Box Score ADA, Ohio – No. 23 Mount Union got off to a slow start but rallied to beat Ohio Northern 79-71 in an Ohio Athletic Conference men's basketball game Wednesday in Ada.
JJ Kukura (Alliance/Alliance) had a game-high 24 points to lead four Purple Raiders in double figures as Mount Union stayed unbeaten in the OAC at 3-0 and 6-2 overall.
Jake Jakubec (Struthers/Struthers) had 16, Cody Dillon (Newton Falls/Newton Falls) 11 and Jarrett Ruffin poured in 10 as the Raiders rallied from 18 points down in the first half.
Aaron Thress had 17 to pace five in double digits for Ohio Northern (4-4, 1-2 OAC).
Mount Union missed nine of its 10 shots and eventually found its way trailing 24-6 nine minutes into the contest. The Raiders then stormed back hitting 13 of their next 21 shots to tie the game at 35 with 2:39 left in the period. Trailing 37-35, Miles Griffin (Massillon/Massillon Jackson) hit a pair of shots to give Mount Union its first lead of the game, 39-37 at the break.
The Raiders opened the half on a 16-4 run capped by a Kukura three-pointer to stretch the lead to as many as 14 points, 55-41, with 14:12 to play. Northern got to within three points on two occasions down the stretch but Kukura again responded going 6-for-6 from the line in the final minute to seal the win.
Mount Union returns home to host Otterbein Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at the MAAC.
Newspaper Box Score
Mount Union vs Ohio Northern
12/09/15 7:30 pm at ONU Sports Center, Ada, Ohio
At ONU Sports Center, Ada, Ohio
MOUNT UNION 79, OHIO NORTHERN 71
MOUNT UNION (6-2, 3-0 OAC)
OHIO NORTHERN (4-4, 1-2 OAC)
Aron Thress 6-13 5-6 17; Joey Hurless 4-11 2-2 13; Travis Feitshans 3-4 5-8
12; Ryan Bruns 4-6 3-3 11; Devon Allen 3-9 3-4 10; Konnor Baker 1-9 3-4 5;
Joey DiOrio 1-3 0-0 3; Jack Ellerhorst 0-1 0-0 0; Ryan Geise 0-1 0-0 0; Alex
Radkiewicz 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 22-59 21-27 71.
Mount Union................... 39 40 - 79
Ohio Northern................. 37 34 - 71
Miles Griffin 0-1), Ohio Northern 6-19 (Joey Hurless 3-7; Devon Allen 1-2;
Joey DiOrio 1-2; Travis Feitshans 1-1; Jack Ellerhorst 0-1; Ryan Geise 0-1;
Konnor Baker 0-5). Fouled out--Mount Union-None, Ohio Northern-None.
Rebounds--Mount Union 40 (
JJ Kukura 11), Ohio Northern 35 (Konnor Baker 8).
Assists--Mount Union 16 (
Jake Jacubec 5), Ohio Northern 13 (Joey Hurless 9).
Total fouls--Mount Union 23, Ohio Northern 17. Technical fouls--Mount
Union-None, Ohio Northern-None. A-315
