2005-2006 Cougar Game-by-Game Recaps and Boxscores
March 11, vs. Lindenwood (MO)
University
The Cougars saw their season and their 13-game winning streak come to an
end as eighth-seeded Lindenwood rallied for a 95-86 victory in the
quarterfinals of the NAIA Division II National Tournament in Point
Lookout, Missouri. MVNU, which was seeded 16th in the 32-team
event, built a 14-point first-half lead and led 54-44 with 15:28 in the
second half before the Lions made their comeback. Mark Hess led
the Cougars with 19 points - all in the first half, while Ryan Seesholtz
and Andrew Thompson each finished with 14 points each with Seesholtz
grabbing a team-high eight rebounds. Ben Falkenberg added 11
points off the bench, and Nick Zarley and Steve Mayes tallied nine and
eight points respectively. Alan Bock also dished out seven
assists, while Connor Gregg grabbed five rebounds. MVNU finished
the season with 27 wins - tying the school record for most victories in
a season. It was also matched the team's farthest run at the NAIA
Division II National Tournament.
BOXSCORE
March 10, vs. Embry-Riddle (FL)
University
MVNU, the 16th seed, shocked top-seeded Embry-Riddle 84-78 in the second
round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament in Point Lookout,
Missouri. Ryan Seesholtz led the Cougars with 26 points and nine
rebounds as he went 16-for-21 from the free throw line. Mark Hess
and Ben Falkenberg added 13 and 12 points respectively, and Steve Mayes
finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocked shots.
Connor Gregg also contributed eight points and 10 rebounds off the
bench, while Alan Bock and Andrew Thompson each tallied seven points
apiece. MVNU went 36-for-48 at the free throw line and scored its
final 18 points at the charity stripe as the Cougars did not make a
field goal in the final 6:55 and yet still extended their winning streak
to 13 straight games. The team also equaled its single-season
victory record at 27 wins.
BOXSCORE
March 8, vs. Iowa Wesleyan College
The Cougars, who are the 16th seed, held off unseeded Iowa Wesleyan,
ranked 17th in the final NAIA Division II poll, 87-81 in the first round
of the NAIA Division II National Tournament in Point Lookout, Missouri.
Ben Falkenberg led MVNU with 25 points off the bench with six
three-pointers, while Steve Mayes finished with 17 points, 13 rebounds,
and six blocks off the bench as the Cougars posted a 49-11 advantage in
bench scoring. Andrew Thompson also added 12 points, and Mark Hess
and Alan Bock contributed eight and seven points respectively.
MVNU has now won 12 straight games.
BOXSCORE
February 28, CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY
MVNU, which is ranked 15th in the final NAIA Division II poll, extended
its winning streak to 11 straight games as the Cougars shut down
second-seeded Cedarville 61-56 in the American Mideast Conference
Tournament championship game to earn an automatic berth in the NAIA
Division II national tournament. Nick Zarley came off the bench to
score a team-high 14 points for MVNU, while Alan Bock added 12 points
and nine assists. Mark Hess contributed 10 points and eight
rebounds, and Ben Falkenberg tallied nine points with a trio of treys.
Steve Mayes also blocked eight shots, and the Cougars held the Yellow
Jackets scoreless for the final 3:36 of the game.
BOXSCORE
February 25, SAINT VINCENT (PA) COLLEGE
The top-seeded Cougars, who are ranked 15th in the final NAIA Division II
poll, outlasted third-seeded Saint Vincent 103-98 in overtime in the
semifinals of the American Mideast Conference Tournament for
MVNU's tenth straight win. Andrew Thompson led the Cougars with 23
points, while Mark Hess added 17 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
Steve Mayes (16 points), Ben Falkenberg (15 points), and Nick Zarley (13
points) all contributed to the MVNU bench out-scoring the Bearcats'
reserves 47-20 for the game. The Cougars built an 18-point lead in
the second half only to see Saint Vincent rally to send the game to
overtime with a 50-foot three-pointer at the regulation buzzer.
However, in overtime, Thompson scored 10 of MVNU's 17 points to secure
the victory.
