The Mount Union men's basketball team will plays its final home game of the regular season Wednesday night at 7:30 pm when Baldwin-Wallace pays a visit to the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex in Alliance. The Purple Raiders enter the final week of the regular season in a three-way tie for the for seventh place in the Ohio Athletic Conference and could still host a first round OAC Tournament game.
The Purple Raiders (9-14, 5-11) defeated the Yellow Jackets in Berea earlier this season, 49-47. Expect another low-scoring contest, as these are the OAC's two top defenses. The Raiders allow opponents to score a conference-low 65.7 points per game and are second in field goal percentage defense as opponents shoot 42.7-percent shooting from the field. Baldwin-Wallace is first in goal percentage defense (.414) and second in scoring defense, as opponents allow just 66.0 points per game.
Senior Jimmy Wood (Wintersville/Indian Creek) is the OAC's leader in scoring at 17.9 points per game and three-pointers (56). He also ranks among the top three in the OAC in free-throw shooting (.784) and minutes per game (32.6). Wood scored in a 16 points in the Raiders' 67-57 win over Ohio Northern on Saturday.
Nate Jacubec (Struthers/Struthers) and Stevie Griffin (Canton/Massillon Jackson) are among the top freshmen in the conference and combined for 35 points against Ohio Northern. Jacubec is second on the team in scoring (11.3) while Griffin is third (9.5). They are tied for second with 39 three-pointers apiece.
Sophomore T.J. Gillespie (Toledo/St. John's) has provided a spark off the bench for Mount Union in recent games. Gillespie, who averages seven points per game on the season, had 13 against Marietta and nine points against Ohio Northern last week. Junior Matt Piloto (Lemon, Bay, Fla./Rotonda West) has helped the Raiders inside since his arrival following the Stagg Bowl. Piloto has started the past two games and posted career-highs of five points and seven rebounds in Saturday's win.
Baldwin-Wallace (15-8, 10-6) enters on a conference-best four-game winning streak, including victories over Capital and John Carroll in their last two outings to pull within a game of second place. The Yellow Jackets have won their last four games by an average of 14 points rank third in the OAC in scoring at 74.0 points per game on the season.
Sophomore forward Kyle Payne (6-6) leads the way for the Yellow Jackets, averaging 14.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game on the season. Sophomore guards Kevin Krakowiak and Grant Fairhurst have combined for 84 three-pointers and shoot 81-percent from the free throw line. Krakowiak is second on the team in scoring at 13.3 points per game and Fairhurst adds 7.5 points per game off the bench.
Guard Ben Umbel provides versatility for the Yellow Jackets, leading the team in rebounding (6.2), assists (3.5), and steals (2.4) while scoring 7.8 points per game. Point guard Jaron Crowe has been plugged into the lineup two games ago after their starter was lost for the season.
Last Meeting
Mount Union trailed 26-17 at halftime, but outscored Baldwin-Wallace by 11 in the second half for a 49-47 victory in Berea. Stevie Griffin sank a pair of free throws with 17 seconds remaining in a tied game to lift the Purple Raiders.
Griffin led the Raiders with a game-high 14 points, with 11 of those points coming after halftime. Jimm Wood scored 13 points and Nate Jacubec added 10 points for the Raiders.
Baldwin-Wallace received 12 points each from Tyler Ferrell and Kevin Krakowiak. Ferrell also grabbed game-high nine rebounds.
The Series
This will be the 127th meeting all-time between Mount Union and Baldwin-Wallace. The Yellow Jackets hold a decisive 78-48 advantage in the series. The teams split the two meetings a season ago with the home team winning each game.
Projected Mount Union Starters
- #32 Stevie Griffin, 6-3, Fr., G – 9.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg
- #4 Jimmy Wood, 6-6, Sr., F – 17.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg
- #33 Matt Piloto, 6-6, Jr., F – 2.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg
- #20 Nate Jacubec, 5-11, Fr., G – 11.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg
- #3 Justen Little, 5-11, Jr., G – 2.2 ppg, 3.4 apg, 2.9 rpg
Projected Baldwin-Wallace Starters
- #20 Kevin Krakowiak, 6-4, So., G – 13.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg
- #24 Kyle Payne, 6-6, So., C – 14.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg
- #42 Tyler Ferrell, 6-7, So., F – 7.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg
- #32 Ben Umbel, 6-3, Jr., G – 7.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.5 apg, 2.4 spg
- #2 Jaron Crowe, 6-0, Fr., G – 6.4 ppg, 1.5 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 9-14 start and in contention to host an Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament game for the first time since 2002.
Duane Sheldon (Baldwin-Wallace '93) has a 46-53 record in his fourth season at his alma mater. Sheldon came to Baldwin-Wallace after six seasons as the head coach at Heidelberg, making him the only current OAC coach to have been the head coach at multiple schools within the conference. He has an overall career coaching record of 103-143.
Up Next
Mount Union travels to Tiffin for the regular season finale at Heidelberg on Saturday. The Raiders won the first meeting in Alliance, 67-49.
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 13th on the school's career scoring list with 1,232 career points and needs three points to surpass Tim Cope for 12th place. He scored 16 points in the Purple Raiders' 67-57 win over Ohio Northern on Saturday. At his current pace, Wood will likely 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. He needs to just two more games to tie Kyle Schlabach's record of 101 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 close to breaking 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 181 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
- 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 (9.5) and tied for second in three-pointers (39)
- 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), assists (40), and tied for second in three-pointers (39)
- Has scored in double-figures 13 times this season
- Shooting a team-best 80.0% from the free throw line
- 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 (4.0)
- Ranks second in the conference in assists (3.5)
- 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 3.2 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 2.3 ppg and 3.9 rpg in 9 games
- Made first career start vs. Marietta (2/8/12)
- Season-high/career-high 5 points and 7 rebounds vs. Ohio Northern (2/10/12)
- 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 4.5 ppg and 3.4 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 3.5 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 (17.9) and three-pointers (56)
- Leads the team in rebounding (5.3)
- Has scored 20+ points eight times this season
- Ranks 13th on school's all-time scoring list with 1,232 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
