After a strong start to the year with a 21-point win over Ohio Dominican last Saturday, Tiffin men's basketball will look to keep the momentum going against Ohio Valley at home and Findlay on the road.
Game Information:
Tiffin Dragons (1-0, 1-0 GMAC) vs
Ohio Valley Fighting Scots (0-0, 0-0 GMAC)
Wednesday, Dec. 9 | 5:30 p.m.
Tiffin, Ohio | Gillmor Center
Video | Live Stats | Gameday Program
Tiffin Dragons (1-0, 1-0 GMAC) at
Findlay Oilers (1-0, 1-0 GMAC)
Friday, Dec. 11 | 3:00 p.m.
Findlay, Ohio | Croy Center
Video | Live Stats
Dragon Details:
In the GMAC Preseason Poll, Tiffin was selected to finish 10th after coming in 11th last season.
The Dragons opened the 2020-21 season last Saturday with an impressive 83-62 win over Ohio Dominican. TU went 17-41 (41.5%) from beyond the arc, highlighted by a 10-19 (52.6%) performance in the second half. The total was just one triple shy of the school record of 18 made threes, which was reached once last year and once in 2004.
Tiffin led by just four at halftime, but that barrage from deep led to a 47-30 second-half advantage. TU's defense was strong as well, holding the Panthers to just 26-74 (35.1%) from the field and 8-28 (28.6%) from deep while also forcing 16 turnovers. The Dragons also dished out 21 assists and recorded seven blocks.
In his Dragon debut, sophomore transfer Jaeden King poured in a career-best 28 points, including shooting an impressive 50% (7-14) from beyond the arc. Tanner Johnson also made four triples on the afternoon, finishing with 14 points and eight rebounds. Braxton Foreman just narrowly missed a double-double, pulling down 10 rebounds to go with nine points. Trent Williams also notched 10 points and a career-high eight assists for the Dragons.
Scouting the Fighting Scots:
Ohio Valley is the lone program picked below Tiffin in the conference preseason poll, selected 11th. Wednesday's game will be the season-opener for the Fighting Scots after their opening weekend contests were both postponed.
Senior Dylan Harrison returns to the squad after leading the team in 2019-20 with 17.1 points per game. He also averaged 4.7 rebounds per game and shot 39.7% from deep. Second and fourth-leading scorers Keon Claiborne and Parker Black are also back, as Claiborne averaged 13.8 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game while Black averaged 11.6 points per game and 6.8 boards per contest.
The Dragons and Fighting Scots have met just five times in program histories, all in Tiffin's Division II era. TU currently holds a 3-2 advantage in the series, and a 2-1 advantage at home.
The last matchup between Tiffin and OVU came on Feb. 20 of last season, with Ohio Valley coming from behind to stun the Dragons 86-81 in the Gillmor Center. Tiffin led by seven at the half, but Ohio Valley shot nearly 60% from beyond the arc in the second half to earn the win. Parker Black led OVU with 18 points & nine rebounds, while Wesley Jordan had 11 points, six rebounds, and four assists for the Dragons.
Scouting the Oilers:
Findlay was selected atop the 2020-21 GMAC Preseason Poll, earning 90 total points a three first-place votes. The Oilers are 1-0 on the young season, defeating Trevecca Nazarene 80-73 last Thursday.
In the win, the Oilers only shot 41.5 percent (27-of-65) from the floor, which included a 7-of-31 (22.6%) showing from three-point range, but converted 19-of-23 (82.6%) tries from the free-throw line.
Senior guard Tommy Schmock led the way with 17 points while sophomore guard Joey Edmonds came off the bench to tie his career-high with 14 points. Edmonds also added five rebounds, five assists, and a pair of steals in the victory. Senior forward Anthony Masterlasco had 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting while junior guard Ethan Linder rounded out the Oilers in double figures with ten points to go along with seven rebounds.
The Dragons and Oilers have met for the local rivalry 56 times in history, with Findlay holding a significant advantage in the series at 48-8. The Oilers have won 13 in a row, with TU's last win coming on Jan. 12, 2013, in a 57-55 road victory.
The last matchup between Tiffin and Findlay came on Feb. 15 of last season, as the Oilers were able to pull away in the second half for a 93-75 win in Findlay. A late first-half Dragon run brought the game to a tie at the break, but Findlay wore down Tiffin in the second period to earn the 18-point victory. Thomas Hickman had 14 points, six rebounds, and four assists for the Dragons, while Tommy Schmock had a double-double of 20 points and 13 assists to lead the Oilers.