Box Score (NORTH CANTON, Ohio) Walsh improved to 16-10 overall, and to 12-10 in the Great Lakers Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with a 91-75 win over Malone University (11-17, 9-13) in the 51st Annual Mayors' Cup game in the final regular season game for both teams. Walsh will now face Michigan Tech next Wednesday on the road in the first round of the GLIAC Tournament.
Walsh blitzed Malone for 53 first half points, shooting 20-37 from the floor and 8-14 from three-point in building a 53-40 halftime lead. Jesse Hardin Jr. (6-2, Jr., Warren, OH/Harding) scored 13 of his game-high 29 points in the first half, and Zac Carter (5-9, So., Ironton, OH/HS) had 12 first half markers.
With the score tied at 27-all with 8:36 to play in the first half, Walsh used a 21-8 surge to lead 48-35 with 1:53 left in the half.
The teams played even the first seven minutes of the second half when the Cavs went to work.
Walsh led 70-57 with 12:01 to play when then went on a 7-0 run to push the lead to 77-57. Malone would get no closer than 15 points the rest of the way.
The Cavs held their largest lead at 21 points (89-68) with 2:38 to play.
Hardin Jr. scored 29 points on 10-18 from the floor, with four three pointers and was 5-5 from the line. He also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.
Carter added 16 points, and Trey Fletcher (6-6, So., Ironton, OH/HS) chipped in 15 points off the bench. Davonte Beard (6-3, Sr., Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary) had 13 points.
Walsh shot 52% (33-64) from the field and were 10-25 from three-point. They were also 15-17 at the foul line. The Cavs outrebounded Malone 36-30.
The Cavs now lead the all-time series with Malone 71-40, and lead the Mayors' Cup series 32-19 with wins in 19 of the last 21 Cup games. The Cavs can retire the Cup for the seventh time in next years' designated game.
