ALLIANCE, Ohio—Mount Union men's basketball team defeated Albion (Mich.) 71-52 Friday night in the 2019-20 season opener at the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex.

Senior D'Vontay Friga (Cuyahoga Falls) came off the bench to score 15 of his game-high 18 points in the second half to lead three Purple Raiders in double figures. Fellow senior Nathan Bower-Malone (Stow) had 14 points and 11 assists while sophomore Collen Gurley (Akron / Hoban) had 17 points.

Albion got 16 points from Caden Ebeling in the defeat.

Gurley scored nine points in the first six minutes to allow Mount Union to take an early 13-4 lead. Albion would close to within three points on three separate occasions but the Raiders held on and led 29-22 at halftime.

Midway through the second half, Gurley would score five points in a 7-1 Mount Union run that pushed the lead out to 46-35 and the Raiders would close out the game on a 16-2 run for the 19-point victory.

Mount Union next hosts Carnegie Mellon (Pa.), Friday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. at the MAAC.