ALLIANCE, Ohio – The No. 4 nationally ranked Mount Union men's basketball team beat Heidelberg 83-67 in the semifinals of the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament in the Timken Gymnasium Thursday night.

Mount Union advances to its fourth OAC championship game in the last five years.

The Purple Raiders (24-2) were led by junior Christian Parker (Canton / GlenOak) who finished with a double-double scoring 27 points and grabbing a career-high 16 rebounds. Parker broke the school record for single season blocks with 52 as he recorded four in the game.

Senior Collen Gurley (Akron / Hoban) scored 21 points along with eight rebounds. Senior Jeffery Mansfield (Wilmington) scored 11 points to go along with eight assists and seven rebounds.

Heidelberg (19-8) was led by Isiah Young who scored a team-high 24 points.

The game began on a Mount Union 7-0 run anchored by a Gurley three-point shot followed by layups from Mansfield and Parker. Heidelberg responded immediately with an 8-0 run to take the lead which was short-lived as Mansfield sank two free throws igniting a 9-2 run for the Raiders. With seven minutes left in the half, Mount Union went on 14-0 run to take a 37-23 lead with four minutes left in the first half. Both teams traded baskets over the final four minutes to give the Raiders a 43-29 lead heading into the halftime break.

The first seven minutes of the second half saw neither team pull away but a 9-2 run over 1:23 capped off by a dunk from Parker and Mansfield pushed Mount Union's lead to 64-46. Mount Union extended its lead out to 23 points leading 75-52 after a pair of free throws from freshman Corey Hudson (Columbus / Pickerington). Heidelberg could not get within 14 points over the final 8:21 of the game.

Mount Union will take on Marietta in a rematch of last year's OAC championship game after Marietta came back from 18 points down against John Carroll in the other OAC semifinal game Mount Union will host in the Timken Gymnasium on Saturday, February 25th at 3 p.m.