ALLIANCE, Ohio – Mount Union's men's basketball team defeated Marietta 82-77 in an Ohio Athletic Conference matchup on Wednesday evening.
The Purple Raiders (8-4, 5-0 OAC) had five players score in double figures with fifth-year
Christian Parker (Canton / GlenOak) leading the way with a team-high 17 points. Freshman
Jarrett Taylor (Uniontown / Green) scored a career-high 14 points, while also grabbing a career-high 10 rebounds for his first career double-double. Freshman
Chance Casenhiser (Uniontown / Lake) added in 14 points, sophomore
Elijah Farrington (Massillon / Massillon Washington) scored 11 and senior
Marcus Steele (Solon) added in 10 points to round out the Raiders in double digits.
The Pioneers (7-5, 1-4 OAC) were led by Frank Waganfeald who scored a game-high 18 points, Jack Main added in 16 and De'Ovion Price scored 11 points.
Mount Union would jump out to an early 7-1 lead just three minutes into the game and would maintain their lead over the next 9:27 of game time before Marietta would cut the lead down to 26-24 with 6:42 remaining in the first half. The Raiders would then go on an 11-4 run over the next three and a half minutes to push the lead out to 11. Both teams would trade baskets back and forth over the final three and a half minutes of the half as the Raiders would take a 43-33 lead into the halftime break.
The Pioneers would open the second half with a 7-1 run over the first three minutes to cut the lead down to four. Mount Union would then answer with a 7-0 run of their own to push the lead back out to 10 at 55-45 with 13:33 left to play in the game. Marietta would chip away at the Raider lead over the next six minutes, cutting it down to three with seven and a half minutes left in the game. Both teams would go back and forth over the next several minutes before the Pioneers would take their first lead of the game at 77-76 with a minute remaining in the game. Mount Union would close the game on a 6-0 run to take home the 82-77 win.
The Raiders are home again next when they host Heidelberg on Saturday, January 11 at 3 p.m. in the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex.