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 22 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 (19-6, 12-6 OAC) are second in the OAC in scoring offense at 82.2 points per game and are fourth in the conference in scoring defense allowing just 73.0 points per game.

Senior Christian Parker (Canton / GlenOak) leads the team in scoring and the OAC in scoring averaging 20.9 points per game, he also leads the team and is third in the conference in rebounds averaging nine per game. Parker also leads the conference in blocks, averaging 1.8 a game.  Sophomore Corey Hudson (Columbus / Pickerington) sits third in the conference in assists, averaging 4.3 per game and senior Darrell Newsom (Twinsburg) leads the OAC in three-point shooting percentage, shooting 44.6-percent.

The Student Princes (16-10, 11-7 OAC) are fourth in the OAC in scoring offense at 80.3 points per game and are fifth in scoring defense allowing 73.3 points per game.

Heidelberg is led by Isaiah Young who is averaging 15.9 points per game and Eric Panning who scores 14.9 per game. Panning also leads the team and conference in rebounding, grabbing 11.8 per game.

OAC Tournament History

It is the 64th OAC Tournament appearance for Mount Union as the Raiders have a 40-58 record and won titles in 1997, 2015, 2020 and 2023.

Heidelberg is making its 60th OAC Tournament Appearance and have a 46-57 record and won the title in 2008.

Mount Union and Heidelberg have met seven previous times in the OAC Tournament with the Raiders holding a 6-1 lead in tournament games. This will be the third consecutive year the Raiders and Student Princes have met in the semifinals.

2023- No. 2 Mount Union 83, No. 3 Heidelberg 67 (Semifinals)

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. 5 seed Marietta at a time to be determined, with the highest remaining seed hosting the game.

Coaches

Mike Fuline (Kent State '98) is 243-104 (.700) in his 13th 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 in 2015, 2020 and 2023, NCAA Sweet 16 appearances in 2015 and 2020 and the NCAA National Championship game in 2023. 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 136-137 (.498) in his 11th 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.