Tiffin University men's basketball (5-15, 3-9) built a 13-point lead in the first half, but Malone turned the tables in the second half for a 68-60 win Saturday afternoon at the Gillmor Center.  

It was a bit of a slow start for both teams that led to a 10-10 tie with 12:11 remaining in the first half. That's when the Dragons went on a run, scoring nine straight to take a 19-10 lead. Jonah Nesmith, Allen Fordham, and Michael Lucarotti fueled the run that was highlighted with a thunderous dunk by Nesmith.  

A 6-0 run gave the Dragons a 25-12 lead with 8:00 remaining, their biggest of the game. Tiffin then cooled off a bit and was scoreless for over four minutes as Malone used a 9-0 run to get right back in it. Over the final 8:00 of the half, Tiffin scored just five points and took a slim 30-26 lead into the break. 

Malone carried their momentum into the second half and with 10:37 remaining in the game had outscored Tiffin 25-7 to lead 51-37 as the Dragons were ice cold from the floor. The Pioneers built their lead to 15, their largest of the game, with 7:51 remaining.  

The Dragons would not go down without a fight as a layup by John Muhammad cut the deficit to six with 3:54 remaining. Malone drilled a three-pointer on their next possession to make it 63-54 which was a huge bucket. In the final minute, the Pioneers made three of four free throw attempts. In the second half, Tiffin was outscored 42-30 as the game featured a 28-point turn, Malone turning a 13-point deficit into a 15-point lead.  

Nesmith led the team in scoring with 15. Fordham added 11 and was one rebound short of a double-double, grabbing nine. Caleb Bates had five points and seven rebounds. DJ Gooden finished with eight points, five rebounds, and three assists.