The Tiffin University men's basketball team fell in a tough ballgame Thursday night, as the Malone Pioneers beat the Dragons 81-78. Malone was lights out from behind the arc, going 12-25 from three.

The first half saw Malone jump out in front and use the hot three point shooting of Stephen O'Daniel III. The Dragons would not go quietly, charging back to cut the deficit to a single point, 19-18. But the Pioneers shot out in front again as they used a quick 11-2 run to push the lead to 30-20. For the remainder of the half, the two teams traded runs, but the one constant was Malone's ability to knock down three point shots, finishing the half 9 of 15 from deep. The Dragons shot well, hitting at a 53% clip from the field and 40% from deep.

The 2nd half saw the two teams trade baskets for the first five minutes, but at the 14:50 mark in the half, the Dragons made their move. Alex Brown hit back to back triples to cut the Malone lead to 54-50. The two teams stayed close for the vast majority of the half until Malone went on another run, this time a quick 7-0 bolt pushing the Dragon deficit to 10. The Dragons continued battling, finishing the game on a 17-12 run, but it was not enough. An Ashton Khan heave from half court was the last gasp for the Dragons as the clock hit triple zeros.

Alex Brown led Tiffin in scoring, finishing with 23 points on 8 of 9 shooting from the field. Ashton Khan wasn't far behind with 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. Stephen O'Daniel III led the Pioneers with 28 points, including six made three pointers.

The loss drops the Dragons to 7-17 overall and 3-14 in GLIAC play.