RV TIGERS TOP NO. 12 MORNINGSIDE IN THE FIRST GAME OF THE CORNERSTONE CLASSIC

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The RV Olivet Nazarene University men's basketball team started play at the Cornerstone University Classic upsetting the No. 12 Morningside University Mustangs at MOL Arena on Friday night.

Alex Gross and Landon Pflederer supplied the early offense for the Tigers as they combined for the first eight points of the game.  Griffin Andricks then made the next seven points for the Tigers as they led, 17-10.  At 24-19, Plfederer, Barik Olden, Gross, and Tyler Schmidt combined for the next 10 points of the game.  The Tigers extended their lead to 34-19. At 37-23, after a Mustang made three, Caleb Swearingen marked a three-ball and made the score, 40-26. 

The Tigers saw great production from Gross and Andricks as they combined for 21 points and were out in front, 46-31,  going into the break. 

Halftime: RV Olivet Nazarene 46, No. 12 Morningside 26

Gross started off the second half with a bang for the Tigers as he extended the lead to 48-31.  Then, after Olden made a layup, the Mustangs started to chip away at the deficit as they scored five of the next seven points.  The Tigers still led 57-42 after Cade Chitty made a layup. The two teams traded blows midway through the second half as the Tigers consistently led by double digits.  With eight-and-a-half minutes left, Morningside scored the next nine points until Gross made a layup to making the score, 74-67.

With 1:41 left in the game, the Mustangs cut the Tiger lead down to one at 78-77, until Pflederer made two free throws and Gross marked another layup.  The Tigers held on to an 82-77 lead.  With 30 seconds left, Morningside cut the lead to two at 82-80. 

The Tigers made 5-of-6 from the charity strike down the stretch and pulled off the upset winning, 87-83. 

GAME VITALS

Final: RV Olivet Nazarene 88, No. 12 Morningside 83

Records: RV Olivet Nazarene: 2-1 | No. 12 Morningside: 1-1

Location: MOL Arena | Cornerstone University | Grand Rapids, Mich.

QUICK HITS

• Gross led all Tiger scorers with 26 points. 
• Gross wrapped up his second double-double of the season with 11 rebounds. 
• Pflederer followed with 17 points.
• Andricks, off the bench, scored a career-high 13 points and Olden marked 11 points. 
• Olden followed Gross with six rebounds. 
• Tyler Schmidt led the Tigers with seven assists. 
• ONU shot 88% from the free throw line. 
• The Tigers never trailed in the game. 

WHAT'S NEXT?

The RV Tigers take on the tournament host Cornerstone at 2 p.m. CST in the final game of the Cornerstone Classic. 

--ONU—

*Contact: Sam Viebrock, Sports Information Director, stviebrock@olivet.edu