March 1, at Urbana University
The top-seeded Blue Knights rallied in the second half to force overtime and then outscored MVNC 16-7 in the extra period for a 112-103 victory in the semi-finals of the Mid-Ohio Conference Tournament. The Cougars led 51-43 at halftime, but Urbana forced 15 second-half turnovers as they mounted their comeback. Brad Hostasa led MVNC with a career-high 30 points on 11-of-13 shooting from the field. Ehren Hull added 21 points with three three-pointers as he set a new single-season mark for treys with 133. Scott Dapprich finished with 18 points and eight assists, and he tied the school's consecutive free throws made record with 27 straight makes. Todd Sands rounded out the double figure scorers with 10 points. BOXSCORE
February 27, TIFFIN UNIVERSITY
In the first round of the Mid-Ohio Conference Tournament, the fourth-seeded Cougars knocked off fifth-seeded Tiffin 93-63 to set a new school record for wins in a season with 24. MVNC shot 64 percent from the field in the first half and nailed 12-of-18 three-point shots on their way to a 55-29 halftime lead. The Cougars finished the game with 20 three-pointers, two shy of the school record. Scott Dapprich led the way with a game-high 22 points on 6-of-7 three-point shooting. He also dished out a game-high seven assists. Ehren Hull added 16 points, while Chad Stevens finished with 15 points off the bench on 5-of-7 shooting from beyond the three-point arc. Todd Sands rounded out the double figure scorers with 10 points, while Michael Pape added a game-high 11 rebounds. BOXSCORE
February 22, OHIO DOMINICAN COLLEGE
In the final regular-season game for seniors Scott Dapprich and Josh Sanders, MVNC used a big first half to cruise to an 85-58 Mid-Ohio Conference victory. The Cougars bolted out to a 47-26 halftime lead and never looked back as they won their school record tying 23rd game of the season. Ehren Hull led all scorers with 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting from beyond the three-point arc. Dapprich finished with 16 points, a game-high 11 assists, and eight rebounds in his final regular-season home appearance, while Adam Stevens, Todd Sands, and Chad Stevens each added nine points. Sanders also recorded eight points. BOXSCORE
February 18, at University of Findlay
In a battle between two nationally-ranked teams, Findlay, the #5 team in NAIA Division I, came out on top as the Oilers completed a season-series sweep of the Cougars with a 92-82 Mid-Ohio Conference victory. Findlay used a big advantage at the free throw line (36 attempts to just 15 attempts) as they held on for the victory. Scott Dapprich led MVNC with 17 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Josh Sanders also recorded 17 points off the bench, while Ehren Hull added 16 points. Chad Stevens chipped in with 12 points off the bench. BOXSCORE
February 15, at University of Rio Grande
MVNC used a big first half to take command of the game and cruised to an 84-70 Mid-Ohio Conference victory. The Cougars shot 62 percent from the field as they roared out to a 47-27 halftime lead and never looked back. Todd Sands led the way with a game-high 26 points on 11-of-12 shooting from the field. He also grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. Ehren Hull added 22 points as he went 6-of-9 from three-point range, while Josh Sanders chipped in with 12 points off the bench. Scott Dapprich rounded out the double figure scorers with 11 points, while also dishing out a game-high nine assists. BOXSCORE
February 13, SHAWNEE STATE UNIVERSITY
The Cougars avenged an earlier one-point overtime loss to Shawnee State with an 82-69 Mid-Ohio Conference victory. After taking a 45-32 lead at halftime behind 58 percent shooting from the field, MVNC led by at least eight points the rest of the game. With the win, the Cougars snapped a four-game losing streak to the Bears dating back to 1995 as four players scored in double figures. Adam Stevens led the way with a career-high 24 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the field. Todd Sands added 14 points, Ehren Hull tossed in 13 points, and Brad Hostasa finished with 12 points. Scott Dapprich contributed nine points, a team-high nine rebounds, and five assists. BOXSCORE
February 11, KENYON COLLEGE
The Cougars dominated every phase of the game on their way to a 93-52 non-conference victory over their Knox County rivals. MVNC outscored the Lords by 21 in the first half and 20 in the second half, while holding a 43-30 rebounding margin. The Cougars also limited Kenyon to 33 percent shooting from the field while connecting on a season-high 59 percent of their own field goal attempts. Todd Sands led six players in double figures with a game-high 19 points. Adam Stevens and Scott Dapprich each finished with 13 points, Josh Sanders tossed in 11 points off the bench, and Brad Hostasa and Ehren Hull recorded 10 points apiece. The win was the 20th of the season for MVNC, only the fourth time that a Cougar squad has reached that total in a season. BOXSCORE
