GAME PREVIEW- Men's Basketball Heads To Marietta Wednesday

Final	1	2	T
Mount Union (5-9, 3-4 OAC)	43	47	90
Marietta (10-4, 6-1 OAC)	44	53	97
Marietta, Ohio - Ban Johnson Arena

Mount Union	Marietta
Pts: Jarrett Ruffin - 20	Pts: J.J. Martin - 33
Reb: Nate Jacubec - 6	Reb: Brennan McKean - 6
Ast: Justen Little - 5	Ast: Tyler Worstell - 4

Team Statistics	Mount Union	Marietta
Field Goal %	58.9% (33-56 )	50.0% (28-56 )
Rebounds	30	29
Assists	16	11
Turnovers	19	13
Pts off Turnovers	14	23
2nd Chance Pts	9	9
Bench Pts	34	54

full stats

Mount Union's men's basketball team (5-8, 3-3 OAC) travels to Marietta (9-4, 5-1 OAC) for an Ohio Athletic Conference game Wednesday evening (Jan 9.) at 7:30 pm.

There will be LIVE STATS and LIVE VIDEO for the game.

THE SERIES

This will be the 107th meeting all-time between the teams with Mount Union holding a 64-42 advantage in the series. Marietta has won the past four meetings between the two schools. 

MOUNT UNION

The Purple Raiders are coming off a 69-63 loss at home in their last game against Ohio Northern.  The Raiders were down by as many as seven points in the first half, but ended the half on a 10-0 run and took a 33-30 advantage into the locker room. 

Jared Horstman scored a layup with 11:25 to go in the game, which capped a 13-2 run for the Polar Bears and gave them their biggest lead of the second half 11 points at 51-40.

Freshman Cody Dillon (Newton Falls/Newton Falls) scored a layup with 30 seconds to go in the game, to cut the Polar Bears lead to two at 65-63.

The Polar Bears would go 4-4 from the line in the last 26 seconds, as they would come out with the victory 69-63.

Sophomore Nate Jacubec (Struthers/Struthers) and freshman Jarrett Ruffin (Northfield/Nordonia) each scored a team-high 13 points for the Raiders. 

STAT LEADERS

Points- Nate Jacubec- 14.2

Rebounds- Nate Jacubec- 5.5

Assists- Justen Little- 2.9

Steals- Nate Jacubec- 1.8

Projected Starters

Justen Little, Sr., G, Galion/Galion - 2.5 ppg, 2.9 apg

Cody Dillon, Fr., G, Newton Falls/Newton Falls – 8.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg

Nate Jacubec, So., G, Struthers/Struthers - 14.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg

Stevie Griffin, So., F,Canton/ Massillon Jackson– 10.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg

Matt Kiger, Sr., F, Williamstown, W. Va./Williamstown – 7.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg

COACH

Mike Fuline (Kent State '98) is 16-23 is in his second season as head coach at Mount Union after a successful career at the high school level that included winning the 2010 OHSAA Division I State Championship at Massillon Jackson.  Prior to coach at Massillon, he was the head coach at Rootstown high school (2003-2005). At Rootstown, his 2003-04 team posted a 16-6 record and won a sectional championship while his 2004-05 team went 20-4, shared the league title and won a district championship. Fuline was named 2004 Ohio's Division III Co-Coach of the Year.

MARIETTA

The Pioneers, second place in the conference, took their first OAC loss of the year falling 94-71 against Baldwin Wallace last Saturday. 

STAT LEADERS

Points- J.J. Martin– 15.2

Rebounds- J.J. Martin- 5.7

Assists- Tyler Hammond, Tyler Worstell- 2.5

Steals- Tyler Hammond- 1.5

Projected Starters

J.J. Martin, Sr., G, Huntington, W.Va./Huntington- 15.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg

Tyler Hammond, Jr., G, Cleveland/ St. Ignatius- 8.4 ppg, 2.5 apg

Tyler Worstell, Sr., G, Prospect/ Franklin Heights- 6.4 ppg, 3.0 apg

Jason Humphrey, Sr., F, Naples, Fla./ Barron Collier-5.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg

Scott Kimmey, Sr., F, Olmsted Falls/ Olmsted Falls- 5.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg

 COACH

Jon VanderWal (Albion'01) is in his sixth season as head coach at Marietta and has compiled an 81-66 as coach of the Pioneers. VanderWal has coached the Pioneers to a 44-13 record over the past two years which marks the best record in a two year span in school history. Before coming to Marietta, VanderWal  was an assistant at Ohio Wesleyan. Prior to Ohio Wesleyan, VanderWal spent two years as an assistant at Defiance College, where he helped guide the Yellow Jackets to a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) regular season and HCAC Tournament runners-up finish in 2002 and a HCAC Tournament semifinal appearance in 2003.

