The men’s basketball team’s season came to an end after being defeated by No. 22-ranked Indiana University Kokomo in Indiana in the first round of the playoffs, 97-63.

Before the playoff game, the Pioneers claimed the third seed in the River States Conference (RSC) East Division, finishing the regular season with a .500 record of 15-15.

They finished with an RSC record of 7-8 after a loss on the road against Indiana University East and a win at home on Senior Day against Ohio Christian University (OCU).

In their penultimate game of the year, the Pioneers were defeated by the No. 23-ranked IU East Red Wolves 79-69 in Richmond, Ind. on Tuesday, Feb. 18.

The first half was a back and forth battle, with 14-lead changes throughout, but the Red Wolves held onto a nine-point lead heading into the second half.

IU East held onto that lead for the rest of the game, with Point Park coming within two but never overcoming the Red Wolves.

Junior guard Sherron Schifino led the way for the Pioneers on the scoring sheet, dropping a team-high 20 points and second in rebounds with eight. Juniors Adam Scott and Juwan Willis also dropped double-digit points with ten each in the defeat.

On Point Park’s Senior Day, the Pioneers bulldozed the OCU Trailblazers 80-46 at CCAC-Allegheny on Saturday, Feb. 22.

The Pioneers dominated the second half as the team went on a run scoring 20-straight points without giving up a single basket.

Not a single Trailblazer came away with double-digit points, while four different Pioneers, juniors Kam Shockley, Garret McHenry, Kyle Carrington and Scott, scored ten or more points. Scott led the way with a game-high 20 points and eight rebounds.

“At the time that’s what we really wanted,” Willis said. “Especially for [Deandre Brown] being his last time with him at home.”

Brown was the only senior on the Pioneers’ roster and will graduate from Point Park at the end of this semester.

In the quarterfinal of the RSC playoffs last Wednesday, the Pioneers fell to the hands of the IU Kokomo Cougars in Kokomo 97-63.

It was a rare game where Point Park was beat on the boards, and it would ultimately be their downfall, being out-rebounded 43 to 25.

The Pioneers also gave up 23 turnovers to IU Kokomo’s 16. Schifino once again led the team in points with 14.

The Cougars advanced all the way to the RSC finals and are facing against the IU East Red Wolves.

With the season now over, the men look to focus on improvement for next season, and bring in yet another recruiting class for next semester.

“[My plan is to] just get a lot stronger physically and try and do things others aren’t,” Willis said. “Maybe going to talk to a sports psychiatrist and stuff like that. Just trying to take that next step psychically and mentally.”

All five starters and most of the Pioneers’ bench will be returning for action for the fall 2020 semester.