Tiffin, Ohio - The University of Findlay men's basketball team, ranked ninth in the country, made the short trip east on Saturday, Jan. 18 to take on the Tiffin University Dragons in a Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) contest. A commanding second-half performance by the Oilers resulted in an 85-50 rout of the home team. The win gives the Oilers a 16-1 record on the season as they remain perfect in the conference at 9-0. Meanwhile, the Dragons fall to 4-12 on the year with a 2-6 mark in the league.

The win marks the Oilers' 12th consecutive victory, their longest streak since the 2017-18 season. Their 16-1 start is the best under head coach Charlie Ernst and the program's strongest opening since the 2010-11 campaign, when they also began 16-1. That season concluded with a 24-4 record after reaching the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament.

Findlay established an early 25-4 advantage within the first ten minutes of the half. During that stretch, the Oilers shot 10-of-17 from the floor, with 4-of-6 coming from beyond the arc. Defensively, UF forced Tiffin into six turnovers while holding them to just 1-of-7 shooting. However, Tiffin gradually chipped away at the deficit, narrowing it to just an 11-point gap at halftime with Findlay leading 38-27 at the break.

As a self-proclaimed second-half team, the Oilers proved it once again.

Holding Tiffin to just 23 points in the final frame, Findlay relied on their fast-paced system to stifle the Dragons. Outscoring TU by 24 in the second half, the Oilers held just a 13-point lead with sixteen minutes remaining. They then went on a 16-8 run, draining the momentum from the Dragons as Findlay extended their lead to 23 points. The Oilers continued to push their advantage, reaching as much as a 38-point cushion. Findlay ultimately cruised to an 85-50 win, the largest conference victory margin since 2021, when they defeated Ohio Valley 99-55 in the Great Midwest Basketball Tournament.

On the day, the Oilers hit 33-of-67 from the floor (49.3%), including 11-of-24 (45.8%) from three-point range. Findlay held Tiffin to a 20-of-49 (40.8%) from the floor and a mere 3-of-13 (23.1%) from three. The Oilers capitalized on turnovers, forcing Tiffin into 18 which they turned into 32 points.  Findlay also dominated the glass, grabbing an impressive 40 to Tiffin's 28.

Recording a career-best performance was sophomore Will Aljancic. The forward recorded 31 points, the first Oiler to record over 30 points since former standout Alex White recorded 35 against Alderson Broaddus in 2019. Aljancic was 14-of-20 from the field and 2-of-5 from the charity stripe. He also grabbed five rebounds and had one steal.

Junior Max Roth scored 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor. Senior Josh Thorbahn was the other double-digit scorer, contributing 11 points, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. He also secured five rebounds. Freshman Alex Kendall led the team in rebounds with six.

Findlay will be back in action as they welcome Thomas More to Croy Physical Education Center on Thursday, Jan. 23. That game is scheduled to tipoff at 7:30pm.