Findlay, Ohio – The University of Findlay men's basketball team edged Kentucky Wesleyan 82–79 on Friday, Dec. 6 inside Croy Physical Education Center. The victory pushes the Oilers to 7–1 overall and 2–0 in G-MAC play, while the Panthers fall to 4–4 on the season and 0–2 in the conference.

The teams traded early threes, but it was Kentucky Wesleyan that jumped ahead first, shooting a blistering 56.7% from the field and building a 20–14 lead at the 13-minute mark. From there, Findlay completely flipped the momentum.

Behind high-energy defense and strong contributions from the bench, the Oilers erupted on a 15–4 run, highlighted by back-to-back triples from senior Mason Brandt and junior Anthony Johnson, followed by a thunderous Brandt dunk. The surge pushed Findlay in front 29–25 and energized the home crowd inside Croy.

Although Kentucky Wesleyan fought back and trimmed the deficit, the Oilers maintained control late in the half and took a 43–42 lead into the locker room.

Findlay opened the second half with renewed energy, building several small leads thanks to sharp shooting from Brandt, who finished with a team-high 17 points on an efficient 7-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-4 from deep.

Senior Jagger Landers continued his steady offensive play with 13 points and 5 assists, while Johnson added 11 points and hit critical free throws down the stretch.

Findlay owned the offensive glass, posting 23 second-chance points, which proved crucial in a tight game where neither side led by more than 11.

With under five minutes remaining, the Panthers erased a seven-point deficit, tying the game at 70–70 on a three. Moments later, they threw down a transition dunk to take a 72–70 lead, their first advantage of the second half.

Findlay responded immediately.

Landers knocked down a jumper in the lane to tie the game, and the Oilers converted from the free-throw line while tightening up defensively. Johnson and sophomores Alex Kendall and Javonte Hill combined to go 7-of-8 from the stripe in the final minute, keeping Findlay narrowly in front despite a late deep three from KWC with one second remaining.

Hill connected on the final free throw of the night to ice the game and secure the 82–79 victory.

The Oilers continue G-MAC competition on Thursday, Dec. 11, traveling to Walsh for a 5:30 p.m. matchup against the Cavaliers as they look to extend their conference unbeaten streak.