Mount Union's men's basketball team will play its first Ohio Athletic Conference away from the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex when they travel to Bexley to take on Capital on Saturday. The team hopes that another first, a conference win, will accompany their trip.
There will be VIDEO and LIVE STATS of the game available online.
The Purple Raiders (3-4, 0-2 OAC) look to right the ship after losing three straight games. The Raiders are just 1-2 at home on the season, despite averaging almost 18 more points than in road/neutral court games. Outside of allowing 59 second half points to Otterbein on Saturday, the Raiders have been a much-improved defense from a year ago. Mount Union ranks second in the conference in defensive field goal percentage (.384) and third in defensive three-point field goal percentage (.291).
The Purple Raiders average 69.6 points per game and are led by the conference's top scorer, senior forward Jimmy Wood (Wintersville/Indian Creek). Wood averages 19.0 points per game while also leading the team with 6.0 rebounds per game. Wood, who needs 46 points to reach 1,000 for his career, is averaging 25.3 points per game at home, but just 10.7 points per game on the road this season.
Freshman guard Nate Jacubec (Struthers/Struthers) is second on the team in scoring at 9.3 points per game while sophomore guard T.J. Gillespie (Toledo/St. John's) averages 8.4 points per game for the Raiders. Freshman forward Stevie Griffin (Canton/Massillon Jackson) and junior forward Matt Kiger (Williamstown, W. Va./Williamstown) have provided production off the bench. Griffin has averaged 8.6 points per game while making 45-percent of his three-point attempts. Kiger averages 5.9 points per game and has made 77-percent of his shot attempts on the season.
Capital (3-4, 1-2 OAC) enters the game on a two-game skid and losers in four of their last five games. The Crusaders dropped a 63-57 decision to Wilmington in their most recent game on Thursday night. Through seven games, the Crusaders are averaging 71.1 points per game.
Junior Spencer Niekamp leads a group of three players who average double-figure points for Capital. The six-foot-six forward is scoring 15.0 points per game while grabbing 3.9 rebounds per game. Senior guard Kelly Winter averages 13.0 points per game to go with a team-best 4.1 rebounds per game. Junior wing Michael Sommer adds 13.4 points per game off the bench.
Coaches
Mike Fuline (Kent State '98) is in his first season 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. Fuline has the Purple Raiders off to a 3-4 start and is in search of his first OAC win.
Damon Goodwin (Dayton '86) is 288-174 in his 19th season at Capital. A four-time OAC Coach of the Year, Goodwin was named the Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. The Phoenix Suns selected Goodwin with the 173rd selection in the 1986 NBA Draft.
The Series
Mount Union has lost three straight games to Capital. The last Raider victory came in a 68-66 home victory on January 16, 2010.
Last Meeting
Mount Union used an 11-3 run early in the second half to jus their deficit to a single point with 14:58 remaining. However, Capital would finish the game on a 35-24 run to pull out a 77-65 victory in Alliance this past January.
Jimmy Wood scored a game-high 22 points, but it proved not to be enough for the Purple Raiders. Dave Pellerite added 15 points and a team-best six rebounds.
Adam Johns came off the bench to score 20 points, including 5-of-5 from three-point range. Tyler Munro (17), Scott Robertson (12), and Spencer Niekamp (12) also scored in double-figures for the Crusaders.
Projected Mount Union Starters
- #35 Tom Berlekamp, 6-5, Jr. F – 2.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg,
- #4 Jimmy Wood, 6-6, Sr., F – 19.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 84.4% FT
- #31 Matt Wier, 6-7, Sr., C – 7.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg
- #20 Nate Jacubec, 5-11, Fr., G – 9.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg
- #3 Justen Little, 5-11, Jr., G – 2.3 ppg, 3.0 apg
Projected John Carroll Starters
- #13 Tyler Munro, 6-4, Sr., W – 6.1 ppg
- #44 Ben Jackson, 6-4, Jr., F – 8.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg
- #40 Spencer Niekamp, 6-6, Jr., C – 15.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg
- #11 Mitch Westerheide, 6-0, Jr., PG – 4.0 ppg
- #4 Kelly Winter, 6-1, Sr., G – 13.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg
Mount Union Player Notes
Jordan Albert - So., G, Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair
- Averaging 2.9 ppg off the bench
- Career-high 7 points at Waynesburg (11/26/11)
- Transferred from Division II Pitt-Johnstown
Tom Berlekamp - Jr., F, North Royalton/Holy Name
- Averaging 2.6 ppg and 5.7 rpg
- Career-high in points (7), rebounds (14), and assists (4) vs. Grove City (11/18/11)
- Career-high 5 steals at Geneva (11/19/11)
- Transferred from Lakeland Community College
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 vs. Wilmington (2/5/11)
T.J. Gillespie - So., G, Toledo/St. John's
- Averaging 8.4 ppg
- Missed 2 games due to an injury
- Season-high 19 points vs. Grove City (11/18/11)
- 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
- Third on team in scoring (8.6) and second in 3-pointers (13)
- Coaches vs. Cancer Tip-Off Tournament MVP
- Career-high 22 points and 6 three-pointers off the bench at Geneva (11/19/11)
- Career-high 8 rebounds and 4 assists vs. Westminster (11/22/11)
- Played for Coach Fuline at Massillon Jackson High School
- Won 2010 OHSAA Division I state title at Jackson
Nate Jacubec - Fr., G, Struthers/Struthers
- Second on team in scoring (9.3) and second in assists (18)
- Career-high 17 points vs. Westminster (11/22/11)
- Career-high 3 three-pointers vs. Grove City (11/18/11)
- Career-high 5 assists vs. Hiram (11/15/11)
Matt Kiger - Jr., F, Williamstown, W.Va./Williamstown
- Averages 5.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, and leads the team in FG% (.789)
- Season-high 11 points and 5 rebounds off the bench at Geneva (11/19/11)
- Career-high 20 points 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
- Leads team with 21 assists on the season
- Career-high 5 points vs. Westminster (11/22/11)
- Career-high 5 rebounds at Geneva (11/19/11)
- Career-high 6 assists at Baldwin-Wallace (2/16/11)
Colton Troyer - Jr., F, Millersburg/Berlin Hiland
- Averages 5.8 minutes off the bench
- Transferred from Hesston College (Kan.)
Matt Wier - Sr., F, New Castle, Pa./Mohawk
- Averaging 7.9 ppg and 4.6 rpg
- Season-high 19 points vs. Hiram (11/15/11)
- Career-high 28 points vs. Ohio Northern (12/12/09)
- Career-high 9 rebounds at Hiram (11/15/10), vs. Waynesburg (12/30/10), and vs. Hiram (11/15/11)
- Played one season on a baseball scholarship at West Virginia
Keith Williams - Jr., G, Louisville, Ky./Brown
- Averaging 5.0 ppg off the bench
- Career-high 13 points to go with 4 steals and 3 assists in season debut vs. Westminster (11/22/11)
Jimmy Wood - Sr., F, Wintersville/Indian Creek
- Leads team in scoring (19.0) and rebounding (6.0)
- Needs 46 points to reach 1,000 for his career
- Season-high 29 points vs. Hiram (11/15/11)
- Season -high 10 rebounds vs. Westminster (11/22/11)
- 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
