ALLIANCE, Ohio - The Mount Union men's basketball team knocked off previously unbeaten and nationally ranked No. 3 Marietta by a score of 102-92 Wednesday night in the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex in Alliance.

The Purple Raiders (17-5, 13-2 OAC) were led by Kyle Scelza (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls) who scored a career-high 20 points off the bench. Scelza was locked in from long distance, making six of his nine attempts from three-point range. Nate Jacubec (Struthers/Struthers) and Cody Dillon (Newton Falls/Newton Falls) combined to make nine more three-pointers, five coming from Dillon and four from Jacubec. Jacubec finished the game with 19 points and Dillon was right behind with 18 points.

Jarrett Ruffin (Northfield/Nordonia) recorded his first double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds while JJ Kukura (Alliance/Alliance) added 10 points off the bench. DeAllen Jackson (Akron/Archbishop Hoban) did not reach double figures but flirted with a triple-double, recording eight points, nine assists and seven rebounds.

Marietta (21-1, 14-1 OAC) was led by RaNeal Ewing with 23 points and Garrett Stephenson with 21 points. Andy Dollman added 10 points in defeat.

Stephenson and Dillon traded three-pointers to start the game before Marietta went on a 9-3 run to take a six point lead, 12-6, with 15:47 left in the half. The Raiders countered with a 9-3 run of their own to tie the game at 15-15.

A 15-7 run gave Marietta an eight point lead, their largest of the half, with 10:16 before the break. Mount Union scored 12 of the next 14 points to take the lead, 34-32, on an Evan Keeslar (Uniontown/Green) three-pointer. 

Later in the half the Raiders led by three before they got back-to-back three-pointers from Jacubec and Dillon to push the lead to nine, 48-39 with just over a minute left in the half. Keeslar hit another three-pointer with 17 seconds remaining in the half but Marietta's Ewing answered with a three at the buzzer. Mount Union led 51-47 going into the lockerroom.

Marietta scored the first basket of the second half to trim the lead to two until the Raiders hit three three-pointers in the next four possessions to take the lead back to nine, 62-53. Three Pioneer three-pointers later and the lead was just one, 63-62, with 15:39 left in the game.

The Raiders went on a 13-7 run, fueled by a trio of Scelza three-pointers, to take a 76-69 lead. The Pioneers made their next six shots including three three-pointers to tie the game at 85-85 with 8:06 left in regulation.

Mount Union scored the next seven points of the game on a layup by Ruffin, a layup by Jacubec and Jacubec three-pointer. Marietta cut the lead to three, 93-90, but Mount Union closed the game on an 11-2 run to earn the victory and hand Marietta their first loss of the season.

The men's basketball team stays in the friendly confines of the MAAC as they take on Heidelberg on Saturday at 3:00 pm in Alliance.