QUINCY, Ill. — The University of Findlay men's basketball team, ranked No. 23 in the country, opened its season with a 103-79 win over Truman State on Friday, Nov. 14 at Pepsi Arena, using a dominant second half to turn a close game into a rout. The game served as the season-opener for both squads. It is the first time since 2013 that the Oilers have scored 100 points in a season debut, that year scoring 105 against Marygrove College, and is the first time in the NCAA era of the program that Findlay has scored 100 in a season opener against a Division II opponent.
The Oilers led 44-40 at halftime after a back-and-forth first half that featured ten lead changes and four ties. Findlay's biggest first-half run came midway through the period when senior Mason Brandt hit a 3-pointer to cap a 10-0 spurt, giving the Oilers a 37-30. Truman State answered late with an 8-0 run to close the gap to 44-40 before the break.
Early in the second half, Truman State trimmed the deficit to one, but Findlay responded immediately. Jagger Landers scored inside, then Brandt drilled a transition three to ignite an 8-0 run that pushed the lead to 51-43. From there, the Oilers never looked back. Sophomore Alex Kendall dominated the paint, scoring six straight points during a stretch that extended the lead to double digits. Kendall finished with a career-high 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting and added nine rebounds and two blocks.
Findlay shot 59.5% in the second half and outscored Truman State 42-18 in the paint after halftime. Brandt added 18 points and three assists, while junior Anthony Johnson chipped in 16 points and three steals. Sophomore Ian Ioppolo scored ten and grabbed six boards while junior Jake Bishop contributed nine points, five rebounds and three steals off the bench.
The Oilers' depth proved decisive, with 49 bench points compared to Truman State's 20. Findlay also forced 19 turnovers and converted them into 26 points. Jahki Parrinello led Truman State with 25 points and nine rebounds.
Findlay is back in action tomorrow, Nov. 15, with a 4:00 pm ET tipoff against the host of this weekend's event, the Quincy Hawks. That contest can be seen live on the GLVC Sports Network (pay-per-view).
