The Mount Union men's basketball team travels to New Concord Wednesday night to battle Muskingum in a critical Ohio Athletic Conference game. With seven games remaining in the regular season, the Purple Raiders are in a position to host an OAC Tournament game for the first time since 2002.
The Purple Raiders (8-11, 4-8) are in a three-way tie for seventh place with the Muskies and Heidelberg. They trail Baldwin-Wallace by two games and Ohio Northern by just a single game. The Raiders still face all four teams one more time and could easily move into sixth place, which would be rewarded with a home game in the first round of the revamped OAC Tournament.
Mount Union is much-improved from their first meeting with Muskingum, a 62-59 loss in Alliance back in December. The Raiders are 6-5 since then and 4-4 in conference play. They average 66.6 points per game, which is ninth in the conference, and allow a league-best 65.7 points per game on the season. Saturday's 63-49 loss to Capital is the third in the last four games for the Raiders.
The Raiders are led by senior Jimmy Wood (Wintersville/Indian Creek) and freshman Nate Jacubec (Struthers/Struthers). Both players rank among the conference's top five in minutes per game and one of the two have led the Raiders in scoring in 12 of the last 15 games.
Wood has been among the top players in the OAC during his senior campaign, leading the way in scoring (18.6) and three-pointers per game (2.47) while ranking fourth in three-pointer shooting (.423) and free throw shooting (.800). He is the Raiders' top rebounder at 5.6 per game and has a team-best 29 steals.
Jacubec is second on the team in scoring (11.4) and scored a career-high 21 points in back-to-back games a week ago at Otterbein and John Carroll. He is third in the OAC in free throw shooting (.827) and averages just under two assists per game.
Freshman Stevie Griffin (Canton/Massillon Jackson) and sophomore T.J. Gillespie (Toledo/St. John's) have helped in the scoring column as of late. Griffin scored a team-high 14 points against Capital on Saturday and has reached double-figures five times since the New Year. Gillespie added 12 points off the bench against the Crusaders and has hit double-figures four times since the New Year.
Muskingum (7-12, 4-8) defeated Heidelberg, 80-73, on Saturday to snap a three-game skid. The Muskies have struggled to score the ball this season and are last in the conference in scoring (63.6). It has been their defense that has allowed them to be competitive, as they allow opponents to score just 66.4 points per game, which is the second-fewest in the conference.
Senior forwards Josh Brindley and Kyle Clinedinst give Muskingum one of the OAC's top post duos. Clinedinst averages 15.9 points per game while leading the OAC in minutes (35.63), ranking second in rebounding (9.3), and third in steals (2.11). Brindley averages a 15.4 points per game while grabbing 6.4 rebounds per game and ranking fourth in the conference in shooting (.545) and steals (2.00) No other Musky averages more than 8.0 points on the season.
Last Meeting
Mount Union led 31-29 at halftime before dropping a 62-59 decision to Muskingum in Alliance back on December 21st. A three-point play by Josh Brindley with 2:40 remaining put the Fighting Muskies ahead for good as the Raiders were held without a field goal over the final 4:34 of the game.
Jimmy Wood paced Mount Union with 15 points. Nate Jacubec (11 points), Matt Kiger (11 points), and Keith Williams (10 points) all reached double-figures.
Muskingum was led by 20 points and eight rebounds from Brindley. Carson Thomas scored 16 points and Kyle Clinedinst added 13 points and eight rebounds for the Fighting Muskies.
The Series
Mount Union has lost nine of the last ten meetings with Muskingum, with last season's 57-51 win in New Concord snapping a seven-game losing streak.
Projected Mount Union Starters
- #32 Stevie Griffin, 6-3, Fr., G – 9.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg, .439 FG%
- #4 Jimmy Wood, 6-6, Sr., F – 18.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, .439 3FG%
- #45 Matt Kiger, 6-5, Jr., C – 4.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg
- #20 Nate Jacubec, 5-11, Fr., G – 11.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.1 apg
- #3 Justen Little, 5-11, Jr., G – 2.4 ppg, 3.8 apg, 2.9 rpg
Projected Muskingum Starters
- #15 Clay Owings, 6-2, So., G – 3.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg
- #21 Josh Brindley, 6-4, Sr., F – 15.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg
- #33 Kyle Clinedinst, 6-5, Sr., F – 15.9 ppg, 9.3 rpg
- #20 J.J. Armstrong, 6-1, Sr., G – 4.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg
- #10 Carson Thomas, 6-0, Sr., G – 7.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg
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 an 8-10 start.
Gene Ford (Muskingum '74) is in his fifth season at his alma mater. Ford has led the Muskies to a 52-70 record. An assistant coach at Muskingum for two seasons, Ford inherited the program from his son, who went to Kent State as an assistant coach. Prior to his stint at Muskingum, Ford was a very successful coach at Cambridge High School, earning 400 career victories in 25 seasons. Ford was inducted into the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2007 and was named OHSBCA Division II Coach of the Year in 1988. At Muskingum, Ford ranks second all-time in scoring with 1,717 career points, was an All-American honoree, a three-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference selection, and was named OAC Player of the Year as a senior.