TEAM STATS COMPARISON 

MOUNT UNION PLAYER NOTES

Jimmy Darnley - Jr., 6-5, F, Canton/GlenOak

• Has played in all 13 games with three starts
• Season-high/ Career-High 7 points vs Adrian (12/8/12)
• Season-high/Career-high 8 rebounds at Westminster (11/17/12)

Cody Dillon - Fr., 6-4, G, Newton Falls/Newton Falls

• Has started all 13 games this season
• Second on the team in scoring (8.7 ppg)
• First on the team in free throws made per game (2.5 made/game)
• Season-high/Career-high 21 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists vs Thiel (11/17/12)

T.J. Gillespie - Jr., 5-11, G, Toledo/Toledo St. John's

• Has come off the bench in eight games this season
• First on the team in free-throw percentage (17-19, 89.5%)
• Season-high 8 points vs Ohio Northern (1/5/13)
• Season-high 6 free-throws vs Ohio Northern (1/5/13)
• Season-high/career-high 8 assists vs. Findlandia (12/30/12)
• Career-high 20 points vs. Ohio Northern (1/8/11)
• Career-high 3 steals vs John Carroll (1/26/11)
• Career-high 5 rebounds vs Rust (Miss.) (11/27/10) and vs Piedomont (Ga.) (11/28/10)

Stevie Griffin - So., F, Canton/Massillon Jackson

• Has played in four games this season with three starts
• Season-high 19 points against Baldwin Wallace (12/20/12)
• Season-high 6 rebounds at Otterbein (12/15/12)
• Career-high 22 points and 6 three-pointers at Geneva (11/19/11)
• Career-high 8 rebounds vs. Westminster (11/22/11) and at Muskingum (2/1/12)
• Career-high 4 assists vs. Westminster (11/22/11)
• Played for Coach Fuline and won 2010 OHSAA Division I state title at Massillon Jackson High School

Nate Jacubec - So., 5-11, G, Struthers/Struthers

• Has started all 12 games this season
• Leads team in scoring (14.2 points), rebounds (5.5 rebounds), and steals (1.8 steals)
• Season-high 23 points at John Carroll (12/5/12)
• Season-high/Career-high 10 rebounds at Westminster (11/16/12) and at Baldwin Wallace (12/20/12)
• Season-high/Career-high 7 assists at Hiram (11/24/12)
• Season-high/Career-high 4 steals vs. Findlandia (12/30/12)
• Career-high 5 three-pointers three times last vs. Findlandia (12/30/12)
• 2012 Purple and Gold Financial All-Tournament Team
• 2012 OAC Freshman of the Year
• 2012 Buzz Ridl All-Tournament Team
• Career-high 24 points vs Baldwin Wallace (2/24/12)

Evan Keeslar - Fr., 6-3, G, Uniontown/Green

• Has come off the bench in all 13 games this season
• Season-high/Career-high 10 points at Adrian (11/28/12)
• Season-high/Career-high 5 rebounds, and 2 assists at Hiram (11/24/12)
• Season-high/Career-high 6 free-throws at Adrian (11/28/12)

Matt Kiger - Sr., 6-5, F, Williamstown, W.Va./Williamstown

• Has played in all 13 games with 10 starts 
• Season-high 19 points and 7 rebounds vs. Thiel (11/16/12)
• Career-high 20 points at Otterbein (12/4/10) and vs. Waynesburg (12/30/10)
• Career-high 9 rebounds vs. Waynesburg (12/30/10)
• Career-high 9 free-throws vs Capital (1/16/10)

Jerrod Lane - Jr., 6-6, F, North Canton/Hoover

•  Has come off the bench in nine games this season
• Season-high 5 points vs Heidelberg (12/8/12)
• Season-high 3 rebounds four times last at Capital (12/1/12)

Justen Little - Sr., 5-10, G, Galion/Galion

• Has started all 13 games this season
• Season-high 10 points at Otterbein (12/15/12)
• First on the team in assists (2.8 apg)
• Season-high/Career-high 7 assists, three times with last at John Carroll (12/05/12)
• Career-high 15 points at Heidelberg (2/18/12)
• Career-high 7 rebounds, two times with last at Ohio Northern (1/7/12)
• Career-high 4 steals at John Carroll (1/25/12)

Taylor Moore - Fr., 6-6, F, North Canton/Hoover

• Has played in all 13 games with one start (vs. Thiel)
• Season-high/career-high 12 points two times, vs Pitt Greensburg (12/20/12 and at John Carroll (12/5/12)
• Had first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds vs Pitt-Greensburg (11/20/12)

Jarrett Ruffin - Fr., 6-6, F, Northfield/Nordonia

• Has started in 12 games this season
• First on the team in blocks (1.5 bpg)
• Second on the team in rebounding (4.7 rpg)
• Season-high/Career-high 20 points and 8 rebounds at Hiram (11/24/12)
• Season-high/Career-high 3 blocks three times, with last at Baldwin Wallace (12/20/12)

Kyle Scelza - Fr., 6-1, G, Stow/Stow

• Has come off the bench in all 13 games
• Second on the team in three pointers made (26)
• Season-high/Career-high 16 points at Hiram (11/24/12)
• Season-high/Career-high 6 rebounds and 4 assists vs Pitt- Greensburg (11/20/12)
• Season-high/Career-high 4 three-pointers four times, with last vs Findlandia (12/30/12)