2004-2005 Cougar Game-by-Game Recaps and Boxscores
March 12, at Nyack (NY) College
The Cougars fell 82-75 at Nyack in the National Christian College Athletic
Association East Region championship game as MVNU's season came to an end
with a 21-11 overall record. Mark Hess led the Cougars with a
game-high 28 points and nine rebounds as he became the 27th player in
school history and only the third sophomore to reach the 1,000-point mark
in career points. Andrew Thompson added 15 points with five
three-pointers, and Ryan Seesholtz posted a double-double with 10 points
and 11 rebounds. Steve Mayes finished with eight points, five
rebounds, and three blocked shots off the bench, while Benji Hall, the
team's lone senior, contributed seven points, seven rebounds, and four
assists in the final game of his career. MVNU, which had not played
in 18 days, had 20 turnovers in the loss. BOXSCORE
February 22, GENEVA (PA) COLLEGE
For the second straight year, MVNU fell in the first round of the American
Mideast Conference Tournament to Geneva as the Cougars lost 96-67.
MVNU trailed 58-57 and had the ball with 10:55 left, but the visiting
Golden Tornadoes closed the game on a 38-10 run. The Cougars shot just 32.4 percent from the field (24-for-74), 24.1 percent from
three-point range (7-for-29), and 52.2 percent at the free throw line
(12-for-23). Mark Hess led MVNU with 20 points and nine
rebounds, while Benji Hall and Andrew Thompson scored 16 points apiece
with Hall grabbing eight rebounds. Alan Bock also dished out six
assists, and Ryan Seesholtz tallied seven rebounds. BOXSCORE
February 19, at Urbana University
The Cougars earned a home game in the first round of the American Mideast
Conference Tournament as MVNU pulled out a 99-86 AMC South Division win at
Urbana to close out the regular season. Mark Hess led the Cougars
with 29 points and 15 rebounds, while Benji Hall added 27 points, eight
rebounds, and a career-high four blocked shots to go with a 6-for-9
shooting performance from three-point range.. Alan Bock and Ryan
Seesholtz also scored 13 points apiece, and MVNU used a 36-for-51
performance at the free throw line to secure the victory. In
addition, Steve Mayes blocked one shot to set a new single-season school
record with 74 blocks. BOXSCORE
February 15, at Malone College
MVNU pulled out an important 94-82 American Mideast Conference South
Division victory at Malone as the Cougars clinched a berth in the AMC
Tournament. Benji Hall led the way with 22 points, while Mark Hess
added 21 points and eight rebounds. Andrew Thompson scored 15
points, and Ryan Seesholtz posted a double-double with 12 points and a
team-high 10 rebounds along with a career-high five assists. Steve Mayes contributed 13 points and six
rebounds off the bench, and he equaled the school's single-season blocked
shots record with four to match the mark of 73 set previously by Kenny
Chaffin. Alan Bock also recorded eight assists and a career-high
eight rebounds to go with five points. BOXSCORE
February 12, at Ohio Dominican
University
The Cougars rallied from an 18-point halftime deficit to lead by as many
as six points in the second half before falling 82-81 to Ohio Dominican in
American Mideast Conference South Division play on a shot with one second
left in the game. Mark Hess led MVNU with 23 points and nine
rebounds and gave the Cougars the lead with 10 seconds to play. Ryan
Seesholtz added 20 points and eight rebounds, while Andrew Thompson
finished with 13 points. Alan Bock also contributed 10 points, six
rebounds, four steals, and four assists. The Panthers built a 50-32
halftime lead by hitting 11 three-pointers, but Ohio Dominican hit just
two more three-pointers in the second half as MVNU rallied. BOXSCORE
February 8, TIFFIN UNIVERSITY
MVNU out-scored Tiffin 20-11 over the final five minutes as the Cougars,
who received votes in the latest NAIA Division II poll, pulled away for an
important 84-72 American Mideast Conference South Division win. Mark
Hess led five players in double figures with game highs of 21 points and
11 rebounds. Steve Mayes added 18 points and six rebounds off the
bench, while Ryan Seesholtz contributed 17 points and seven
rebounds. Benji Hall scored 14 points in the final regular-season
home game of his career, and Andrew Thompson finished with 10
points. Alan Bock also dished out a career-high 14 assists with just
two turnovers. MVNU shot a blistering 69.0 percent from the field
(20-for-29) in the second half. BOXSCORE
February 5, SHAWNEE STATE
UNIVERSITY
The Cougars, who received votes in the latest NAIA Division II poll, held
off a late surge by Shawnee State to post a 77-75 victory in American
Mideast Conference South Division action. MVNU, which led by nine
points with 4:48 to play, allowed the Bears to get within 69-68 with 2:07
to play and also 77-74 with three free throw attempts with 3.7 seconds to
go. However, Shawnee State made just one of the free throws and a
three-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark. Andrew Thompson led
the Cougars with 22 points, while Mark Hess finished with 12 points.
