Matchup
No. 2 seed Mount Union will host No. 3 seed Heidelberg in the semifinals of the Ohio Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Tournament on Thursday, February 23 at 7 p.m. in the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex in Alliance.

Fans can follow with the radio broadcast on WDPN AM 1310 and online with Live Audio | Live Video | Live Stats

You can buy your tickets here.

The Purple Raiders (23-2, 16-2 OAC) are first in the OAC in scoring offense at 83.3 points per game and lead the conference in scoring defense allowing just 69.4 points per game.

Junior Christian Parker (Canton / GlenOak) leads the team in scoring and is fourth in the OAC averaging 17 points per game, he also leads the team and is second in the conference in rebounds averaging 7.5 per game. Parker also leads the conference in blocks, averaging 2 a game and senior Braedon Poole (McDonald) is third in the conference with 1.4 blocks per game. Senior Collen Gurley (Akron / Hoban) and Parker are tied for first in the OAC in steals with 1.7 per game. Seniors Chris Painter Jr. (Akron / St. Vincent-St. Mary) and Darrell Newsom (Twinsburg) are first and second in the OAC for three-point percentage shooting 50 and 48.6-percent respectively.

The Student Princes (19-7, 13-5 OAC) are third in the OAC in scoring offense at 80.3 points per game and are sixth in scoring defense allowing 72.1 points per game.

Heidelberg is led by Emmanuel Perdue who is averaging 13.5 points per game and Isaiah Young who scores 12.7 per game. Eric Panning leads the team in rebounding, grabbing 7.3 per game and is third in the OAC in the category.

OAC Tournament History

It is the 63rd OAC Tournament appearance for Mount Union as the Raiders have a 38-58 record and won titles in 1997, 2015 and 2020.

Heidelberg is making its 59th OAC Tournament Appearance and have a 44-57 record and won the title in 2008.

Mount Union and Heidelberg have met six previous times in the OAC Tournament with the Raiders holding a 5-1 lead in tournament games.

2022- No. 2 Mount Union 68, No. 3 Heidelberg 65 (Semifinals)

2020- No. 1 Mount Union 97, No. 5 Heidelberg 66 (Second Round)

2019- No. 2 Mount Union 77, No. 7 Heidelberg 66 (First Round)

2016- No. 3 Mount Union 102, No. 6 Heidelberg 96 (Quarterfinals)

1982- No. 6 Mount Union 73, No. 3 Heidelberg 75 (First Round)

1973- No. 2 Mount Union 58, No. 3 Heidelberg 50 (Second Round)

Up next…

The winner advances to Saturday's OAC Championship game and will play the winner of No. 1 seed John Carroll and No. 4 seed Marietta, with the highest remaining seed hosting the game.

Coaches

Mike Fuline (Kent State '98) is 217-97 (.694) in his 12th season at Mount Union.  Fuline has led Mount Union to six 20-win seasons, OAC regular season titles in 2013-14, 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2022-23, OAC Tournament titles and NCAA Sweet 16 appearances in 2015 and 2020. Before coming to Mount Union, Fuline spent eight years as a high school head coach at Rootstown and Massillon Jackson.  His 2010 Jackson team won the OHSAA Division I State Championship.

Andy Bucheit (Wittenberg '05) is 120-126 (.488) in his tenth season at Heidelberg. Bucheit was named the OAC Coach of the Year in 2020-2021. Before coming to Heidelberg, he was an assistant coach at Wittenberg University, where the Tigers went 30-4 and were the NCAA Division III runner-up. Bucheit also served as a graduate assistant at Ashland University from 2006-2008 and was an assistant coach at Marietta from 2008-2013.