BOXSCORE
February 21, MALONE COLLEGE
MVNU, which is ranked 15th in the latest NAIA Division II poll, rallied
from a seven-point deficit with 7:53 to play in regulation as the
top-seeded Cougars pulled out an 88-82 overtime victory over
fourth-seeded Malone in the first round of the American Mideast
Conference Tournament. Ben Falkenberg led all scorers with 26
points off the bench for MVNU with 22 points coming in the final 7:41 of
regulation or in overtime. Andrew Thompson tossed in 15 points,
while Alan Bock posted a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 11
assists. Mark Hess also registered a double-double with 12 points
and a game-high 14 rebounds, and Connor Gregg finished with 11 points
and nine rebounds. Ryan Seesholtz also contributed seven points,
10 rebounds, and five assists.
BOXSCORE
February 18, URBANA UNIVERSITY
The Cougars, who are ranked 15th in the latest NAIA Division II poll,
notched their eighth straight win and swept the second half of the
American Mideast Conference South Division schedule for the first time
in school history with a 96-74 win over Urbana to close out the regular
season. Ben Falkenberg scored 22 points off the bench and Connor
Gregg added 20 points and 10 rebounds as MVNU posted a 47-24 advantage
in bench scoring. Mark Hess finished with 18 points, while Ryan
Seesholtz and Alan Bock contributed 13 and 12 points respectively with
Bock dishing out eight assists. The Cougars shot 60.0 percent from
the field in clinching a #1 seed in the upcoming AMC Tournament.
BOXSCORE
February 14, MALONE COLLEGE
MVNU, which is ranked 19th in the latest NAIA Division II poll, pulled out
a hard fought 100-94 American Mideast Conference South Division victory
over Malone for the Cougars' seventh straight win. Ben Falkenberg
led MVNU with a career-high 32 points off the bench as he went 10-for-15
from the field with five treys. Mark Hess added 20 points and
eight rebounds, while Steve Mayes finished with 11 points, seven
rebounds, and four blocked shots. Ryan Seesholtz contributed nine
points and seven rebounds, and Andrew Thompson tallied nine points and a
career-high eight assists. Alan Bock also scored eight points.
BOXSCORE
February 11, OHIO DOMINICAN
UNIVERSITY
The Cougars, who are ranked 19th in the latest NAIA Division II poll, held
off Ohio Dominican 72-62 in American Mideast Conference South Division
action for the team's sixth straight win. Andrew Thompson went
6-for-10 from three-point range and finished with a game-high 27 points.
Mark Hess posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and
Steve Mayes added nine points and seven blocked shots. Alan Bock
also dished out a game-high nine assists as MVNU went 10-for-19 from
three-point range. The Cougars have now reached the 20-win mark in
five straight years and nine of the past 10 seasons. BOXSCORE
February 7, at Tiffin
University
MVNU, which received votes in the latest NAIA Division II poll, extended
its winning streak to a season-high five straight games with an 81-74
American Mideast Conference South Division win in overtime at Tiffin.
Ben Falkenberg led the way with 25 points off the bench including 22
points in the second half. Mark Hess posted a double-double with
14 points and 10 rebounds, while Andrew Thompson tossed in 13 points.
Nick Zarley added eight points, and Alan Bock and Ryan Seesholtz each
contributed seven points. BOXSCORE
February 4, at Shawnee State
University
The Cougars, who received votes in the latest NAIA Division II poll,
pulled out a hard fought 85-82 American Mideast Conference South
Division victory at Shawnee State. Ben Falkenberg, who finished
with 19 points off the bench, registered a three-point play with 1.2
seconds left on the clock to provide the winning margin for MVNU.
Ryan Seesholtz led the Cougars with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while
Andrew Thompson tossed in 13 points. Mark Hess, Steve Mayes, and
Connor Gregg also contributed nine points apiece. BOXSCORE
January 31, WALSH UNIVERSITY
MVNU swept the season series with Walsh as the Cougars knocked off the
Cavaliers, who are ranked fifth in the latest NAIA Division II poll and
are the defending national champions, 77-66. Andrew Thompson led
the way with 20 points, while Ryan Seesholtz added 16 points and eight
rebounds. Connor Gregg tossed in 12 points off the bench, and Mark
Hess finished with nine points and 10 rebounds. MVNU shot 54.2
percent from the field for the game and limited Walsh to just 38.2
percent shooting. BOXSCORE
January 28, at Cedarville University
The Cougars pulled out an important American Mideast Conference South
Division victory with an 86-81 win at Cedarville, ranked 17th in the
latest NAIA Division II poll. Ben Falkenberg led the way with a
game-high 30 points off the bench that included seven three-pointers,
and Andrew Thompson finished with 21 points with three treys. Ryan
Seesholtz also contributed 16 points, while Mark Hess grabbed a
game-high 10 rebounds despite suffering through foul trouble all night.