Up Next
Mount Union travels to Wilmington for an OAC game with the Quakers on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 pm. The Raiders then return to the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex in Alliance for three consecutive home games.
Re-writing the Record Books
Senior Jimmy Wood became the 26th player in school history to score 1,000 career points, reaching the milestone against Wilmington on December 17th. Wood currently ranks 17th on the school's career scoring list with 1,174 career points and needs 15 points to surpass Todd Simons for 16th place. He scored 10 points in the Purple Raiders' 63-49 loss at Capital on Saturday. At his current pace, Wood will end his career as one of the top ten scorers in school history.
While the scoring record is out of reach for Wood, he has a chance to break the record for most consecutive games played.
The Raiders have tied a pair of school records this season. They made 13 three-pointers in back-to-back games against Immaculata (Pa.) and Lycoming (Pa.), tying the school record set against Baldwin-Wallace during the 1996-97 season. Their 33 three-point field goal attempts against Lycoming beat the school record previously set in the season-opener against Hiram.
The Raiders are on pace to set the record for most three-pointers in a season. The current record, set during the 2008-09 season, is 189 and the Raiders have made 153 already this season.
Mount Union Player Notes
Tom Berlekamp - Jr., F, North Royalton/Holy Name
- Played in nine games this season, making seven starts
- Averaging 2.4 ppg and 4.7 rpg
- Season-high/career -high in points (7), rebounds (14), and assists (4) vs. Grove City (11/18/11)
- Season-high/career -high 5 steals at Geneva (11/19/11)
- Transferred from Lakeland Community College
Jimmy Darnley - So., F, Canton/GlenOak
- Averaging 5.6 mpg in 13 games off the bench
- 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 7.0 ppg
- Has scored in double-figures six times this season
- Shooting a team-best 90% from the free throw line
- Missed two games earlier in the season 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 (9.3) and three-pointers (31)
- Has scored in double-figures seven times this season
- Scored the go-ahead points in wins over Ohio Northern and Baldwin-Wallace earlier this month
- Coaches vs. Cancer Tip-Off Tournament MVP
- Season-high/career-high 22 points and 6 three-pointers off the bench at Geneva (11/19/11)
- Season-high/career-high 8 rebounds and 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 - Fr., G, Struthers/Struthers
- Second on team in scoring (11.4), three-pointers (35), and assists (37)
- Has scored in double-figures 11 times this season
- Season-high/career -high 21 points at Otterbein (1/21/12) and at John Carroll (1/25/12)
- Season-high/career-high 5 three-pointers at John Carroll (1/25/12)
- Season-high/career-high 8 rebounds vs. Wilmington (12/17/11)
- Matched season-high/career-high with 5 assists at Lycoming (1/3/12)
Matt Kiger - Jr., F, Williamstown, W.Va./Williamstown
- Averaging 4.4 ppg and 2.7 rpg
- Leads the team in field goal percentage (.638)
- Has started the past 10 games after coming off the bench in the first nine
- Season-high 11 points three times, most recently vs. Muskingum (12/21/11)
- Season-high 6 rebounds at Waynesburg (11/26/11) and vs. Muskingum (12/21/11)
- 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
- Fourth in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.9)
- Ranks second in the conference in assists (3.7)
- Season-high/career-high 10 points vs. Heidelberg (1/14/12)
- Season-high/career-high 7 rebounds at Ohio Northern (1/7/12)
- Season-high/career-high 7 assists vs. Otterbein (12/3/11) and vs. Wilmington (12/17/11)
Clayton Patton - Fr., G, Bolivar/Tuscarawas Valley
- Averaging 3.8 ppg
- Scored 10 points at Lycoming (1/3/12), reaching double-figures for the second time this season
- Made first career start vs. Muskingum (12/21/11)
- Season-high/career -high 11 points at Capital (12/10/11)
Matt Piloto - Jr., F, Rotonda West, Fla./Lemon Bay
- Averaging 2.4 ppg and 3.0 rpg in five games off the bench
- Played quarterback for the Mount Union football team, leading them to a seventh consecutive Stagg Bowl appearance
Colton Troyer - Jr., F, Millersburg/Berlin Hiland
- Averaging 5.6 mpg in 10 games off the bench
- Transferred from Hesston College (Kan.)
Matt Wier - Sr., F, New Castle, Pa./Mohawk
- Averaging 4.6 ppg and 3.5 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 3.1 ppg off the bench
- Tied for second on the team in steals (20)
- 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 the conference in scoring (18.4) and three-pointers (47)
- Leads the team in rebounding (5.7)
- Has scored 20+ points seven times this season
- Ranks 17th on school's all-time scoring list with 1,174 career points
- Scored 1,000th career point on three-pointer to go ahead by 2 points with less than a minute remaining in regulation vs. Wilmington (12/17/11)
- Recorded third career double-double with 29 points and career-high 16 rebounds vs. Immaculata (1/22/12)
- Set Louis Fleming Basinger Memorial Tournament scoring record with 29 points against Immaculata (1/22/12) and was named to the all-tournament team
- Season-high/career -high 32 points vs. Wilmington (12/17/11)
- Season-high/career -high 16 rebounds vs. Immaculata (1/22/12)
- Father, Jim, played basketball at Georgia Tech
