The loss keeps Mount Union winless on the road for the season
and makes its record 5-5, while Transylvania moves to 6-4 on the
season.
Junior wing Dave Pellerite (Olmsted Falls/Olmsted Falls) had 18
points, sophomore forward Jimmy Wood (Wintersville/Indian Creek)
tallied 13 points and six rebounds to lead the Purple Raiders.
Two Mount Union freshmen also got into double figures as guard
Jordan Tozzi (Magnolia/Sandy Valley) notched 12 points in his first
collegiate start while Matt Kiger (Williamstown, WV/Williamstown)
came off the bench with 10 points and six rebounds.
Tim Tierney had a game-high 28 points, including 10-of-10 from
the free throw line, to lead three Transy players in double
digits.
The Raiders found themselves down five in the game's opening
2:30 but a pair of Pellerite three-pointers would give Mount Union
an 11-10 lead with 14 minutes left in the opening half.
Taylor Botkin would come right back and give Transy the lead with a
three-pointer and spark an 18-5 run that gave the hosts a 26-16
lead at the 4:35 mark of the half as they would take a 14-point
lead, 39-25, into the half.
Mount Union would open the second half on a 12-2 surge and a Wood
jumper with 16:12 to play made the score, 41-37.
The Pioneers extended the lead back out to 11 points over the next
five minutes and the Raiders would rally again as they got back to
within three points, 66-63, after Ben Hodkinson
(Tippecanoe/Harrison Central) hit a jumper with 48 seconds
left.
Transy went 6-for-6 from the line over the final 40 seconds to ice
the 72-63 victory.
Mount Union will take nearly a week off for Christmas and return to
Kentucky Sunday Dec. 27 and Monday Dec. 28 at the Thomas More
Connor Classic in Crestview Hills, KY.