MVNU went 13-for-25 from three-point range in the game. BOXSCORE
January 24, UNIVERSITY OF RIO GRANDE
MVNU used a well-balanced attack to post a 74-63 victory over Rio Grande
in American Mideast Conference South Division action. Ryan
Seesholtz led the way with 18 points and seven rebounds, while Mark Hess
posted a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Steve Mayes
finished with 12 points and tied the school single-game blocked shot
record with nine to also break his own single-season mark with 82 blocks
and counting. Alan Bock also just missed a double-double with 10
points and nine assists, and Nick Zarley contributed eight points off
the bench. BOXSCORE
January 21, at Ohio Dominican
University
The Cougars, who received votes in the latest NAIA Division II poll, fell
85-72 at Ohio Dominican in American Mideast Conference South Division
play as MVNU went just 3-for-21 from three-point range. Mark Hess
led the way with a game-high 26 points for the Cougars as he went
12-for-15 from the field, while Ben Falkenberg added 17 points off the
bench. Ryan Seesholtz also scored 14 points and grabbed seven
rebounds. BOXSCORE
January 17, at Malone College
MVNU, which received votes in the latest NAIA Division II poll, fell 86-81
at Malone in American Mideast Conference South Division action.
Ben Falkenberg set a new career high for the third straight game as he
tossed in a game-high 31 points with six three-pointers in his first
career start. Mark Hess added a double-double of 24 points and 10
rebounds, while Andrew Thompson finished with nine points and a
career-high seven rebounds. BOXSCORE
January 14, SHAWNEE STATE UNIVERSITY
The Cougars, who received votes in the latest NAIA Division II poll, shot
a season-high 56.7 percent from the field and nailed a season-high 14
three-pointers as MVNU downed Shawnee State 90-64 in American Mideast
Conference South Division play. Ben Falkenberg led the way with a
career-high 27 points as he nailed seven treys for the second straight
game. Nick Zarley and Ryan Seesholtz added 15 points with
Seesholtz grabbing eight rebounds, while Mark Hess added 13 points and a
game-high nine rebounds. BOXSCORE
January 12, at Wilberforce
University
MVNU, which received votes in the latest NAIA Division II poll, held on
for a 77-74 victory at Wilberforce in American Mideast Conference South
Division action. Ben Falkenberg led the Cougars with a career-high
25 points off the bench as he nailed 7-of-10 three-point attempts.
Mark Hess added 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, while Nick Zarley and Andrew Thompson
finished with 12 and 10 points respectively. Alan Bock also
contributed seven assists and four steals. BOXSCORE
January 10, TIFFIN UNIVERSITY
The Cougars, who received votes in the latest NAIA Division II poll,
scored just two points in the final 7:19 of the game, shot just 34.5
percent from the field, and were out-rebounded 53-31 as MVNU fell 62-48
to Tiffin in American Mideast Conference South Division action.
The 48 points scored was the lowest total ever in head coach Scott
Flemming's 16 years at the helm and equaled the lowest total since a
66-48 loss to Ohio Dominican University in 1987. Ryan Seesholtz
and Ben Falkenberg each scored 13 points to lead the Cougars, while Mark
Hess contributed nine points and nine rebounds. Steve Mayes also
blocked seven shots. BOXSCORE
January 7, CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY
MVNU, which received votes in the latest NAIA Division II poll, shot just
37.3 percent from the field and was out-rebounded 55-28 as the Cougars
fell 87-74 to eleventh-ranked Cedarville in American Mideast Conference
South Division action. Ben Falkenberg led all scorers with 22
points off the bench for MVNU, while Andrew Thompson scored 14 points.
Mark Hess added 13 points and eight rebounds, and Connor Gregg tossed in
10 points off the bench. BOXSCORE
January 4, at Walsh University
The Cougars, who received votes in the latest NAIA Division II poll, upset defending NAIA Division II national champion Walsh,
which is ranked seventh in the latest poll, 75-66 in American Mideast
Conference South Division road action. Mark Hess and Andrew
Thompson each scored 16 points to lead MVNU, while Ryan Seesholtz added
13 points and eight rebounds. Steve Mayes finished with 11 points
and a game-high nine rebounds, and Alan Bock tossed in nine points. BOXSCORE
December 17, at University of Tampa
(FL)
MVNU, which is ranked 21st in the latest NAIA Division II poll, knocked
off NCAA Division II power Tampa 82-76 in non-conference action on the
Spartans' home court. Mark Hess led the Cougars with a game-high
23 points, while Ryan Seesholtz added 14 points and eight rebounds.
