BEAVER FALLS, Pa.—Mount Union's men's basketball will do battle with Grove City (Pa.) and host Geneva (Pa.) at the Coaches vs. Cancer Tip-Off Tournament Friday and Saturday in Beaver Falls, Pa.
Live statistics and a video broadcast will be available for both games.
The first game of the tournament Friday at 6 pm features a matchup between the Purple Raiders and Grove City. The last meeting between the schools was a 74-48 Mount Union road win during the 2003-04 season.
Head coach Mike Fuline looks for his first victory on the sidelines for the Purple Raiders. Mount Union dropped its season opener to Hiram, 86-72, Tuesday night. The Raiders opened the game with an 8-0 lead, but they were unable to slow down a hot-shooting Hiram team.
Senior forward Jimmy Wood (Wintersville/Indian Creek) scored a game-high 29 points and grabbed six boards. Senior forward Matt Wier (New Castle, Pa./Mohawk) nearly recorded a double-double with 19 points and nine rebounds, which ties his career-high. Sophomore guard T.J. Gillespie (Toledo/St. John's) added 12 points for the Purple Raiders.
Grove City took care of Penn State-Altoona Wednesday night by a score of 94-71. Senior center Kris Verderber and freshman guard J.T. Schwartz paced the Wolverines with 14 points each. Senior guard Brett Matson, a Presidents' Athletic Conference honorable mention selection last year, scored just six points. In the victory 14 players scored while 12 players saw at least ten minutes of action.
The Purple Raiders last met the Golden Tornadoes during the 2008 Tornado Tip-Off at Geneva. Mount Union came away with a 85-69 victory in that meeting.
Geneva is also 1-0 under 16th-year head coach Jeff Santarsiero. The Golden Tornadoes defeated Penn State-Greater Allegheny in their opener, 64-44. Senior guard/forward Dave Phillips led three Geneva players in double-figures with 15 points. Junior forward/center Matt Lorello recorded a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds while senior forward/center Lambros Svingos added ten points.
Projected Mount Union Starters
- Tom Berlekamp, F - 2.0 ppg, 4.0 apg, 3.0 rpg
- Jimmy Wood, F - 29.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg
- Matt Wier, C - 19.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg
- Nate Jacubec, G - 5.0 ppg, 5.0 apg
- T.J. Gillespie, G - 12.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
Mount Union Player Notes
Jordan Albert - So., G, Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair
- Played 5 minutes off the bench vs. Hiram (11/15/11)
Tom Berlekamp - Jr., F, North Royalton/Holy Name
- Started and scored 2 points vs. Hiram (11/15/11)
Jimmy Darnley - So., F, Canton/GlenOak
- Played in 15 games during 2010-11 season
- Career-high 5 points at Ohio Northern (2/12/11)
- Career-high 4 rebounds against Wilmington (2/5/11)
T.J. Gillespie - So., G, Toledo/St. John's
- Played in 25 games and started 18 during 2010-11 season
- Sixth on team in scoring (6.5) and third in assists with (45)
- Career-high 20 points vs. Ohio Northern (1/8/11)
- Career-high 5 assists vs. Otterbein (1/22/11)
Stevie Griffin - Fr., F, Canton/Massillon Jackson
- Scored 3 points and grabbed 4 rebounds off the bench vs. Hiram (11/15/11)
- Played for Coach Fuline at Massillon Jackson High School
Nate Jacubec - Fr., G, Struthers/Struthers
- Started and scored 5 points vs. Hiram (11/15/11)
- Also had team-best 5 assists vs. Hiram (11/15/11)
Matt Kiger - Jr., F, Williamstown, W.Va./Williamstown
- Played in all 26 games and made five starts during 2010-11 season
- Finished fifth on team in scoring at (6.7) and fourth in rebounding (3.6)
- Scored double-figures 7 times
- Career-high 20 points twice: at Otterbein (12/4/10) and vs. Waynesburg (12/30/10)
- Career-high 9 rebounds vs. Waynesburg (12/30/10)
Justen Little - Jr., G, Galion/Galion
- Played in all 26 games and made six starts during 2010-11 season
- Career-high 4 points vs. Ohio Northern (1/8/11) and at Ohio Northern (2/12/11)
- Career-high 6 assists at Baldwin-Wallace (2/16/11)
Colton Troyer - Jr., F, Millersburg/Berlin Hiland
- Grabbed 1 rebound off the bench vs. Hiram (11/15/11)
Matt Wier - Sr., F., New Castle, Pa./Mohawk
- Third on the team in scoring (9.6) and rebounding (4.1) during 2010-11 season
- Score in double-figures 12 times
- Career-high 28 points vs. Ohio Northern (12/12/09)
- Career-high 9 rebounds twice at Hiram (11/15/10) and vs. Waynesburg (12/30/10)
- Played one season on a baseball scholarship at West Virginia
Jimmy Wood - Sr., F, Wintersville/Indian Creek
- Led team in scoring at 15.8 ppg and blocks (9) during 2010-11 season
- Finished second on the team in rebounding (4.9) and steals (25)
- Needs 150 points to reach 1,000 for his career
- Scored in double-figures 22 times, including the final 12 games
- Career-high 30 points at Wilmington (1/30/10)
- Career-high 12 rebounds at John Carroll (2/22/11)
- Dad (Jim) played basketball at Georgia Tech
