The Malone University men's basketball team won its GLIAC (Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) home opener against DII #20 Michigan Tech University Thursday night 65-59.

The game started neck-and-neck as neither team led by more than three points in the first 13 minutes of the first half. Malone would get its momentum from Nate Sheppard who made four straight three point shots in a two and a half minute span in the final four minutes of the first half. The score at intermission would favor Malone 39-30. The Pioneers went 7-for-11 in three pointers and they out-rebounded the Huskies 14-to-13 in the first half.   

Malone would hold at least a two-point advantage for most of the second half until the Huskies sneaked back with a three-pointer at the 7:41 mark to cut the Pioneer lead to one at 53-52. It would remain close from there on out as the Huskies took their first lead of the second half at the 6:53 mark. Both teams would take possession of the lead for the next five minutes. But the Pioneers would bounce back, pulling ahead for good on a Sheppard lay-up at the 2:44 mark.  Malone would never trail again, outscoring the Huskies 6-1 over the final two minutes.

Three Malone players finished the game in double-digits, including Sheppard who led the Pioneers with 18 points, followed by Ben Haraway with 17, and Brian Stone, who added 10. 

The Pioneers are now 3-2 (1-0 in the GLIAC) on the early season and host GLIAC opponent Northern Michigan University on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.