INDIANAPOLIS – Nationally-ranked Findlay carved out a pair of league victories to earn Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honors as announced on Monday morning.
 
The No. 24 ranked and preseason favorite Oilers (3-0, 3-0) beat Tiffin and Ohio Valley in their comfy home confines during the past week of competition. Findlay handed the Dragons (2-1, 2-1) their first loss of 2020-21.
 
Tiffin and Ohio Valley (1-2, 1-2) had a midweek shootout with both programs eclipsing the century mark in points. Tiffin’s 123 points was a single-game record for a conference game and the eighth-highest mark in league history.
 
Ohio Valley clawed to an impressive road win against a shorthanded Cedarville (0-1, 0-1) roster that was missing top four returning scorers Conner TenHove, Branden Maughmer, Quinton Green and Kollin Van Horn.
 
The Fighting Scots scored over 100 points in back-to-back games as Keon Claiborne and Morgan State transfer Cameron Shaw have solidified their status as top-10 scorers in the Great Midwest so far.
 
The Yellow Jackets were picked second in the preseason coaches poll and were able to get their players some valuable experience. Three players scored 20 or more points in their season debut with Grant Whisman (26), Isaiah Speelman (25) and Jacob Drees (23), all showing out.
 
Cedarville also had an exhibition game against Akron on Saturday. Trevecca Nazarene (0-3, 0-2) had a late addition to the schedule, falling on Friday by just one point in their bid for a victory over Division III Covenant.
 
COVID-related postponements have halted the start of the regular season for Lake Erie, Malone and Walsh. For related reasons, Kentucky Wesleyan (1-0, 0-0) has yet to make its conference opener as well.
 
Men’s Basketball Player of the Week
Nathan Bruns
Findlay
Sophomore
Forward
Chickasaw, OH (Marion Local HS)
 
Bruns is a major problem for opponents with his skillset and 6-7 frame after he flashed star potential in 2019-20 as a freshman second team all-conference selection. The sophomore big man has helped the Oilers to a 3-0 start out of the blocks after registering double-doubles in both wins vs. Tiffin and Ohio Valley.
 
Bruns had season-high 22 points and a new career-best 12 rebounds vs. Tiffin. He was 10-of-16 from the floor while also being credited with three assists and one blocked shot. Findlay shot over 50 percent as a team and scored 56 of their 89 points in the paint.
 
Findlay was sparked by a 30-0 first-half run to put away Ohio Valley as Bruns finished 13 points and 10 boards in the rout. He was 5-of-9 on his shot attempts in limited minutes (20) with the game in hand relatively early.
 
Bruns led Findlay in scoring as a freshman with 11.2 points per game. This is his second conference career player of the week nod.
 
Bruns has his season averages at 13.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg and 1.3 apg, while shooting almost 50 percent from the field.