Ben Falkenberg tossed in 13 points off the bench - all in the decisive
second half, and Andrew Thompson rounded out the double figure scorers
with 11 points. BOXSCORE
December 15, at Florida College
The Cougars, who are ranked 21st in the latest NAIA Division II poll,
built a 19-point lead early in the second half and posted an 80-64
non-conference victory at Florida. Ben Falkenberg led MVNU with 18
points off the bench, while Mark Hess added 14 points. Andrew
Thompson tossed in 12 points to become the 28th player in school history
to score 1,000 career points, and Connor Gregg posted a double-double
with 13 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. Nick Zarley also
contributed 11 points off the bench for a commanding 42-9 advantage in
bench scoring, while Ryan Seesholtz grabbed 10 rebounds. BOXSCORE
December 12, at Daemen (NY) College
MVNU, which is ranked 21st in the latest NAIA Division II poll, let a
four-point lead in the final minute slip away as the Cougars fell 77-75
in a non-conference game at Daemen, which also received votes in the
latest NAIA Division II poll. Connor Gregg led MVNU with a
career-high 24 points and 11 rebounds off the bench, while Ryan
Seesholtz posted his second straight double-double with 14 points and 10
rebounds. Mark Hess and Andrew Thompson tallied 14 and 11 points
respectively, and Alan Bock dished out seven assists. BOXSCORE
December 10, at University of Rio
Grande
The Cougars, who are ranked 21st in the latest NAIA Division II poll,
rallied for a 74-68 American Mideast Conference South Division victory
at Rio Grande. Mark Hess led MVNU with 16 points, while Ryan
Seesholtz posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Andrew Thompson also scored 13 points, and Alan Bock and Connor Gregg
contributed nine and eight points respectively. The win was only
the fifth ever for the Cougars at Rio Grande, but MVNU has now won three
straight on the Redmen's home court. BOXSCORE
December 3, CONCORDIA (MI)
UNIVERSITY
MVNU, which received votes in the NAIA Division II preseason poll, cruised
to an 89-47 victory over Concordia in the championship game of the Food
for the Hungry Holiday Invitational. Mark Hess, the tournament's
Most Valuable Player, just missed a triple-double with game highs of 17
points, 11 rebounds, and a career-high seven assists. Ryan
Seesholtz and Andrew Thompson each had 11 points, while Alan Bock and
Josh Smith scored 10 points apiece. Steve Mayes also recorded nine
points and nine rebounds, and Connor Gregg added nine points and seven
rebounds. Mayes, Bock, and Seesholtz joined Hess on the
All-Tournament Team. BOXSCORE
In the consolation game, Calumet College of St. Joseph (IN) defeated
Spalding (KY) University 62-57 in overtime.
BOXSCORE
December 2, CALUMET COLLEGE OF ST.
JOSEPH (IN)
The Cougars, who received votes in the NAIA Division II preseason poll,
posted a 72-61 victory over Calumet-St. Joseph in the first round of the
Food for the Hungry Holiday Invitational. Steve Mayes led MVNU
with 16 points, a career-high 15 rebounds, and eight blocks as he came
up just short of posting what would have been the second triple-double
in school history. Mark Hess added 14 points and seven rebounds,
while Ryan Seesholtz finished with 12 points and nine rebounds.
Alan Bock also tossed in 11 points, and Ben Falkenberg handed out six
assists to go with four steals. BOXSCORE
In the other first round game, Concordia (MI) University defeated
Spalding (KY) University 74-65.
BOXSCORE
November 29, at Urbana University
MVNU, which received votes in the NAIA Division II preseason poll, fell
80-74 at Urbana in American Mideast Conference South Division action.
