INDIANAPOLIS – There were multiple matchups with top 25 teams on the docket for an exciting week of competition as Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week honors were awarded Monday afternoon.
Findlay and Hillsdale entered with top-25 billing by the NABC at No. 6 and No. 25, respectively, while back-to-back league tournament champion Walsh was knocking on the door in the receiving votes category.
Games were played around the league in six of the past seven days (two PPD on Saturday) as schedules remain fluid during the regular season.
Hillsdale ramped up its level of play with a 3-0 week, scattering wins against Lake Erie (0-2, 0-2), Walsh and Malone. The Chargers (6-1, 6-1) came back from 17 points down in the second half to beat Malone as the Pioneers (0-4, 0-4) continued to bid for that elusive first win of the campaign.
All five Hillsdale starters scored double-figures vs. Malone paced by 18 points from lead guard Connor Hill.
Malone played tough against Hillsdale and gave No. 6 Findlay all it could handle earlier in the week with a 3-point loss. Senior forward Marcus Ernst started that game 11-of-11 from the field, bidding to put his name in the NCAA Division II record books. While the all-time record is an unthinkable 20-20, Ernst was just shy of getting his name on the list of players starting at least 13-13 on their shot attempts.
The Oilers (6-1, 5-1) suffered their first loss against the Cavaliers (3-1, 3-1) of Walsh in unexpected fashion at Alumni Arena. Senior guard Darryl Straughter canned six threes as part of his game-high 24 points and Christian Simmons came through an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double in a reserve role.
Give credit to Ohio Dominican as the Panthers (2-2, 2-1) held off No. 2 preseason contender Cedarville (2-2, 2-2) in a double-overtime final on Tuesday. Ethan Haynes led the way with 25 points in a defensive struggle as both teams shot under 38 percent. The Yellow Jackets rebounded against Trevecca Nazarene (2-7, 2-5) in Nashville on Thursday.
Kentucky Wesleyan welcomed back some of its fans into the historical Sportscenter of Owensboro and put two conference wins on the board against Malone and Tiffin. The Panthers averaged 86.5 points per game as the offense found its rhythm.
Eight teams are contending for the Great Midwest Championship bracket in the postseason. All postponed games due to COVID protocol are designated as so on the conference composite website. Re-scheduled dates between teams are added as soon as they are approved by the conference office and mutually agreed upon by the institutions affected.
Men's Basketball Athlete of the Week
Tre Cobbs
Kentucky Wesleyan
Guard
RS Senior
Lima, OH (Lima Central Catholic HS/Northern Kentucky)
From the reigning Horizon League champion Northern Kentucky as a transfer, Cobbs brings over a packed set of skills for the Panthers as they navigate the 2020-21 season.
KWC earned a pair of conference wins in the past week to improve to 4-2 overall against Malone and Tiffin while Cobbs produced impressive numbers across the board.
The 6-0 guard averaged 24.5 points per game, including a season-high 30 against Malone, while shooting over 65 percent from the field combined. He also averaged 3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and a steal per game.
His 30-point game is the best single-game mark in the league so far this season. Both wins for KWC came at home.
Cobbs scored 30 points in 32 minutes against Malone as he made 13 of his 18 shots from the floor. He had three rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals while making his lone try from deep.
The Panthers shot 66 percent as a team in a win against Tiffin as Cobbs led five Panthers in double-figures with 19 points. This time, he was 6-of-11 on his shot attempts and converted six free throws in 23 minutes of court time.
Through six games, Cobbs is currently second in the conference in scoring at 18.5 ppg only behind Walsh's Darryl Straughter (21.8). He is also one of the most efficient, ranking fourth in field goal percentage (57.7) and knocks down his free throws at a 75 percent clip.
Cobbs was a two-time NABC Honors Court selection during his time at NKU.