February 8, at Walsh University
Walsh rallied from a nine-point deficit with 4:56 remaining in the game for an 82-76 Mid-Ohio Conference victory. After trailing 44-33 at halftime and by as many as 19 points in the second half, the Cavaliers closed the game with a 17-2 run in the final five minutes to earn the win. Ehren Hull led MVNC with a game-high 22 points, while Todd Sands finished with 16 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Josh Sanders added 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench, and Scott Dapprich contributed 11 points and six assists. Dapprich scored his 1500th career point in the contest, becoming only the eighth Cougar to accomplish that feat. BOXSCORE
February 6, MALONE COLLEGE
After falling behind early in the first half, the Cougars used a 27-5 run to end the half and begin the second half as they posted an 81-68 Mid-Ohio Conference upset victory over Malone, ranked #10 in NAIA Division II. Trailing 30-20 with just under nine minutes left until halftime, MVNC scored 21 of the next 26 points to take a 41-35 lead at the break. Then, Adam Stevens scored the first six points of the second half to push the margin to 47-35, and the Cougars kept a double digit lead the rest of the game. Scott Dapprich led the team with a game-high 24 points as he moved into eighth-place on the MVNC all-time scoring list with 1492 points. Stevens added 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Todd Sands finished with 14 points. Ehren Hull chipped in with 11 points and Brad Hostasa grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. BOXSCORE
February 4, at Cedarville College
In a game that featured everything except defense, MVNC outlasted the Yellow Jackets for a 119-113 Mid-Ohio Conference victory in double overtime. The Cougars survived a Cedarville miss at the end of regulation, missed a shot of their own at the end of the first overtime, and rallied from a six-point deficit in the second extra period. After trailing 108-102 with 2:45 left in the second overtime, MVNC used a 17-5 run to close out the game for their first regular-season sweep of Cedarville. Ehren Hull led the Cougars with 34 points, including nine treys, while Scott Dapprich finished with 30 points and a game-high nine assists. Todd Sands added 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field, and Brad Hostasa tossed in 14 points. BOXSCORE
February 1, UNIVERSITY OF FINDLAY
In a battle between two of the top teams in the conference, Findlay used a solid team effort to pull out an 86-79 Mid-Ohio Conference victory and remain undefeated in conference play. Despite trailing by 15 points with just over four minutes left in the game, the Cougars clawed their way back into contention. However, the Oilers, ranked #9 in NAIA Division I, nailed their free throws down the stretch to hold on for the win. Ehren Hull led MVNC with a game-high 20 points, while Scott Dapprich finished with 19 points and eight assists. Adam Stevens added 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, and Todd Sands recorded 10 points and nine rebounds. BOXSCORE
January 30, at Tiffin University
MVNC used a balanced offensive attack and hot shooting to post an 82-65 Mid-Ohio Conference victory. The win was the Cougars' first triumph at Tiffin in eight years. As a team, MVNC connected on 56 percent of its shots from the field (29-of-52). Todd Sands had the hot hand by going 7-of-8 from the field and finishing with 16 points. Scott Dapprich also had 16 points and dished out a game-high eight assists. Ehren Hull added 15 points, Brad Hostasa tossed in 14 points, and Michael Pape contributed a season-high 11 points off the bench. Adam Stevens tallied nine points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. BOXSCORE
January 28, WILBERFORCE UNIVERSITY
The Cougars survived a poor shooting night with a late rally for an 83-75 non-conference victory. Despite shooting just 44 percent from the field, MVNC ran off the final 12 points of the game. The team canned all six of its free throw attempts in the final two minutes to hold the Bulldogs at bay. Todd Sands led the way with 24 points and a team-high 11 rebounds. Ehren Hull added 16 points, Adam Stevens tossed in 13 points, and Brad Hostasa chipped in with 11 points. Scott Dapprich just missed a triple-double with nine points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists. BOXSCORE
January 25, CEDARVILLE COLLEGE
The Cougars roared out to a big halftime lead and never looked back on their way to a 107-80 triumph over Cedarville in a Mid-Ohio Conference game. MVNC led 50-33 at the half and went on to outscore the Yellow Jackets by ten in the second half. Todd Sands led all scorers with a season-high 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Ehren Hull added 20 points and Scott Dapprich recorded 14 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds before leaving the game with an injury midway through the second half. Brad Hostasa finished with 12 points, six coming on dunks, while Kyle Gerhart tossed in 10 points off the bench. BOXSCORE
