The Malone University men's basketball team suffered a hard-fought 75-73 defeat at home on Saturday afternoon in non-conference action against Lewis University.

A clutch three-pointer by Pioneer guard Christian Graves tied the game at 71-71 with a minute remaining.  Lewis' Max Strus hit both of his free throws on the Flyers' next trip down the floor before Malone's Mitchell Spotleson knotted it at 73-73 on a lay-up with 32 ticks to play.
 
Following a Lewis timeout with 12 seconds to go, Strus missed a three-pointer, but the Flyers wound up with the ball following a scramble for the rebound.  A foul was then called with 0.7 seconds to go as Strus went up for another three-point attempt. 
 
The 6'6" guard, who entered the game ranked fourth in the nation in scoring at 25.8 points per game, stepped to the line and sank his first two free throws before intentionally trying to miss the third. 
 
However, Strus' third free throw attempt missed the rim, resulting in a violation.  Malone attempted a long inbounds pass from underneath the Lewis basket, but the ball was batted away as time expired, allowing the Flyers to escape Osborne Hall with the narrow victory.
 
Lewis led by as many as 15 points midway through the first half before the Pioneers fought back, trimming the deficit to 35-30 at halftime.  Center Brian Stone would score Malone's first nine points of the second frame before a three-pointer by guard Jay Parker put the hosts on top 42-39 with 15 minutes to go.
 
The contest remained close over the next 10 minutes before the Flyers went on an 11-0 run to open up a 71-64 advantage with two and a half minutes remaining.  Malone answered back though, as a three-pointer by Spotleson and a free throw by Parker made it 71-68.  Graves followed with another three-pointer to tie the game and set up the dramatic finish.
 
Malone Individual Highlights
-Spotleson finished with a career-high 22 points.  He also grabbed 11 rebounds and handed out four assists for his fourth double-double of the season
-Despite foul trouble, Stone finished with 17 points and six rebounds
- Parker tallied 10 points and a season-high eight assists
-Guard Stephen O'Daniel III added 14 points, five rebounds and four assists
 
Lewis Individual Highlights
-Strus nearly matched his season average, finishing with a game-high 25 points.  Strus also tallied four assists and four rebounds
-Guard Delaney Blaylock notched a double-double with 11 points and 11 boards
-Guard Miles Simelton tacked on 19 points, five rebounds and three assists
-Forward Kyle Nelson totaled 12 points and eight rebounds
 
Game Notes
-The Pioneers struggled to hit shots early in the game, converting on just 12 of 43 attempts in the first half, including only four of 21 three-pointers
-Malone found its shooting rhythm in the second stanza, hitting 14 of 31 attempts over the final 20 minutes, including seven of 17 from long range
-Lewis, meanwhile, shot 50% from the floor In the second half
-The Pioneers enjoyed a 17-6 edge on the offensive glass and a 19-10 advantage in second-chance points
-Malone has now hit 10 or more three-pointers in six of nine contests this season
-The Pioneers committed a season-low six turnovers on Saturday afternoon while also handing out 20 assists
 
Up Next: The Pioneers will be idle until January 2nd when the squad returns to GLIAC play with a 3:00 p.m. contest at Saginaw Valley State University.