Steve Mayes led the Cougars with career highs of 23 points and 14
rebounds to go with six blocked shots. Andrew Thompson added 16
points with four three-pointers, while Mark Hess posted a double-double
with 13 points and a game-high 17 rebounds. Ryan Seesholtz also
registered 10 points and seven rebounds. MVNU shot just 38 percent
from the field overall and went 4-for-30 from three-point range (13.3
percent). BOXSCORE
November 22, WILBERFORCE UNIVERSITY
The Cougars, who received votes in the NAIA Division II preseason poll,
posted an 88-78 victory over Wilberforce in the American Mideast
Conference South Division opener for both teams. Ben Falkenberg
led MVNU by matching his career high with 24 points off the bench that
included a 10-for-10 performance at the free throw line. Mark Hess
added 18 points, nine rebounds, and a career-high five assists, while
Andrew Thompson scored 15 points with five treys and a career-high five
assists. Steve Mayes also posted a double-double with 10 points
and a game-high 10 rebounds, and Ryan Seesholtz tallied nine points. BOXSCORE
November 19, at Ohio Valley (WV)
University
MVNU, which received votes in the NAIA Division II preseason poll, rallied
in the second half for an 81-70 non-conference win at NCAA Division II
Ohio Valley. Ryan Seesholtz led the way with 20 points - all in
the second half - and nine rebounds, while Steve Mayes narrowly missed a
triple-double with nine points, nine rebounds, and a school record-tying
nine blocked shots. Ben Falkenberg tossed in 13 points off the
bench, and Alan Bock and Andrew Thompson contributed 12 and 11 points
respectively. Mark Hess also added nine points and eight rebounds. BOXSCORE
November 17, ASHLAND UNIVERSITY
The Cougars, who received votes in the NAIA Division II preseason poll,
dropped a hard-fought 94-88 non-conference decision to NCAA Division II
Ashland. Ben Falkenberg led MVNU with 24 points off the bench,
while Mark Hess added 22 points and eight rebounds. Connor Gregg
and Andrew Thompson each scored 10 points with Gregg grabbing seven
rebounds, and Alan Bock dished out 10 assists to go with eight points. BOXSCORE
November 12, ROBERTS WESLEYAN (NY) COLLEGE
MVNU, which received votes in the NAIA Division II preseason poll, held on
for an 82-71 non-conference victory over Roberts Wesleyan. Mark
Hess led the Cougars with 19 points and nine rebounds, while Ryan
Seesholtz added 16 points. Alan Bock tossed in 14 points with four
steals, and Ben Falkenberg tallied 12 points off the bench. MVNU
was 27-for-31 at the free throw line to offset 23 turnovers. BOXSCORE
November 11, HOUGHTON (NY) COLLEGE
The Cougars, who received votes in the NAIA Division II preseason poll,
outlasted Houghton 104-88 in non-conference action. Ben Falkenberg
led MVNU with a career-high 24 points off the bench, while Mark Hess
returned to the lineup and contributed 19 points off the bench.
Andrew Thompson also scored 19 points, and Ryan Seesholtz and Connor
Gregg each tallied 10 points apiece. Houghton nailed 13 first-half
three-pointers to stay in the game, but the Highlanders managed just
four more treys in the second half as the Cougars pulled away. BOXSCORE
November 8, OHIO STATE
UNIVERSITY-NEWARK
MVNU, which received votes in the NAIA Division II preseason poll, raced
to a 101-76 non-conference victory over Ohio State-Newark. Connor
Gregg led the Cougars with a career-high 23 points, while Steve Mayes
added a career-high 22 points, nine rebounds, and four blocked shots to
go with 11-for-13 shooting from the field. Ben Falkenberg also
tallied a career-high 22 points off the bench, and Andrew Thompson
scored 15 points with five treys. Alan Bock dished out a game-high
12 assists, and Bryan Wyant tossed in a career-high eight points off the
bench. BOXSCORE
November 5, vs.
Grace Bible (MI) College
The Cougars, who received votes in the NAIA Division II preseason poll,
cruised to a 98-78 victory over Grace Bible in the consolation game of
the Trinity Christian (IL) College Tournament. Ryan Seesholtz, who
was named to the All-Tournament Team, led MVNU with 17 points and eight
rebounds, while Steve Mayes and Connor Gregg each added 16 points with
Gregg grabbing a game-high nine rebounds. Andrew Thompson added 15
points, and Ben Falkenberg tossed in 13 points. Alan Bock also
dished out a game-high 12 assists. The victory was the 300th at
MVNU for head coach Scott Flemming. BOXSCORE
November 4, vs.
Cornerstone (MI) University
MVNU, which received votes in the NAIA Division II preseason poll, dropped
its season opener 83-73 to eighth-ranked Cornerstone in the first round
of the Trinity Christian (IL) College Tournament. Ryan Seesholtz
led the Cougars with 20 points and eight rebounds, while Ben Falkenberg
tossed in 15 points off the bench. Connor Gregg also scored 10
points and grabbed seven rebounds off the bench, and Alan Bock and Steve
Mayes each finished with eight points with Bock dishing out six assists. BOXSCORE