January 23, at Malone College
Malone used hot outside shooting and a huge advantage at the free throw line to claim a 94-84 victory in Mid-Ohio Conference action. The Pioneers, ranked #17 in NAIA Division II, canned 11-of-21 three-point attempts (52 percent) and shot 33 free throws to MVNC's 13 attempts. Ehren Hull led the Cougars with a game-high 20 points, while Chad Stevens set a new career-high with 15 points of the bench. Scott Dapprich finished with 12 points and a career-high 14 assists, and Brad Hostasa added 10 points. Despite playing only 11 minutes due to foul trouble, Todd Sands still managed to score 11 points. BOXSCORE
January 18, at Ohio Dominican College
The Cougars moved out to a 12-point first half lead and used free throws down the stretch to hold of the Panthers for a 71-66 Mid-Ohio Conference victory. MVNC led 35-23 at the half, but Ohio Dominican used three-pointers to keep the game close. The Cougars hit 8-of-10 free throws in the final two minutes of the game to earn the win. Ehren Hull led all scorers with 26 points, while Scott Dapprich added 22 points. Todd Sands recorded 12 points and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds, and Adam Stevens finished with 10 points and nine rebounds. BOXSCORE
January 14, URBANA UNIVERSITY
Urbana held MVNC to a dismal 31 percent shooting from the field as the Blue Knights posted a 72-60 Mid-Ohio Conference victory to sweep the season series from the Cougars. MVNC also saw its eight-game home winning streak come to an end as the Cougars lost at home for the first time this season. Scott Dapprich led the team with 16 points, while Todd Sands added 14 points. Chad Stevens tied his career high with 13 points off the bench, and Adam Stevens finished with six points and a team-high nine rebounds. MVNC's leading scorer, Ehren Hull, was held to a season-low five points. BOXSCORE
January 11, UNIVERSITY OF RIO GRANDE
MVNC used a strong second half to come from behind for an 83-77 victory over Rio Grande in a Mid-Ohio Conference game. After trailing 38-34 at the half, the Cougars shot 56 percent from the field and 80 percent from the line on their way to the victory. The win was only MVNC's second over Rio Grande in the 1990s. Ehren Hull led the way with 25 points, while Adam Stevens recorded career highs with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Josh Sanders scored a season-high 17 points off the bench and Todd Sands finished with 15 points.
BOXSCORE
January 9, at Shawnee State University
Shawnee State outrebounded the Cougars 51-32 as the Bears pulled out a 91-90 overtime victory in Mid-Ohio Conference action. Brad Hostasa scored on an offensive rebound to send the game to overtime, but the Cougars missed critical free throws as they suffered their second loss of the season. Scott Dapprich led the team with 22 points, while Ehren Hull added 16 points. Hostasa and Todd Sands each finished with 14 points, while Adam Stevens chipped in with 12 points. BOXSCORE
January 4, at Simpson (CA) College
MVNC used a huge advantage on the boards to make it a 2-0 west coast swing with a 95-75 victory over Simpson. The Cougars outrebounded the Vanguards 56-27, including a 21-7 margin on the offensive glass. Ehren Hull made it back-to-back games with 30 points as he led all scorers. Scott Dapprich added 18 points and seven assists, while Adam Stevens finished with 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. BOXSCORE
January 2, at Patten (CA) College
The Cougars' offense took quite a liking to the west coast as the team exploded for a 121-79 victory over Patten. Ehren Hull scored a game-high 30 points, while Todd Sands added 22 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Chad Stevens chipped in with a career-high 13 points, and Brad Hostasa and freshman Chris Lynch each contributed 10 points. Scott Dapprich finished with a career-high 13 assists. The victory also marked head coach Scott Flemming's 100th victory at MVNC. BOXSCORE
December 19, TIFFIN UNIVERSITY
MVNC rebounded from its first defeat with a strong first half and cruised to a 98-76 victory over Tiffin in a Mid-Ohio Conference game. The Cougars took a commanding 52-22 lead to the lockerroom at halftime after shooting a sizzling 57 percent from the field and limiting the Dragons to only 28 percent shooting from the field. Scott Dapprich just missed a triple-double with a game-high 24 points, a career-high 11 rebounds, and nine assists. Brad Hostasa added 21 points, Todd Sands contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Ehren Hull finished with 11 points. BOXSCORE
December 17, at Urbana University
The Cougars saw a nine-point halftime lead evaporate in the second half as they suffered their first loss of the season 70-66 in a Mid-Ohio Conference game. Urbana forced MVNC to turn the ball over 20 times and held a slight edge on the boards. Ehren Hull was the lone Cougar to reach double figures with 20 points, while Scott Dapprich added nine points and a game-high five assists. BOXSCORE
