CANTON, Ohio - The beginning, middle, and end on Thursday night in Osborne Hall belonged to Zach Hopewell, Tre Cobbs, and Wyatt Battaile. The trio each shouldered the offensive load at different points during the game and each helped the Kentucky Wesleyan College men's basketball team pick-up a 90-82 win over Malone. In total four players reached double figures in the Great Midwest Conference victory. 

The Panthers (6-4, 5-4 GMAC) playing their first of three games in a five day stretch jumped out to a quick lead and was firing on all cylinders. Zach Hopewell highlighted the opening 20 minutes and he connect on four of five three-point shots and notched 20 points in the first 20 minutes. It was not just Hopewell in the opening frame as Wesleyan shot 54% from the field to start the game. 

Malone trailed 21-20 with 12 minutes left in the opening half, but the Panthers increased their lead to 16 points over the next seven minutes. Hopewell scored 11 points in that span as Wesleyan built a 44-28 lead. The Pioneers went into the locker-room facing a 50-36 deficit. 

The Pioneers (2-5, 1-5 GMAC) focused their defense towards Hopewell to start the second half. As Hopewell was chased throughout the half court and faced double teams, Cobbs did his damage by getting the foul line and finding open shots. 

Cobbs scored 10 points in the opening 4:14 to help keep the Panthers in from 60-43. After a face break lay-up from Jamil Wilson, the Panthers held their biggest lead of the game 76-55. 

A defensive switch by the Pioneers kept the Panthers from running away. Over the final 11 minutes Malone utilized a full-court trapping defense before falling into a 2-3 zone. The defensive adjustments kept the Panthers off-balance. 

The defense was only one component to a comeback. The Pioneers rallied with a 21-4 run over the next seven minutes to pull within 80-76 with five minutes left in the game. When Wesleyan needed points down the stretch Battaile obliged. Following the Pioneers' run, Battaile produced back-to-back three-point shots to quickly moved the Panthers lead back into double figures. He added two free-throws shortly thereafter as Wesleyan maintained the lead into the final minute while being able to run out the clock. 

Hopewell finished with 23 points. Cobbs added 18 points with 10 points coming in the second half. Battaile scored 13 points in the second frame to finish with 19 points. He also grabbed six rebounds and dished out two assists. Tarik Dixon came off the bench to score 14 points and record three assists and three rebounds. Stew Currie finished with four points and eight rebounds. 

The Panthers will remain in the Canton area this weekend to take on two-time defending G-MAC Champion Walsh on Saturday.  

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