Matchup

No. 2 seed Mount Union will travel to No. 1 seed John Carroll for the Ohio Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Tournament Championship on Saturday, February 24 at 2 p.m. in University Heights, Ohio.

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

You can buy your tickets here.

The Purple Raiders (20-6, 12-6 OAC) are second in the OAC in scoring offense at 82.6 points per game and are fourth in the conference in scoring defense allowing just 73.5 points per game.

Senior Christian Parker (Canton / GlenOak) leads the team and the OAC in scoring averaging 20.6 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 4.4 per game and senior Darrell Newsom (Twinsburg) leads the OAC in three-point shooting percentage, shooting 44.5-percent.

The Blue Streaks (24-2, 17-1 OAC) lead the OAC in scoring offense, averaging 85.8 points per game and they are second in the conference in scoring defense allowing 71.5 points per game.

John Carroll is led by Luke Frazier and Luke Chicone who are third and fourth in the OAC in scoring, averaging 19.1 and 18.6 points per game respectively. Frazier also leads their team in rebounding with 6.4 per game, while Chicone leads the Blue Streaks in assists with 5.1 per game.

OAC Tournament History

It is the 64th OAC Tournament appearance for Mount Union as the Raiders have a 41-58 record and won titles in 1997, 2015, 2020 and 2023.

John Carroll is making its 34th OAC Tournament appearance with a 37-29 record and won titles in 2003, 2004, 2009, 2011, 2016 and 2018.

Mount Union and John Carroll have met nine previous times in the OAC Tournament with the Blue Streaks holding a 5-4 lead in tournament games.

2022 – No. 2 Mount Union 93, No. 10 John Carroll 65 (Quarterfinals)

2020- No. 1 Mount Union 85, No. 3 John Carroll 74 (Finals)

2019- No. 2 Mount Union 94, No. 6 John Carroll 84 (Second Round)

2016- No. 3 Mount Union 74, No. 2 John Carroll 93 (Semifinals)

2015- No. 3 Mount Union 89, No. 2 John Carroll 88 (OT) (Semifinals)

2014- No. 1 Mount Union 81, No. 5 John Carroll 83 (Semifinals)

2011- No. 7 Mount Union 68, No. John Carroll 75 (Quarterfinals)

2004- No. 6 Mount Union 74, No. 1 John Carroll 76 (Finals)

1994- No. 8 Mount Union 72, No. 1 John Carroll 100 (Quarterfinals)

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.

Pete Moran (John Carroll '08) is 92-54 (.630) in his seventh season as head coach at John Carroll. Moran has led the Blue Streaks to three 20-win seasons in 2017-18, 2022-23 and 2023-24, where they also won the OAC Regular Season Championships in 2017-18, 2022-23 and 2023-24 and a Tournament championship in 2017-18 and had a NCAA Sweet 16 appearance. Before returning to John Carroll, Moran served as the head coach of Berkshire High School from 2008-11. He also served as an assistant coach under his father, Mike Moran at John Carroll for five seasons before being promoted to head coach.