December 7, DEFIANCE COLLEGE (FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY INVITATIONAL)
MVNC set a new school record for most consecutive wins by running their winning streak to nine straight with a 75-63 victory over Defiance in the championship game of the 1996 Food for the Hungry Invitational. The Cougars have now won the tournament in all three years of its existence. Ehren Hull picked up his second straight tournament MVP award after pumping in 21 points in the title game. Todd Sands finished with 16 points, while Adam Stevens added 12 points. Scott Dapprich added seven points and a game-high six assists as he and Sands joined Hull on the All-Tournament team. BOXSCORE
December 6, ASBURY (KY) COLLEGE (FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY INVITATIONAL)
MVNC had its best shooting night of the season to date as the Cougars roared past the Eagles 104-64 in the opening round of the 1996 Food for the Hungry Invitational. Ehren Hull led the way with a game-high 23 points, while freshman Kyle Gerhart came off the bench to score a career-high 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Todd Sands added 14 points and Brad Hostasa finished with 10 points as MVNC made it eight straight wins to open the season. BOXSCORE
December 3, WALSH UNIVERSITY
Despite being outrebounded 48-32, the Cougars used hot shooting and good defense to knock off Walsh, ranked #2 in the preseason NAIA Division II poll, 87-78. MVNC connected on 53 percent of its shots from the field, while the Cavaliers only managed to hit at a 35 percent clip. Ehren Hull led all scorers with 32 points, while Brad Hostasa chipped in with 20 points. Todd Sands finished with 14 points, while senior Josh Sanders contributed 10 points off the bench. Scott Dapprich dished out a game-high 12 assists. BOXSCORE
November 23, at Houghton (NY) College (Houghton College Invitational)
The Cougars dominated the host school on their way to claiming their second straight tournament title with a 96-64 victory. Todd Sands led the way with a game-high 23 points and 16 rebounds, while Ehren Hull, the tournament's MVP, added 21 points. Chad Stevens came off the bench to score 11 points, while Scott Dapprich finished with nine points and eight assists. Brad Hostasa and Adam Stevens each chipped in with eight points. Sands and Adam Stevens joined Hull on the All-Tournament team. BOXSCORE
November 22, vs. Algonquin (CAN) College (Houghton College Invitational)
MVNC breezed to a 79-53 victory in the opening round of the Houghton College Invitational. The Cougars' defense limited Algonquin to 27 percent shooting from the field and forced 24 turnovers. Ehren Hull notched a game-high 26 points, while Adam Stevens added nine points. Brad Hostasa, Todd Sands, and Scott Dapprich each finished with seven points.
BOXSCORE
November 19, OHIO VALLEY (WV) COLLEGE
The Cougars used a well-balanced offensive attack to knock of Ohio Valley 103-83 in non-conference action. Todd Sands led six players in double figures with 18 points. Ehren Hull finished with 17 points, while Adam Stevens tossed in 14 points and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds. Scott Dapprich and freshmen Chad Stevens each added 12 points, and Brad Hostasa chipped in with 10 points. Dapprich also dished out a game-high 10 assists. BOXSCORE
November 16, TRINITY CHRISTIAN (IL) COLLEGE (COUGAR HOMECOMING CLASSIC)
MVNC used a strong second half to pull away from the Trolls and win the 1996 Cougar Homecoming Classic 94-52. After holding a 38-25 lead at halftime, the Cougars shot 59 percent from the field in the second half while holding Trinity Christian in check. Todd Sands, the tournament's MVP, led the way with 13 points and eight rebounds. Ehren Hull finished with 12 points, while Adam Stevens and Scott Dapprich each added 10 points. Dapprich and Brad Hostasa joined Sands on the All-Tournament team. BOXSCORE
November 15, JUDSON (IL) COLLEGE (COUGAR HOMECOMING CLASSIC)
The Cougars roared out to a 51-25 halftime lead and never looked back as they posted a 100-63 victory in the opening round of the 1996 Cougar Homecoming Classic. For the game, MVNC connected on 58 percent of their shots from the field (44-of-76) and outrebounded the Eagles 46-28. Todd Sands led the way with a game-high 23 points and 16 rebounds. Brad Hostasa added 16 points, Ehren Hull finished with 13 points, and freshman Adam Stevens recorded eight points and 10 rebounds. BOXSCORE
November 12, at Kentucky Christian College
The Cougars successfully opened the 1996-1997 season with a 110-108 overtime road victory over the defending NCCAA Division II national champions. Senior Scott Dapprich tipped in an offensive rebound from the free throw line as the horn sounded to send the game to the extra period. Sophomore Ehren Hull led MVNC with a career-high 35 points and seven rebounds. Classmate Brad Hostasa added 19 points, while Dapprich finished with 16 points and a game-high nine assists. Sophomore Todd Sands also chipped in with 10 points and seven rebounds. BOXSCORE