COLUMBUS - After the month of November closes, the schedule for the Ohio Dominican Panthers men's basketball team switches to mostly conference opponents as December opens. 

The Panthers will travel to Alumni Arena on Thursday (Dec. 1) to face the Walsh Cavaliers before returning home on Saturday (Dec. 3) to open a three-game homestand at Alumni Hall. 

GAME NOTES (Games 6-7) (PDF)

OPENING TIPOFF

• In their last contest, ODU hosted Concord in a double-overtime game on Monday (Nov. 28) with the Mountain Lions winning 90-85. 
• The 2OT affair was the first overtime contest since Feb. 9, 2022 against Salem at Alumni Hall. 
• Zach Szul (Waterville, Ohio) was tied for the team lead with 17 points, including the buzzer beating three pointer to force the 2nd overtime period. He averages 8.6 points and 3.6 assists per contest this season. 
• Jarius Jones (Gahanna, Ohio) added 14 points in the defeat for the Panthers, hitting four field goals and four free throws. He leads the Panthers with 12.2 points per game. 
• Sean Marks (Delaware, Ohio) nailed five threes to tie Szul with 17 points against Concord. 
• Ohio Dominican has an average of 40.0 rebounds per game - third in the G-MAC. 
• The Panthers sit third in the G-MAC and 12th in Division II with 30.2 three point attempts per game. ODU averages 8.8 made per game and sit with a 29.1 three point percentage. 
• Caleb Laurich (Akron, Ohio) holds the team lead with 7.0 rebounds per game, putting him seventh in the conference. 
• Nate Webb (Lafayette, Indiana) scored nine points with nine rebounds in his first start of the year. Webb is averaging 11 points in the last two games. 
• The Panthers are getting 24.6 points per game from their bench this season. 
• Ohio Dominican is 3-15 against Walsh in the Division II era and have lost seven in a row against the Cavaliers and dropped 17 straight in North Canton (dating back to 2/19/04). 
• In the Division II series history, ODU and Tiffin have met 22 times with Tiffin holding a narrow 12-10 advantage, winning the last two matchups. 

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS

• Walsh enters conference play with a 3-2 overall record after taking three of the five non-conference matchups - all at Alumni Arena. 
• Last week, Walsh dispatched the Carlow Celtics 115-44 as six players had double figure scoring. 
• Tim Smith Jr. is the leading scorer for the Cavaliers with 21.6 points per game and is 2nd in the conference in scoring. Smith Jr. has two double-doubles this season and averages 8.2 rebounds per contest, also 2nd in the league. 
• Garrison Keeslar returned for Walsh and holds a 14.3 PPG and 8.7 RPG mark in three games this season. He is out with an ankle injury. 
• Drue Moore scored 12 points in the Carlow game to be third highest scorer on the team. Milan Square scores 11.5 points per game and is the leader from three (12 threes made). Square is perfect from the charity stripe with 11 makes. 
• Walsh averages 75.4 points scored, 38.0 rebounds on offense and is shooting .421 overall (.329 from deep). The opponents are scoring 62.2 points per game, grabbing 31.8 rebounds and holding a .425 clip shooting (.346 from three). 
• Among the G-MAC teams, the Maroon and Gold sits 1st in turnover margin (+6.6) and 2nd for scoring defense. 
• The Cavaliers were ranked as the preseason favorite in the G-MAC after winning the G-MAC regular season and tournament titles in 2021-22 as well as earning the #1 seed in the Midwest Region.
• Jeff Young is in his 20th season with the Cavaliers, compiling over 400 wins - the most in Walsh program history. 

ABOUT THE DRAGONS

• Tiffin begins conference play with a 2-4 record in six games in the 2022-23 season. The Dragons play host to Lake Erie on Thursday (Dec. 1) before coming to Sunbury Road on Saturday. 
• Four players sit in double digit scoring for the Dragons this season. Carius Key leads the way with 12.8 points per game, shooting .459 from the floor. 
• Andre Irvin had 12 points in the game against Carlow, slotting him second on the Tiffin squad foir scoring. Irvin was five-for-six in that game shooting. 
• Joshua Rivers (11.8 PPG) and Trent Williams (11.2 PPG) are third and fourth in the scoring order for the Dragons, while shooting .509 and .442 overall, respectively. 
• Wesley Jordan fronts the rebounding category, grabbing 5.3 rebounds per game while averaging just under ten points per game. 
• Morgan Taylor has three assists per contest and 2.3 assists per turnover this season in six games. 
• Tiffin averages 70.8 points scored, 33.5 rebounds on offense and is shooting .452 overall (.327 from deep). The opposition is scoring 69.2 points per game, grabbing 35.8 rebounds and holding a .453 clip shooting (.311 from three). 

UP NEXT

Ohio Dominican will continue G-MAC play with home contests against the Northwood Timberwolves and Hillsdale Chargers, beginning Thursday, December 8th. 

Contact: Tyler Stotsky
stotskyt@ohiodominican.edu