Ryan Seesholtz contributed 10 points and six rebounds, and Alan Bock
tallied eight points and eight assists. Steve Mayes also recorded
nine points, five rebounds, and three blocks off the bench, while Evan
Yates posted seven points and six rebounds. BOXSCORE
February 1, at Walsh University
MVNU, which received votes in the latest NAIA Division II poll, dropped a
71-61 American Mideast Conference South Division decision at fifth-ranked
Walsh. Steve Mayes led the Cougars with a career-high 21 points and
eight rebounds off the bench, while Andrew Thompson scored 12
points. Alan Bock and Ryan Seesholtz also added eight points and six
rebounds apiece. A 10-0 run by the Cavaliers at the end of the first
half was the difference in the game. BOXSCORE
January 29, at Cedarville
University
The Cougars fell 76-63 in American Mideast Conference South Division
action at Cedarville, the two-time defending AMC South Division champions
who are ranked ninth in the latest NAIA Division II poll. Andrew
Thompson paced MVNU with 20 points, while Benji Hall added 16 points and
eight rebounds. Mark Hess also finished with 13 points and eight
rebounds, and Alan Bock tallied eight points, five rebounds, and four
assists. The Cougars committed just nine turnovers in the game, but
MVNU was out-rebounded 52-31 including 20-10 on the offensive end. BOXSCORE
January 25, at University of Rio
Grande
MVNU posted only its fourth win ever at Rio Grande, who received votes in
the latest NAIA Division II national poll, and made it two straight wins
on the Redmen's home court for the first time ever as the Cougars posted a
73-63 American Mideast Conference South Division victory. Benji Hall
led MVNU with a game-high 22 points, while Mark Hess and Andrew Thompson
each scored 13 points. Ryan Seesholtz also tallied 10 points, and
Steve Mayes grabbed a team-high six rebounds. Alan Bock dished out a
game-high five assists and recorded four steals, while the Cougars
committed just eight turnovers and forced 22 miscues by Rio Grande. BOXSCORE
January 22, OHIO DOMINICAN
UNIVERSITY
The Cougars used a strong second half to propel themselves to an 87-57
victory over Ohio Dominican in American Mideast Conference South Division
action. Andrew Thompson led MVNU with a career-high 33 points as he
went 7-for-12 from three-point range. Mark Hess added 20 points on
9-of-11 shooting from the field, and Alan Bock dished out a career-high 13
assists. Ryan Seesholtz also contributed nine points and six
rebounds for the Cougars, who shot 74.1 percent from the field in the
second half and made 11 three-pointers in the game. BOXSCORE
January 18, MALONE COLLEGE
MVNU nipped Malone 96-93 in overtime for an American Mideast Conference
South Division victory. Ryan Seesholtz led the Cougars with a
career-high 27 points and a game-high 12 points, while Mark Hess added 22
points on 10-for-13 shooting from the field. Andrew Thompson
finished with 14 points, and Steve Mayes contributed 13 points - including
two dunks and his first career three-pointer - off the bench. Alan
Bock and Benji Hall each tallied eight points with Bock dishing out eight
assists, while Evan Yates went 4-for-4 at the free throw line in the final
20 seconds of overtime. BOXSCORE
January 15, at Shawnee State University
The Cougars shot just 39.1 percent from the field as MVNU fell 87-74 at
Shawnee State in American Mideast Conference action. Mark Hess led
MVNU with a game-high 26 points and six rebounds, while Ryan Seesholtz
added 14 points and six rebounds. Nick Zarley also contributed eight
points off the bench. The Cougars were just 25-for-64 from the field
and 8-for-28 from three-point range (28.6 percent). BOXSCORE
January 11, at Tiffin University
After trailing 9-2 to start the game, MVNU cruised to an 85-68 American
Mideast Conference South Division win at Tiffin. Andrew Thompson led
