 rpg); #55 Quinton Green, Jr., G, Columbus, OH/Homeschool (13.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg); #10 Kollin Van Horn, Sr., C, Proctorville, OH/Fairland (12.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.1 bpg); #5 Isaiah Speelman, Jr., F, Hilliard, OH/Bradley (10.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg)
Scouting the Contenders
Malone: The fourth-seeded Pioneers enter Saturday's semifinals as one of the hottest teams in the G-MAC, having won eight straight and 15 of their last 17 after an 0-4 start to the season.
Malone has the G-MAC's best offense at 82.6 points per game, with a sharp-shooting lineup that includes dangerous 3-point shooters in seniors Bryce Butler and Jaret Majestic, as well as high-scoring wing Bo Myers.
In the post, crafty veteran Marcus Ernst is a tough defensive matchup and one of the best two-way centers in the conference, and the Pioneers can bring a fifth elite scorer in off the bench in super-sub Justin Miller.
If the Pioneers have any weaknesses, it's lack of depth – Malone doesn't get much offense off the bench other than Miller – and defense. The Pioneers are ninth out of 11 teams in the G-MAC in scoring defense, at 75.4 points per game, though with the way Malone is capable of shooting, that lack of defensive stops is often irrelevant as opponents struggle to keep up with the Pioneers offensively.
Malone is making its fourth-straight G-MAC tournament appearance but is hoping this is the year it can reach the championship game for the first time after falling short in the semifinals twice.
The Pioneers are coached by Casey Kaufman, who is entering his sixth year in charge of the Malone program. Under Kaufman in 2017-18, the Pioneers won the most games in a single season in a decade.
Findlay: A power in the G-MAC since they arrived in 2017, and one of the most tradition-rich men's basketball teams in the conference, period, the Oilers are back in the G-MAC semifinals for the third-straight year looking to finally bring home the conference tournament crown.
Findlay has a veteran group that includes multiple career 1,000-point scorers. The engine is senior Tommy Schmock, a three-year starter at point guard who leads the team in assists and is also the Oilers' best defensive player.
Sophomore Nathan Bruns is a bruising and high-scoring post presence for the Oilers, and seniors Anthony Masterlasco and Tre'Maine Gray bring athleticism and toughness on the wings as well.
What makes Findlay so tough is the squad's depth. There's not much drop-off from the starting unit to a bench group that includes sharpshooting guards Ethan Linder and Joey Edmonds, and talented posts Deven Stover and Brady Wildermuth, allowing the Oilers to grind opponents down at both ends of the floor.
The Oilers have won three G-MAC regular season championships in four years in the league – but they haven't won a conference tournament crown since taking the GLIAC tournament title in 2013-14. That's a drought Findlay is looking to end in 2020-21.
Findlay's head coach is Charlie Ernst, who's built an outstanding resume in 10 years at the helm. Ernst had a 208-65 record with the Oilers entering this season, and he's led Findlay to three G-MAC titles, four GLIAC South titles, three GLIAC Tournament titles, six NCAA Division II national tournament appearances, and two appearances in the NCAA Sweet 16.
Cedarville: As the six-seed entering the 2020-21 G-MAC tournament, the Yellow Jackets are the lone team in this year's final four to win a quarterfinal game on the road, beating Kentucky Wesleyan 64-55 to advance on Tuesday.
Cedarville boasts one of the G-MAC's best scoring offenses at 79 points per game, led by returning All-G-MAC first teamer Branden Maughmer and a deep and talented supporting cast, including past All-G-MAC honorees Conner TenHove, Quinton Green and Kollin Van Horn. When the Yellow Jackets are rolling offensively, they can beat any team in the conference.
The reason Cedarville had to hit the road to open the tournament at Kentucky Wesleyan is a below-average defense, conceding 72.5 points per game, just seventh in the conference. Among top contenders in the G-MAC, however, the only two Cedarville hasn't beaten are Malone, which it's lost to twice, and Hillsdale, which it took to double overtime in the teams' first meeting on Feb. 2.
The Yellow Jackets have played in every G-MAC tournament since the conference's founding in 2012 – but are looking for their first championship game appearance and title since that initial season in 2012-13.
Cedarville is coached by Patrick Estepp, who is entering his 12th season leading the Yellow Jackets in 2020-21. He's guided Cedarville to six 20-win seasons, a G-MAC championship in 2013, and perennial success in the National Christian College Athletic Association Tournament, including national titles in 2012 and 2019.
