• TV (Tape Delay):
  • WIVM-TV (Ch. 39 Canton - Ch. 989 Time Warner Cable) at 7 pm Saturday and 1 pm Sunday 
  • SportsTime Ohio on Saturday at 11 pm and Sunday at 2 p
• WRMU 91.1 (Alliance): LISTEN LIVE
  
• LIVE STATS

The Mount Union men's basketball team welcomes Ohio Northern to the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex in Alliance for a crucial Ohio Athletic Conference matchup Saturday at 3 pm. The Raiders defeated the Polar Bears 71-66 in Ada earlier this season. There will be FREE admission to the game and current Jacksonville Jaguars and former Mount Union wide receiver Cecil Shorts III will sign autographs immediately following the game.

Saturday's game will be televised on tape delay on both WIVM Ch. 52 in Canton and SportsTime Ohio. WIVM will broadcast the game at 7 pm Saturday and again at 1 pm Sunday while the game will air on STO at 11 pm Saturday and at 2 pm Sunday.

The Purple Raiders (8-14, 4-11) enter the final three games of the regular season in a three-way tie for the final spot in the OAC Tournament. The Raiders defeated all three of those opponents earlier this season.

Mount Union boasts one of the conference's top defenses. The Raider allow opponents to score just 66.1 points per game, which is tied for the fewest in the conference, and are second in field goal percentage defense as opponents shoot 42.6-percent shooting from the field.

Senior Jimmy Wood (Wintersville/Indian Creek) is the OAC's leader in scoring at 18.0 points per game and three-pointers (54). He also ranks among the top three in the OAC in free-throw shooting (.798) and minutes per game (32.6). Wood poured in a game-high 20 points against Marietta Wednesday night, his first 20-point effort since January 7th, when the Raiders last faced Ohio Northern.

Freshmen Nate Jacubec (Struthers/Struthers) and Stevie Griffin (Canton/Massillon Jackson) and sophomore T.J. Gillespie (Toledo/St. John's) contribute to the Raiders' guard-oriented offense. Jacubec is second on the team in scoring (11.0) and three-pointers (37) while Griffin is third in both (9.1 ppg; 36 three-pointers). Gillespie scores 7 points per game off the bench and had 13 against Marietta Wednesday night.

Ohio Northern (11-11, 7-8) enters this weekend winners of their last two games. The Polar Bears defeated Marietta on Saturday and Heidelberg on Wednesday. The score 68.3 points per game while allowing opponents to score 67.8 points per game on the season.

Senior Scott Schnelle, who is the conference's tallest player at 6-9, is the reigning OAC Player of the Week after scoring 18 points in each of Ohio Northern' s last three games. Schnelle averages 12.7 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game on the season. Sophomore guard Branden Rushton leads the Polar Bears in scoring at 14.1 points per game.

Last Meeting

Mount Union led 36-28 at halftime, but Ohio Northern rallied in the second half to take the lead. A basket by freshman Stevie Griffin with 2:38 to play put the Purple Raiders ahead for good and the Raiders made nine-of-ten free throws down the stretch to secure their first OAC win of the season.

Jimmy Wood scored game-high 22 points and freshmen Griffin and Nate Jacubec scored 16 points apiece to lead the way for the Raiders.

Ohio Northern was led by 18 points and a game-high eight rebounds from Branden Rushton. Scott Schnelle added 12 points, seven rebounds, and blocked three shots.

The Series

This will be the 84th meeting all-time between Mount Union and Ohio Northern. The Polar Bears hold a decisive 54-29 advantage in the series, but the Raiders have been victorious in four of the past six meetings.

Projected Mount Union Starters

• #32 Stevie Griffin, 6-3, Fr., G – 9.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg
• #4   Jimmy Wood, 6-6, Sr., F – 18.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg
• #33 Matt Piloto, 6-6, Jr., F – 2.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg
• #20 Nate Jacubec, 5-11, Fr., G – 11.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg
• #3 Justen Little, 5-11, Jr., G – 2.3 ppg, 3.4 apg, 3.0 rpg

Projected Ohio Northern Starters

• #30 Jared Horstman, 6-3, So., G – 8.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg
• #33 Adam Bair, 6-5, Fr., C – 5.4 ppg, 1.8 rpg
• #50 Scott Schnelle, 6-9, Sr., C – 12.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg
• #14 Branden Rushton, 6-2, So., G – 14.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg
• #10 Tony Meyer, 5-11, Sr., G – 3.0 ppg, 1.7 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 8-14 start.

John Rhodes (Ohio '88) is in his third season at the helm of the Polar Bear basketball program. Rhodes has led the Polar Bears to 29-33 record overall and a pair of upper-division finishes in the Ohio Athletic Conference. He came to Ohio Northern after one year as an assistant coach at NCAA Division I Northeastern University and had 13 years of coaching experience. After completing a four-year playing career at Ohio University in 1988, Rhodes played eight seasons of professional basketball in Europe, including stints in Germany, France, and Iceland.

Up Next

Mount Union hosts Baldwin-Wallace next Wednesday before finishing the regular season at Heidelberg on Saturday, February 18th.

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 15th on the school's career scoring list with 1,216 career points and needs three points to surpass Todd Richards for 14th place. He scored 20 points in the Purple Raiders' 67-53 loss to Marietta on Wednesday. At his current pace, Wood will likely end his career as one of the top ten scorers in school history.

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 172 already this season.

Mount Union Player Notes

Jimmy Darnley - So., F, Canton/GlenOak

• Averaging 6.6 mpg in 16 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 seven times this season
• Shooting a team-best 81.4% 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 (9.1) and three-pointers (36)
• Has scored in double-figures eight 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 vs. Westminster (11/22/11) and at Muskingum (2/1/12)
• Season-high/career-high 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 (11.0), three-pointers (37), and assists (40)
• Has scored in double-figures 12 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 4.2 ppg and 2.6 rpg
• Leads the team in field goal percentage (.589)
• Has started 10 games this season
• 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 (3.8)
• Ranks second in the conference in assists (3.4)
• 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 3.4 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 2.0 ppg and 3.5 rpg in eight games off the bench
• Made first career start vs. Marietta (2/8/12)
• 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 5.5 mpg in 11 games off the bench
• Transferred from Hesston College (Kan.)

Matt Wier - Sr., F, New Castle, Pa./Mohawk

• Averaging 4.7 ppg and 3.3 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 3.6 ppg off the bench
• Season-high/career -high 15 points on Saturday at Wilmington (2/4/12)
• Season-high/career -high 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 (18.0) and three-pointers (54)
• Leads the team in rebounding (5.3)
• Has scored 20+ points eight times this season
• Ranks 15th on school's all-time scoring list with 1,216 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