the way with a career-high 25 points as he went 7-for-10 from three-point
range. Mark Hess added 19 points and nine rebounds, while Benji Hall
tossed in 13 points. Ryan Seesholtz also contributed nine points and
a game-high 11 rebounds, and Alan Bock dished out a game-high eight
assists. The Cougars shot 54.4 percent from the field
and 50.0 percent from three-point range. BOXSCORE
January 8, CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY
The Cougars overcame a 12-point first-half deficit and an 11-point
second-half deficit as MVNU upset Cedarville, ranked third in NAIA
Division II, 76-75 in an American Mideast Conference South Division
game. Mark Hess led the way with a career-high 33 points on
13-for-19 shooting from the field to go with a team-high nine
rebounds. Andrew Thompson added 19 points, while Alan Bock
contributed nine points, seven assists, and six rebounds. BOXSCORE
January 6, WILBERFORCE UNIVERSITY
MVNU used an overwhelming 60-28 rebounding advantage to overcome 27
turnovers and cruise past Wilberforce 82-57 in American Mideast Conference
South Division action. Mark Hess led the Cougars with 16 points and
nine rebounds, while Ryan Seesholtz and Nick Zarley each tossed in 13
points. Evan Yates tallied nine points and grabbed a career-high 11
rebounds, and Alan Bock and Josh Smith each scored seven points.
Steve Mayes also grabbed nine rebounds to go with four blocked shots and
five points. BOXSCORE
January 4, WALSH UNIVERSITY
The Cougars dropped a hard-fought 66-64 American Mideast Conference South
Division game to Walsh, who received votes in the latest NAIA Division II
poll. Mark Hess led MVNU with 19 points and seven rebounds, while
Ryan Seesholtz added 14 points and a team-high nine rebounds off the bench
in his return from missing three games with an injury. Benji Hall
also tallied 15 points, and Alan Bock contributed seven rebounds and a
game-high nine assists. The Cougars shot just 38.5 percent from the
field for the game and were out-rebounded 52-40. BOXSCORE
December 17, at Houghton (NY) College
MVNU won its third straight game as the Cougars went 12-for-20 from
three-point range in a 101-76 non-conference victory at Houghton that
marked a season-high for MVNU in points scored. Benji Hall led the
way with 26 points, while Andrew Thompson tossed in 19 points with five
three-pointers. Mark Hess added 18 points and a team-high six
rebounds, and Evan Yates posted career highs with 11 points and five
assists off the bench. Alan Bock also dished out seven assists to go
with nine points. BOXSCORE
December 16, at Roberts Wesleyan
(NY) College
The Cougars shot a blistering 60.0 percent from the field including 67.9
percent in the second half as MVNU pulled away down the stretch for an
84-73 non-conference win at Roberts Wesleyan. Mark Hess led the way
with a game-high 24 points and a career-high five assists, while Steve
Mayes added 17 points and a game-high seven rebounds as the two combined
to go 18-for-29 from the field. Andrew Thompson finished with 16
points and four three-pointers, and Benji Hall contributed 11
points. Alan Bock also dished out a season-high nine assists. BOXSCORE
December 14, OHIO STATE
UNIVERSITY-MARION
MVNU cruised to an 80-49 non-conference win over Ohio State-Marion as the
Cougars held the Scarlet Wave to just 31.3 percent shooting (20-for-64)
for the game. Nick Zarley led MVNU with a career-high 17 points, six
rebounds, and four steals, while Andrew Thompson tossed in 16 points with
four assists. Josh Smith tallied a career-high 13 points off the
bench, and Steve Mayes contributed 12 points, a team-high eight rebounds,
and six blocked shots. Evan Yates also posted career highs with
seven points and six rebounds, while Alan Bock dished out a game-high five
assists. BOXSCORE
December 11,
UNIVERSITY OF RIO GRANDE
Despite an injury and major foul trouble, the Cougars rallied from a