Scouting the Chargers
At 20-1, Hillsdale won its second-straight G-MAC regular season title and is now looking for its first conference tournament crown since 1995 as the top-seed and host of this weekend's final four.
Hillsdale boasts the best combination off offense and defense in the G-MAC this season, as shown by its league-best 14.8 point scoring margin. The Chargers have the G-MAC's best scoring defense and the fifth-best scoring defense in the country at 62.2 points conceded per game. The Chargers have conceded 70 points in regulation just three times in their 17-game winning streak and held opponents below 60 points seven times.
At the other end, unselfish passing and ball movement have been keys to Hillsdale's offensive success. 57% of all of Hillsdale's field goals this season have been assisted, and the Chargers have the best field goal percentage in the G-MAC at 51.2%, as well as the second-best assist to turnover ratio (1.61).
Post players Patrick Cartier (20.4 ppg) and Austen Yarian (13.1 ppg) remain the focal point offensively, but the Chargers are getting strong contributions from all five starters, including wing Davis Larson (11 ppg) and point guard Connor Hill (11.9 ppg).
Directing the Chargers for the 14th straight season is head coach John Tharp, who is the all-time winningest coach in program history with a 250-134 record. Tharp became the longest-tenured head coach in Hillsdale men's basketball history at the start of this season, surpassing Dwight Harwood, who coached for 13 years from 1926-34 and 1940-46. Joining Tharp on Hillsdale's bench this year are three new assistants: associate head coach Keven Bradley, as well as assistant coaches Eric Weiss and David Choi.
Other Notes
- Hillsdale is 10-4 against Malone all time and won both meetings this year, though both were nervous affairs – the Chargers trailed the Pioneers by 16 in the second half before rallying for a 80-70 home win on Jan. 10, and Hillsdale also had to battle for a tough 75-69 win at Malone on Feb. 11.
- Cedarville and Findlay have a long history with over 100 meetings in men's basketball, with Findlay holding a 78-24 lead all-time. The two teams split their meetings this year, with Cedarville beating Findlay at Findlay 90-84 in overtime on Feb. 8, and the Oilers returning the favor on Feb. 24 with a 65-61 win at Cedarville.
- Hillsdale stayed at 9th in the NABC Division II top 25 poll last week, the 11th week the Chargers have been ranked in a row. It's the fifth time in program history the Chargers have been ranked for consecutive weeks in the same season in the NABC poll, and the first time since the 2011-12 season. The ranking of 9th is the highest Hillsdale has had since Jan. 11, 2011, when Hillsdale reached its all-time high of 4th in the nation. The Chargers have been ranked in the top 10 for just six weeks in the poll's history, dating back to 1960, with two of those weeks coming this season.
- In terms of potential NCAA Division II Tournament bids, multiple G-MAC teams are sitting in a strong position in the NCAA Regional Rankings released this week. Hillsdale is the top seed in the rankings in the Atlantic Region and Findlay is third, meaning both have a good shot of making the field regardless of what happens this weekend. Both Malone and Cedarville are on the outside looking in, but still have a shot at an automatic qualifying berth if they can win the G-MAC Championship game this Saturday.
- Sophomore Patrick Cartier continued an excellent season with his 11th 20-plus point game of his career in an 89-58 win over Trevecca Nazarene in a G-MAC Quarterfinal on Tuesday. The sophomore is leading the G-MAC in scoring at 20.4 points per game, and is also first in field goal percentage at 64.7%. Cartier is 8th in the nation in Division II in field goal percentage, and with a significantly higher usage rate than any other player in the top 10.
- Hillsdale ran its win streak to 16 straight, an all-time program record, this week. The previous record was held by the 2010-11 team, which opened the season with 13 straight wins to climb to fourth in the NABC Division II top 25 poll.
- The Chargers are 11-0 at home this year and have not had a game yet with a margin of victory closer than the 10-point differential the team had in the win over Malone on Jan. 10. That bodes well for Hillsdale's G-MAC tourney hopes, as the Chargers host both the semifinal and final rounds and everyone else in the field has lost to Hillsdale by double-digits at Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena this season.
- It's highly likely that this year's G-MAC Tournament Champion will be a first-time winner. Hillsdale, Findlay and Malone all have never won a G-MAC Tournament crown, while Cedarville's only G-MAC Tournament title came in 2012-13, the first year of the conference's existence. Findlay and Hillsdale have both won a conference tournament before, but it came when the Oilers (2013-14) and Chargers (1994-95) were members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Malone has never won a conference tournament title and is looking for its first conference crown of any kind since winning an American Mideast Conference North Division Championship as an NAIA member in 2006-07.