By BRIAN LESTER
I finally got onto the internet here at Croy Gymnasium and I am hoping to bring you live updates from the game tonight as the University of Findlay men's basketball team, ranked No. 1 in the nation in NCAA Division II, prepares to battle Saginaw Valley State in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener for both teams.
The Oilers (3-0) haven't played since last Tuesday when they ran Lake Erie right out of the gym in an 84-55 victory over the Storm. It was the 61st consecutive regular-season win at home for UF, which has won its last 15 regular-season games.
SVSU (0-2) is coming off a 76-44 setback to then No. 6 Northern Kentucky. The Cardinals, though, are hardly pushovers, as they have a talented group of guards in Lawrence Ross, Dante Williams and freshman sensation Greg Foster, who is pumping in 17.5 points per outing.
Check back later for updates on the men's game. I'll also have something on the women's team, which is on its way to a 4-0 start for the first time since 2001-02.
Women's Wrap: Audra Miihalic lit up Saginaw Valley for a career-high 30 points as the University of Findlay women's basketball team opened GLIAC play with a 77-61 victory.
Mihalic, who is off to a phenomenal start to her junior season, grabbed 6 rebounds and dished out 6 assists as well as the Oilers (4-0) won their GLIAC opener and started a season with four consecutive wins for the first time since the 2001-02 campaign.
"Honestly, I wasn't even paying attention to how many points I had," Mihalic said. "I was caught up in the flow of the game and my teammates my found me for open shots."
UF shot only 34.3 percent (23-of-67) from the field but held a decisive 53-40 rebounding edge. The Oilers trailed 48-36 with 17 minutes left in the game but used a 19-5 run that turned the tide.
SVSU shot 38.6 percent (22-of-57) from the field and was led by Marah Kayle, who scored 13 points.
Read The Courier Friday morning for more on the women's game. The men are 5 minutes away from tip off. Keep checking the blog for updates.
UF Men's Game: The game is about to start. Oilers trail 2-0. SVSU wants a timeout with 18:29 left. Oilers still down 2-0 but are playing tough defensively. They just need to get the offense going.
The Oilers have turned up the heat on defense and that has set the tone for this game. Josh Bostic got a steal and turned it into a layup to tie the game and Lee Roberts converted a three-point play to put UF ahead 5-2 with 18 minutes to go.
UF up 11-5 after 3-pointers by Bostic and Tyler Sparks. 15:22 left.
We have a media timeout here at Croy and the Oilers are taking care of business, primarily because the defense has set the tone. SVSU has gotten 4 points from Avery Stephenson but it is going to have a hard time keeping up with the depth and talent of the Oilers.
UF ahead 23-11 with 10 minutes left. Oilers have four treys in first half and have left the Cardinals puzzled with great ball movement and aggressive defense. SVSU freshman sensation Greg Foster has only 1 point. He is averaging 17.
Oilers up 30-18 with 5:42 remaining.
Another media timeout. UF is up 30-21. SVSU is hanging around but I don't really think the Oilers are in any danger of losing their lead. The Oilers are the top-ranked team in the land. Every team is going to play them tough and make a run. In the end, though, UF's depth makes a big difference.
There is 1:35 left in the half and Bostic hits one free throw to make it 37-27. The Croy Crazies in the student section are having a good time taunting SVSU senior guard Lawrence Ross.
The Oilers lead 41-31 at the break. Give SVSU credit for hanging around but don't be surprised if the Oilers come out and put this game away early in the second half.
Bostic leads the team in scoring at the half with 11 as the Oilers are shooting 60 percent from the field. They have connected on 5 of their 8 attempts from beyond the arc. UF has had a few too many turnovers as it has 11 but it has kept the Cardinals from being a threat from beyond the arc, limiting SVSU to 38 percent shooting clip. More to come in the second half.
The second half is about to start. Oilers up 46-33 thanks to a jumper by Bostic and a 3-pointer from Nathan Hyde.
SVSU wants a timeout. The Cardinals find themselves down 48-33. Like I said, the Oilers would come out in the second half and try to put this game away. So far, they are on the right track.
UF is up 54-39 with 14:55 left. The Oilers still haven't gotten into a great flow offensively but their defense has made life tough for the Cardinals.
Hyde has continued his rise as a star here at UF. He has 13 points on the night, 8 coming in the second half as the Oilers lead 59-44 with 12:42 left. This is Hyde's third consecutive double-digit effort.
Well, the Oilers are still winning, 63-48, with 9:55 to play. The cheerleaders are tossing t-shirts into the stands so I have to hope I don't get hit by one as I type this blog.
Yeah, it's over. Unofficially. The Oilers lead 70-49 with 7:08 left. Here is something to keep in mind about Bostic. He has 19 points and has scored at least that many in his last three games. Pretty impressive on a UF team as deep as this one.
Oilers are ahead 73-51 with 5:24 to go. Looks like the Oilers are going to post their 62nd consecutive win here at Croy during the regular season.
UF is ahead 79-53 with 3:24 left. I'll post the final as soon as this game ends.
The Oilers roll to their 62nd consecutive win at home in regular-sesaon play, drilling the Cardinals 83-58.
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