Men's Basketball 1/22/2014 12:00:00 AM

Men's Basketball: First Place Mount Union Tries to Bounce Back at Muskingum

Box Score

After falling for the first time in six weeks, the Mount Union men's basketball team will try to bounce back against Muskingum in Ohio Athletic Conference matchup Wednesday, Jan. 22 in New Concord.

There will be a LIVE AUDIO webcast and LIVE STATS at http://livestats.prestosports.com/mountunion

The Purple Raiders (12-3, 7-1 OAC) hold a one game lead in first place in the OAC standings after seeing their 10-game win streak halted with an 88-70 loss Monday at Capital.

Muskingum, 7-8 overall and tied for eighth place in the conference at 2-6, has dropped three straight games including an 89-73 loss to Baldwin Wallace last Saturday. The Muskies are 5-2 at home this season.

Mount Union is second in the conference in scoring offense at 86.5 points per game and the top three-point shooting team in the conference with with 165 made three's and 38.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Muskingum is 10th in the conference in scoring at 72.5 and in three-pointers made (84).

Sophomore Cody Dillon (Newton Falls/Newton Falls) is one of four Raiders that average double figures in scoring per game at a team-best 13.6 points per game.

Senior T.J. Gillespie (Toledo/Toledo St. John's) is second on the team in scoring at 13.0 points per game and is among conference leaders in assists (4.3 per game) and steals (1.5 per game).

Sophomore Jarrett Ruffin (Northfield/Nordonia) averages 12.5 points per game and his 6.0 rebounds per game leads the team while his 24 blocked shots is third-best in the OAC.

Junior Nate Jacubec (Struthers/Struthers) rounds out the double figure scorers for the Raiders at 10.0 points per game.

For the Muskies, senior guard Dave Brown leads the team and is seventh in the OAC in scoring at 15.9 points per game.

Logan Kimble and Christian Keller each average 13.5 points per game while Cody Seiler leads the team and is sixth in the OAC at 6.0 rebounds per game.

SERIES

Muskingum has won seven of the last 10 meetings between the teams but Mount Union swept the season series a year ago with a 91-69 win in Alliance and an 80-60 win in New Concord.

COACHES

Mike Fuline (Kent State '98) is 36-33 in his third year as head coach at Mount Union. A year ago, he led the Raiders to their highest win total in seven years and a run to the OAC Tournament title game. Prior to Mount Union, Fuline was a high school coach for eight years at both Rootstown and Massillon Jackson. In 2010, his Jackson team won the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division I State Championship.

Gene Ford (Muskingum '74) is 61-107 in his seventh year as head coach at his Alma mater. Ford spent one year as an assistant coach at Muskingum before taking over as head coach. A hall of fame high school coach, Ford coached for 25 years at Cambridge High School where he compiled a record of 400-183 (.687) and led his teams to 18 sectional titles, eight district crowns and five regional titles, leading to five state tournament appearances. The 1994-95 team finished as the Ohio Division II state runner-up. His teams also won or shared 10 East Central Ohio League championships.

UP NEXT ...

Mount Union begins the second half of the conference schedule against Heidelberg Saturday at 3 pm at The MAAC in Alliance.

MOUNT UNION PROJECTED STARTERS

Cody Dillon – So., G., 6-4, Newton Falls / Newton Falls – 13.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg T.J. Gillespie – Sr., G., 5-11, Toledo / Toledo St. John's – 13.0 ppg, 4.3 apg, 1.5 spg
Jarrett Ruffin – So., F., 6-6, Northfield / Nordonia – 12.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.6 bpg
Nate Jacubec – Jr., G., 5-11, Struthers / Struthers – 10.0 ppg, 2.7 apg, 1.3 spg
Jimmy Darnley – Sr., F., 6-5, Canton / GlenOak – 6.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg

MOUNT UNION PLAYER NOTES

T.J. Gillespie - Sr., G, 5-11 - Toledo/St. John's

Has started all 15 games this season
Has scored in double figures in 12 games this season
Season-high/career-high 22 points vs. Hartwick (N.Y.) (11/30/13)
Season-high/career-high 10 assists at Rochester (N.Y.) (12/1/13)
Season-high/career-high 5 steals vs. Westminster (Pa.) (1/3/14)
Holiday Inn Airport Tournament All-Tournament Team
Played in 86 career games