10-point deficit before falling 90-82 in overtime to Rio Grande in
American Mideast Conference South Division action. MVNU trailed
59-49 with 9:46 left before mounting a comeback to take a 74-72 lead with
10 seconds to go. However, the Redmen, who received votes in the
latest NAIA Division II national poll, hit a line-drive jumper with 0.8
seconds on the clock to force overtime. Rio Grande closed the extra
session on an 11-2 run to post the win. Mark Hess led six Cougars in
double figures with 22 points, while Nick Zarley finished with 14 points
and a career-high eight rebounds. Benji Hall and Alan Bock each
tossed in 11 points with Bock dishing out seven assists, and Andrew
Thompson and Steve Mayes tallied 10 points apiece with Mayes registering
seven blocked shots. As a team, MVNU also equaled the school record
for blocked shots with 12. BOXSCORE
December 4, CORNERSTONE (MI)
UNIVERSITY
MVNU dropped a hard-fought 83-80 decision to Cornerstone, who is ranked
17th in the NAIA Division II preseason poll, in the championship game of
the Food for the Hungry Holiday Invitational. Mark Hess led the
Cougars with a career-high 28 points and seven rebounds, while Andrew
Thompson tossed in 21 points as both players were named to the
All-Tournament Team. Ryan Seesholtz also posted a double-double with
13 points and a team-high 10 rebounds, and Alan Bock dished out a
game-high eight assists to go with six points. BOXSCORE
Marygrove (MI) College edged Indiana University-Northwest 76-74 in the
consolation game as Will Bullard hit a three-pointer with 3.1 seconds left
in the game. BOXSCORE
December 3, INDIANA UNIVERSITY-NORTHWEST
The Cougars cruised to an 86-62 victory over Indiana-Northwest in the
first round of the Food for the Hungry Holiday Invitational. Mark
Hess led MVNU with 24 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, while Andrew
Thompson added 13 points. Benji Hall finished with 11 points, eight
rebounds, and five assists, and Steve Mayes posted a double-double with 10
points, 10 rebounds, and four blocked shots. Ryan Seesholtz
contributed nine points and seven rebounds, while Alan Bock dished out a
game-high nine assists. BOXSCORE
Cornerstone (MI) University, who is ranked 17th in the NAIA Division II
preseason poll, defeated Marygrove (MI) College 100-67 in the other first
round game to advance to the championship game. BOXSCORE
November 30, URBANA UNIVERSITY
MVNU blew a 17-point lead with 11:54 left in the game as the Cougars fell
77-74 to Urbana in American Mideast Conference South Division
action. MVNU shot just 2-for-17 from the field down the stretch as
the Blue Knights rallied for the win. Andrew Thompson paced the
Cougars with 18 points, while Ryan Seesholtz posted a double-double with
15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Steve Mayes added 13 points,
nine rebounds, and six blocked shots off the bench, and Benji Hall
finished with nine points and four assists. BOXSCORE
November 23, at Wilberforce University
The Cougars returned to their winning ways as MVNU held on for a 75-69
victory at Wilberforce in the team's American Mideast Conference South
Division opener. Ryan Seesholtz tossed in 19 points to lead the way
with 15 points coming in the second half. Nick Zarley added a career-high
16 points off the bench and was 9-for-12 at the free throw line in the
second half. Andrew Thompson
finished with 12 points, and Mark Hess contributed 10 points and a
game-high 11 rebounds. BOXSCORE
November 20, at Ashland
University
MVNU suffered its first loss of the year as the Cougars fell 81-53 at
unbeaten Ashland, an NCAA Division II school, in non-conference
play. Steve Mayes led MVNU with his first career double-double as he
scored 14 points and grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds in his first career
start. Josh Smith added a career-high nine points off the bench,
