ALLIANCE, Ohio – Four Purple Raiders scored in double figures as the Mount Union defeated Muskingum 85-82 in an Ohio Athletic Conference matchup Wednesday night in the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex.

DeAllen Jackson (Akron/Hoban) and JJ Kukura (Alliance/Alliance) each scored 20 while Nathan Bower-Malone (Stow/Stow) and Diallo Niamke (Sagamore Hills/Nordonia) each scored 12 as the Purple Raiders are now 11-5 overall and 6-3 in the OAC.

Muskingum (10-6, 4-5 OAC) had five players in double figures and got a game-high 22 from Joshua Keyes.

Muskingum got off to a 17-4 lead in the first five minutes of the game. A 9-2 run for the Raiders put them within six points, 19-13, at the 12 minute mark.

The Fighting Muskies went on their own 6-0 run of their own to get a 12 point lead back. The Raiders answered with a 13-6 run to get back within three points of the Fighting Muskies, 39-36, with three minutes remaining in the first half.  

Bower-Malone hit a buzzer beater three-pointer going into the break as Muskingum led Mount Union 43-41.

Mount Union took its first lead of the game right out of the break, 45-43, with four straight points from Thomas Mason (Alliance/Marlington).

Muskingum took their lead back by three, 56-53, with 14 minutes remaining in the game. An 11-3 run by the Raiders put them up 64-59 at the 10:15 mark. The Fighting Muskies brought it within one, 83-82, with 1.6 seconds left, but the Raiders kept their lead defeating Muskingum 85-82. 

With a fifth tie occurring at the 5:30 mark, Mount Union took an eight point lead, 74-66. Miles Griffin (Massillon/Jackson) went 4-4 on his free throw shots in the last 21 seconds of the game to hold off the Fighting Muskies, 85-82.

The Raiders next travel to Ada, Ohio to take on Ohio Northern Saturday, January 21 at 2:00 p.m.