Findlay, Ohio – The University of Findlay men's basketball team, ranked no. 13 in the country in the latest NCAA DII National Poll, held serve on their home floor on Tuesday, Feb. 11 against the Ohio Dominican Panthers, winning by a score of 84-73. With the victory, Findlay improves to 21-3 overall and remains in first place in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) with a 14-2 record. ODU falls to 9-14 (5-10 G-MAC) with the loss.

The Oilers started well, scoring 12 points in the first four minutes to take a 12-6 lead but, Ohio Dominican, which has played well in Croy Gymnasium in the past, was up to the task. Through 13 minutes of play, the two teams knotted up at 30-30 on a triple by the Panthers' Brady Moore.

Findlay had the answer however, outscoring ODU by eight over the final seven minutes of play, taking a 49-41 advantage into the break.

In the middle portion of the second half, the Panthers, which have not lost by double-digits in Croy in four years, mounted a comeback, outscoring Findlay by eight to pull back even at 70-70.

Junior Mekhi Elmore and sophomore Will Aljancic took over down the stretch, each scoring six points as part of a 14-3 run that saw UF overpower ODU and take its' largest lead of the game, an 84-73 advantage that would become the nights' final score.

UF shot the ball well, making 32-of-55 from the floor for 58%, its' third-highest shooting percentage of the season. That included an 11-of-23 (48%) performance from three-point range. Findlay also scored 18 points off 12 ODU turnovers and won the rebounding battle 32-to-22.

Aljancic and Elmore each scored 18 to lead the Oilers. Aljnacic grabbed seven boards while Elmore had two rebounds, two assists, and a team-high five steals.

Junior Jagger Landers and senior Josh Thorbahn each scored nine points while freshman Alex Kendall scored eight. Sophomore Anthony Johnson, who scored five points, led the team with seven assists.

Findlay's next game is a big one as the Oilers welcome in the G-MAC preseason favorites, the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers on Saturday, Feb. 15. The late-season matchup will feature the league's top two teams in the standings and will likely go a long way in determining who plays host to the 2025 Great Midwest Championship.