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University of Mount Union

Athletics Site of the Mount Union Purple Raiders
Athletics Site of the Mount Union Purple Raiders
MBB OAC Champ
Photo by Tim McCarty
80
Marietta MAR 17-11,10-8 OAC
95
Winner Mount Union MTU 25-2,16-2 OAC
Marietta MAR
17-11,10-8 OAC
80
Final
95
Mount Union MTU
25-2,16-2 OAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Marietta MAR 30 50 80
Mount Union MTU 49 46 95

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Bennett Caruso

Men's Basketball: No. 4 Raiders Beat Marietta to Win OAC Tournament Title

Christian Parker and Jeffery Mansfield Named to All-OAC Tournament Team

ALLIANCE, Ohio – The No. 4 nationally ranked Mount Union men's basketball team defeated Marietta 95-80 in the Ohio Athletic Conference championship game Saturday afternoon in the Timken Gymnasium.

This marked the Raiders' fourth OAC Tournament Title in program history (1997, 2015, 2020, and 2023). 

The Purple Raiders (25-2) were led by junior Christian Parker (Canton / GlenOak) who scored game-high 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Seniors Jeffery Mansfield (Wilmington) and Darrell Newsom (Twinsburg) finished with 19 points each. Freshman Corey Hudson (Columbus/Pickerington) helped the Raiders with 12 points.

Marietta (17-12) was led by Cooper Parrott with 21 points and Lovenson Xavier scored 15 points. Danny Floyd and Frank Waganfeald both contributed 10 points each.

Newsom and Mansfield would hit back-to-back three-point shots to start the game. Junior Christian Parker (Canton/GlenOak) would answer immediately with a three-point-shot of his own to give the Raiders a 9-0 lead. After a few possessions, Mount Union would go on a 14-0 run sparked at 17:02. Seven minutes later, Marietta hit two quick baskets to bring the score to 27-11. Both teams traded basket-for-basket, but Mount Union continued their hot shooting as their largest lead of the game was 19 points. At the end of the first half of play, the Raiders led 49-30.

Senior Collen Gurley (Akron / Hoban) began the second half with a deep three-point shot. Both teams shooting lights out, but Mount Union managed to get their largest lead of the game, 75-53. At 7:31, Marietta managed to put together eight straight points to cut the lead down to 81-67. Marietta wouldn't be able to get closer than 10 for the remainder of the game as the Raiders would go on to win the OAC Tournament Championship 95-80.

Parker was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player and Mansfield was named to the All-OAC Tournament Team.

The Purple Raiders claimed an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament, and they will find who and where they play when the NCAA Division III Selection Show airs on Monday, February 27 at 1 p.m.

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