ALLIANCE, Ohio -- Mount Union's men's basketball team made just 9-of-33 shots in the first half to find themselves in a 44-23 hole at halftime and went on to lose to John Carroll, 79-62 in an Ohio Athletic Conference matchup Wednesday at the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex in Alliance.

Corey Shontz scoed a game-high 29 points for John Carroll (5-1, 2-0 OAC).

Mount Union got 23 points from Jimmy Wood (Wintersville/Indian Creek) and 15 points and seven rebounds from Matt Wier (New Castle, Pa./Mohawk) as the Purple Raiders fell to 3-4 overall and 0-2 in the OAC.

There were six lead changes and three ties in the game's opening seven minutes before John Carroll took control with a 20-5 run over the next 10 minutes as a Conor Sweeney jumper put them up 36-18 with four minutes to play in the half.  The Blue Streaks ended up taking a 21-point lead, 44-23 at the break as Greg Brown hit a three at the buzzer.

Mount Union rallied in the second half as the margin was down to 10 points, 64-54 when Wood, who scored 18 in the second half, hit a three with 4:40 to play.  Shontz then scored five-straight to take the lead back to 15 and ice the game.  

The Raiders go back on the road Saturday to play Capital at 2 pm at The Captial Center in Columbus.

Newspaper Box Score
John Carroll vs Mount Union
12/07/11 7:30 pm at The MAAC
At The MAAC
JOHN CARROLL 79, MOUNT UNION 62
JOHN CARROLL (5-1, 2-0 OAC)
Corey Shontz 12-15 1-2 29; Kyle Hubbard 2-4 4-5 8; Ryan Angers 1-2 4-4 7;
Joey Meyer 1-2 3-5 6; Conor Sweeney 2-6 2-2 6; Jeff Chahine 2-4 0-0 5;
Patrick Sweeney 1-3 2-2 4; Mark Hester 1-7 2-2 4; Kenny Janz 2-2 0-2 4; Greg
Brown 1-2 0-0 3; Regan Sweeney 1-1 0-0 2; Michael Hartnett 0-4 1-2 1; Jordan
Combs 0-0 0-0 0; Jordan Murphy 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-52 19-26 79.
MOUNT UNION (3-4, 0-2 OAC)
Jimmy Wood 7-16 5-5 23; Matt Wier 6-10 2-3 15; T.J. Gillespie 3-8 0-0 7;
Matt Kiger 2-3 2-2 6; Jordan Albert 1-2 0-0 3; Keith Williams 1-2 0-0 2;
Nate Jacubec 1-7 0-0 2; Clayton Patton 1-2 0-2 2; Justen Little 1-1 0-0 2;
Tom Berlekamp 0-0 0-0 0; Stevie Griffin 0-1 0-0 0; Colton Troyer 0-1 0-0 0.
Totals 23-53 9-12 62.
John Carroll..................   44   35  -   79
Mount Union...................   23   39  -   62
3-point goals--John Carroll 8-21 (Corey Shontz 4-6; Greg Brown 1-1; Ryan
Angers 1-1; Jeff Chahine 1-3; Joey Meyer 1-2; Michael Hartnett 0-4; Mark
Hester 0-3; Conor Sweeney 0-1), Mount Union 7-26 (Jimmy Wood 4-10; Matt Wier
1-2; T.J. Gillespie 1-6; Jordan Albert 1-1; Clayton Patton 0-1; Stevie
Griffin 0-1; Colton Troyer 0-1; Nate Jacubec 0-4). Fouled out--John
Carroll-None, Mount Union-Keith Williams. Rebounds--John Carroll 27 (Mark
Hester 12), Mount Union 34 (Matt Wier 7). Assists--John Carroll 11 (Joey
Meyer 3; Corey Shontz 3), Mount Union 12 (Stevie Griffin 3). Total
fouls--John Carroll 14, Mount Union 22. Technical fouls--John Carroll-None,
Mount Union-None. A-733