HIRAM, Ohio- A career-high from JJ Kukura (Alliance/Alliance) led Mount Union to a non-conference win over Hiram, 89-77, Wednesday night.

Kukura led the Purple Raiders (4-1) with 40 points and 10 rebounds as DeAllen Jackson (Akron/Archbishop Hoban) added 19 points for Mount Union and Tommy Stenger (North Canton/Hoover) added 11 points off the bench.

Hiram got 19 points from Kelvin Jones and dropped to 1-4 on the season.

The first half started off close with a 15-13 lead by the Raiders early in the period, but the terriers tied it up at 15 with fourteen minutes remaining.

After two more ties, Hiram took a two point lead, 21-19 with 8:50 remaining. The Raiders came back within one, 24-23, but the Terriers went on a 9-3 run to pull ahead of the Raiders, 32-26.

A three-point shot by Kukura put Mount Union down by three, 32-29. The Raiders tied it back up at 32 to then take a 34-32 lead with two minutes left. Mount Union led by one point, 37-36, with Kukura having 19 points going into halftime.

A 14-4 run put the Raiders up 51-40, their largest lead of the game, in the start of the second half. Mount Union pushed their lead up to 17 points, 62-45, with 12:30 left in the game.

The Raiders did not allow the Terriers within 12 points of them the rest of the game, defeating Hiram 89-77.

Mount Union hosts Wilmington in their first Ohio Athletic Conference contest Saturday, December 3 at 3:00 p.m. in the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex.