Detroit, Mich. - The University of Findlay basketball team remained unbeaten on Sunday, Nov. 17, going on the road and winning an 88-79 affair against the Wayne State University Warriors. That victory gives the Oilers a 4-0 record while Wayne State falls to 0-3.
The last time that UF followed up a losing season with four wins to start the following year was 1970. That campaign, which came after an 11-13 record in 1969-70, started with 11 consecutive wins.
Nine minutes into the game, the two squads were knotted at 19-19, but the game changed on an 11-0 run by Findlay. During that stretch, which spanned two-and-a-half minutes, UF was 5-for-5 from the floor. That run propelled the visitors to a ten-point halftime lead at 45-35.
Findlay would go ahead by 16 points with just under eight minutes to play and looked to be in firm control, but the Warriors did not go away quietly, clawing back to within four at 81-77 with just inside of two minutes to play.
A bucket by junior Jagger Landers was followed by a steal and score by redshirt freshman Jake Bishop, giving UF an eight-point lead with a minute to play. That would be enough as the Oilers went on to a nine-point victory.
Through four games this season, Findlay has scored 412 points, an average of 103 points per game. That is the highest point total to start a season since the 1967-68 Oilers scored 413 points in their first four games of that season.
Findlay shot 33-of-63 (52%) from the floor including 7-of-24 (29%) from three-point range. The Oilers forced Wayne State into 16 turnovers, picking up 22 points off turnovers. Coming off of the pine, UF, which ranked third in the country in bench points per game coming into Sunday's game, got 34 points from its' backups
Sophomore Will Aljancic was the leading scorer for the Oilers, pouring in 21 points on 7-of-13 from the floor including 3-of-4 from three-point range. Aljancic, who scored 13 of his 21 in the first half, also grabbed four rebounds in the win.
Junior Mason Brandt scored 13 points and had three rebounds while Bishop and Landers each had 12. Freshman Alex Kendall scored ten to give the Oilers five double-digit performers. Freshman Steele Meister led the team with six rebounds.
Findlay will face one its' toughest non-conference opponents of the year on Saturday, Nov. 23 when it travels to take on the #25 Ferris State Bulldogs. That game will tip off at 3:00 pm.
