ADA, Ohio—The Mount Union men's basketball team is learning how to win close games as evidenced by its 71-66 win at Ohio Northern. A basket by freshman Stevie Griffin (Canton/Masssillon Jackson) with 2:38 to play put the Purple Raiders ahead for good. The Raiders would make nine-of-ten free throws the rest of the way to secure their first Ohio Athletic Conference win of the season.   

The Purple Raiders (5-8, 1-5) led all but the opening 1:48 of the first half and went to the locker room with a 36-28 lead. Senior Jimmy Wood (Wintersville/Indian Creek), who scored 11 points in the half, split a pair of free throws to give the Raiders their largest lead of the at 31-18 with 4:05 to play.

Ohio Northern rallied in the second half to take the lead on three occasions, but the Raiders responded with a basket of their own on the ensuing possession to re-claim the lead each time. Taylor Kuhlman made a pair of free throws to go ahead, 62-61 with 2:57 left, but Griffin responded with the eventual game-winner.

Mount Union got a game-high 22 points from Wood as he continues his stellar senior season. He made four free throws in the final 30 seconds to keep the game out of reach.

Freshmen Griffin and Nate Jacubec (Struthers/Struthers) scored 16 points apiece. In his first collegiate start, Griffin made several big shots down the stretch for the Raiders. After the Polar Bears took their first lead of the second half with 8:29 to play, Griffin scored five straight points to put the Raiders ahead by three. His basket with 2:38 to play gave Mount Union a lead it would not relinquish.

Jacubec, who was in double-figures for the fourth straight game, made three three-pointers and was four-of-four from the foul line in the final two minutes to help close out the win.

Junior Justen Little (Galion/Galion) set career-highs with seven points and seven rebounds to go with five assists and three steals as he guided the Raider offense.

Ohio Northern was led by 18 points and a game-high eight rebounds from Branden Rushton. Kuhlman and Scott Schnelle added 12 points each. Schnelle also collected seven rebounds and blocked three shots for the Polar Bears.

Mount Union will seek its third win of 2012 Wednesday when they travel to Baldwin-Wallace.

Newspaper Box Score

Mount Union vs Ohio Northern
01/07/12 3 pm at ONU Sports Center, Ada, Ohio
At ONU Sports Center, Ada, Ohio

MOUNT UNION 71, OHIO NORTHERN 66

MOUNT UNION (5-8, 1-5 OAC)
Jimmy Wood 7-18 6-8 22; Nate Jacubec 3-7 7-8 16; Stevie Griffin 6-7 2-3 16;
Justen Little 2-3 3-4 7; Matt Wier 2-4 0-0 4; T.J. Gillespie 1-2 0-0 3;
Keith Williams 1-3 0-1 2; Jimmy Darnley 0-1 1-2 1; Matt Kiger 0-0 0-0 0;
Clayton Patton 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-45 19-26 71.

OHIO NORTHERN (7-6, 3-3 OAC)
Branden Rushton 9-17 0-0 18; Taylor Kuhlman 1-4 9-10 12; Scott Schnelle 3-6
6-11 12; Lucas Pennington 2-6 2-2 8; Adam Bair 2-6 0-0 5; Tony Meyer 1-2 0-0
3; Reco Spears 1-2 0-2 2; Logan Conley 1-1 0-0 2; Dominique Royal 1-1 0-0 2;
Jared Horstman 1-4 0-0 2; Jason Faykosh 0-0 0-0 0; Isaiah Roux 0-1 0-0 0.
Totals 22-50 17-25 66.

Mount Union...................   36   35  -   71
Ohio Northern.................   28   38  -   66

3-point goals--Mount Union 8-17 (Nate Jacubec 3-4; Jimmy Wood 2-6; Stevie
Griffin 2-3; T.J. Gillespie 1-2; Keith Williams 0-1; Justen Little 0-1),
Ohio Northern 5-20 (Lucas Pennington 2-6; Adam Bair 1-2; Taylor Kuhlman 1-3;
Tony Meyer 1-2; Jared Horstman 0-3; Branden Rushton 0-4). Fouled out--Mount
Union-Matt Kiger, Ohio Northern-None. Rebounds--Mount Union 26 (Justen
Little 7), Ohio Northern 34 (Branden Rushton 8). Assists--Mount Union 13
(Justen Little 5), Ohio Northern 11 (Jared Horstman 3). Total fouls--Mount
Union 24, Ohio Northern 23. Technical fouls--Mount Union-None, Ohio
Northern-None. A-412