Junior forward Andy Francis (left) nailed a three-pointer on MVNU’s first possession and the Cougars (3-0) never trailed in jumping out to a quick 11-2 lead as senior post Connor Gregg scored six early points and Francis added a jumper.

After the host Trailblazers (4-2) cut the lead to 11-5 on a three-pointer by Rob Lassiter at the 16:26 mark, MVNU closed out the half on a 37-17 run to build a commanding 48-22 advantage at the break.

Gregg and junior guard Ben Falkenberg led a balanced attack with eight points apiece, while Francis and junior forward Matt McKinley chipped in with seven points apiece. The Cougars shot a blistering 63.6 percent from the field (21-for-33) in the first half and handed out 16 assists.

Ohio Christian was led by Rickshontae Spell with seven points in the first half. The Trailblazers shot just 24.3 percent from the field (9-for-37) and hit only 1-of-14 three-point attempts (7.1 percent).

MVNU roared out to start the second half as the Cougars went on a 15-4 run to take their biggest lead of the game 63-26 on a dunk by junior forward Jadin Thomas at the 14:31 mark. Thomas led the surge with six points.

A 22-9 run by Ohio Christian pulled the Trailblazers within 72-48 with 6:43 to play, but Falkenberg drilled a three-pointer for MVNU on the next possession and the Cougars led by at least 25 points the rest of the way in cruising to the 87-59 victory.

Thomas (right) led MVNU with a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds to go with five blocked shots. Falkenberg and Francis each finished with 14 points apiece, while Gregg added 12 points and nine rebounds. Junior guard Dan Borcherdt tossed in 11 points and handed out a team-high eight assists, and McKinley and freshman guard Brandon Short contributed seven and eight points respectively.

The Cougars shot a sizzling 60.0 percent from the field (36-for-60) for the game including 47.6 percent from beyond the three-point arc (10-for-21). MVNU also had 25 assists as a team on 36 field goals and 10 blocked shots.

Ohio Christian was led by Spell with 15 points, five rebounds, five assists, and six steals. Lassiter and Dan Garnett each contributed nine points apiece, and Stephan Vasiloff tallied eight points. The Trailblazers shot 30.4 percent from the field (24-for-79) and just 10.3 percent from three-point range (3-for-29). They also forced MVNU into 24 turnovers.

“I thought we established our defense, especially our perimeter defense, in the first half,” said MVNU head coach Scott Flemming. “We were very unselfish with the ball and spread it around. This was the best our front line has played so far. Connor and Jadin did nice job. We really pounded it inside and took advantage of our height.”

“We came out in the second half and took control over the first five minutes,” Flemming added. “It got a little ragged at times in the second half and we were a little careless with the ball, but we never let them get back in the game. It was also nice to play everyone.”

The Cougars, who are ranked 19th in the NAIA Division II preseason poll, will return to action on Saturday when MVNU will host NCAA Division II Ashland University in a non-conference game at 7:30 p.m. The Cougars, who have never beaten Ashland in eight previous meetings, will look to extend their 14-game home winning streak that dates back to last season.