while Mark Hess and Benji Hall finished with eight points apiece with Hess
grabbing 11 rebounds. The Cougars shot just 30.8 percent from the
field and were 2-for-18 from three-point range. BOXSCORE
November 16, OHIO VALLEY (WV) COLLEGE
The Cougars used a 31-12 run to start the second half as MVNU pulled away
for an 81-63 non-conference win over Ohio Valley. Andrew Thompson,
who ran the point in place of the injured Alan Bock, tossed in a game-high
23 points with four assists, while Mark Hess added 18 points and six
rebounds. Benji Hall finished with 14 points, six rebounds, and a
career-high six assists, and Nick Zarley and Ryan Seesholtz also tallied
seven points apiece with Seesholtz grabbing a team-high seven
rebounds. The Cougars shot a season-high 58.2 percent from the field
in the game including a blistering 60.0 percent (18-for-30) in the
decisive second half. BOXSCORE
November 13, DAEMEN (NY) COLLEGE
MVNU remained unbeaten on the season as the Cougars upset Daemen, ranked
12th in the NAIA Division II preseason poll, 67-51 as part of MVNU's
annual Homecoming festivities. Andrew Thompson led the Cougars with
a game-high 16 points, while Mark Hess finished with 11 points and nine
rebounds. Benji Hall scored nine points, and Ryan Seesholtz tallied
eight points and grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds. Alan Bock also
filled out the stat sheet with seven points, eight assists, and five
rebounds, while Nick Zarley scored nine points with a career-high eight
rebounds off the bench. BOXSCORE
November 12, TRINITY CHRISTIAN
(IL) COLLEGE
The Cougars held Trinity Christian to just 33.3 percent shooting from the
field as MVNU posted an 86-72 win as part of the annual Homecoming
festivities. Andrew Thompson led the way with a career-high 24
points, while Mark Hess added 18 points and eight rebounds. Ryan
Seesholtz chipped in with 16 points, and Alan Bock added seven points,
seven assists, and seven steals. Nick Zarley also tallied seven
points and a career-high seven rebounds off the bench. BOXSCORE
November 9, at Ohio State
University-Newark
MVNU rallied from a 10-point deficit with eight minutes to go as the
Cougars held off Ohio State-Newark 67-65 in non-conference action.
Mark Hess posted a double-double with game highs of 18 points and 16
rebounds, while Alan Bock added 13 points, a career-high eight rebounds,
six steals, and five assists. Ryan Seesholtz and Benji Hall each
added 10 points with Seesholtz grabbing a career-high 11 rebounds for his
first career double-double. MVNU shot just 33.9 percent from the
field and went just 2-for-16 from three-point range with 22 turnovers.
BOXSCORE
November 6, vs. Asbury (KY) College
The Cougars used an 18-2 run to close the first half to propel themselves
to a 99-72 victory over Asbury in the championship game of the Indiana
Wesleyan University Tournament. Ryan Seesholtz led MVNU with 20
points and a team-high eight rebounds, while Alan Bock added a career-high
17 points, six assists, five steals, and four rebounds. Mark Hess
(15 points), Steve Mayes (12 points), and Benji Hall (11 points) also
scored in double figures. Hall was named the Most Valuable Player of
the tournament, and he was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Bock.
BOXSCORE
November 5, vs. Berea (KY) College
MVNU opened the season with a 68-67 come-from-behind win over Berea, who
received votes in the NAIA Division II preseason poll, in the first round
of the Indiana Wesleyan University Tournament. Benji Hall led the
way with his first career double-double as he had game-highs of 19 points
and a career-high 11 rebounds. Ryan Seesholtz added 13 points, while
Alan Bock matched his career high with 11 points. Steve Mayes also
grabbed a career-high eight rebounds off the bench to go with three
blocked shots. The Cougars
rallied from a 12-point first-half deficit in the game. BOXSCORE