Jimmy Darnley - Sr., F, 6-5 - Canton/GlenOak

Has played in all 15 games this season with 13 starts
Has scored in double figures in five games this season
Season-high/career-high 13 points at Rochester (N.Y.) (12/1/13)
Season-high/career-high 11 rebounds vs. John Carroll (12/4/13)
Recorded first career double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) vs. John Carroll (12/4/13)
Played in 77 career games

Nate Jacubec - Jr., G, 5-11 - Struthers/Struthers

Has started all 15 games this season
Has scored in double figures in eight games this season
Season-high 19 points vs. Westminster (1/3/14) and Wilmington (1/18/14)
Season-high 7 assists vs. Olivet (12/29/13)
Season-high 4 steals vs. Olivet (12/29/13)
Career-high 31 points at Wilmington (1/16/13)
Career-high 6 three-pointers at Wilmington (1/16/13)
Career-high 10 rebounds at Westminster (11/16/12) and at Baldwin Wallace (12/20/12)
Career-high 7 assists at Hiram (11/24/12) vs. Olivet (12/29/13)
Career-high 4 steals vs. Finlandia (12/30/12) vs. Olivet (12/29/13)
Has played in 67 career games with 66 career starts
2012 OAC Freshman of the Year
2013 All-OAC Second Team, 2013 D3Hoops.com All-Great Lakes Region Third Team

Stevie Griffin - Jr., F., 6-3 - Canton/Massillon Jackson

Has played in six games and started two
Season-high 9 points at Pitt-Greensburg (11/16/13)
Career-high 25 points at Wilmington (1/12/13)
Career-high 4 assists, two times with last at Ohio Northern (2/9/13)
Career-high 6 three-pointers at Geneva (11/19/11)
Career-high 8 rebounds vs. Westminster (11/22/11) and at Muskingum (2/1/12)
Brother of teammate Miles Griffin

Jarrett Ruffin – So., F., 6-6 - Northfield/Nordonia

Has started all 15 games this season
Has scored in double figures in 12 games this season
Season-high/career-high 31 points vs. Olivet (12/29/13)
Season-high 4 blocks vs. Hartwick (N.Y.) (11/30/13)
Season-high/career-high 13 rebounds at Heidelberg (12/7/13)
Career-high 4 blocks vs. Marietta (2/13/13) and vs. Hartwick (N.Y.) (11/30/13)
Season-high/career-high three assists vs. Westminster (Pa.) (1/4/14)
Recorded two double-doubles this season - 16 points & 13 rebounds at Heidelberg (12/7/13), 13 points & 11 rebounds vs. Otterbein (12/14/13)
Played in 42 career games with 27 starts
2013 OAC Freshman of the Year
2013 D3Hoops.com Great Lakes Rookie of the Year

Cody Dillon - So., G., 6-4 - Newton Falls/Newton Falls

Has started all 15 games this season
Has scored in double figures in nine games this season
Season-high/career-high 35 points vs. John Carroll (12/4/13)
Season-high/career-high 8 rebounds at Pitt-Greensburg (11/16/13) / at Ohio Northern (1/11/14)
Season-high/career-high 8 three-pointers vs. John Carroll (12/4/13)
Career-high 6 assists vs Thiel (11/17/12)
Tied school single-game record for 3-pointers made – 8 vs. John Carroll (12/4/13)
Ohio Athletic Conference record for 3-point percentage in a game - .727 (8-of-11) vs. John Carroll (12/4/13)
Holiday Inn Airport Tournament All-Tournament Team
Started every game of his college career - 42 games
2013 OAC All-Tournament Team

Kyle Scelza - So., G., 6-1 - Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls

Has played in all 15 games this season
Has scored in double figures in eight games this season
Season-high/Career-high 18 points vs. Westminster (Pa.) (1/4/14)
Season-high 5 rebounds at Pitt-Greensburg (11/16/13) and vs. John Carroll (12/4/13)
Season-high 3 assists at Bethany (W.Va.) (11/19/13)
Career-high 6 rebounds and 4 assists vs Pitt-Greensburg (11/20/12)
Career-high 5 three-pointers vs. John Carroll (12/4/13)
Career-high 4 steals vs John Carroll (1/23/13)
Has played in 43 consecutive games (every game of career)

Evan Keeslar - So., G., 6-3 - Uniontown/Green