Matchup
No. 2 seed Mount Union will host No. 3 see Heidelberg in the semifinals of the Ohio Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Tournament on Thursday, February 26 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 (17-8, 14-4 OAC) are third in the OAC in scoring offense, averaging 78.0 points per game and are fourth in the OAC in scoring defense allowing just 71.5 points per game.

Fifth-year Christian Parker (Canton / GlenOak) leads the way for the Raiders, averaging 17.1 points per game which ranks fourth in the conference. Parker and sophomore Elijah Farrington (Massillon / Massillon Washington) rank second and third in the OAC in rebounding, with Farrington averaging 9.5 per game and Parker grabbing 7.8 per game, Farrington also ranks second in field goal percentage, shooting 61.1-percent from the floor. Senior Marcus Steele (Solon) leads Mount Union in assists, averaging 2.9 per game which puts him in the top 10 in the conference.

The Student Princes (17-9, 12-6 OAC) lead the conference in scoring offense, averaging 82.8 points per game and rank sixth in scoring defense allowing 75.5 points per game.

Elijah Harden leads the way for Heidelberg, averaging 16.3 points per game and ranks fourth in the OAC in three-point field goal percentage, shooting 40.8-percent. Eric Panning adds 14.5 points per game and grabs an OAC leading 10.1 rebounds per game. Markell Johnson-Nichols leads the Student Princes and ranks fourth in the conference in assist, averaging 4.0 per game.

OAC Tournament History

It is the 65th OAC Tournament appearance for Mount Union as the Raiders have a 41-59 record and won titles in 1997, 2015, 2020 and 2023.

Heidelberg is making its 61st OAC Tournament Appearance and have a 47-58 record and won the title in 2008.

Mount Union and Heidelberg have met eight previous times in the OAC Tournament with the Raiders holding a 7-1 lead in tournament games. This will be the
fourth consecutive year the Raiders and Student Princes have met in the semifinals.
 
2024- No. 2 Mount Union 91, No. 3 Heidelberg 85 (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 will advance to Saturday's OAC Tournament Championship game and will play the winner of No. 1 seed John Carroll and No. 4 seed Muskingum at a time to be determined, with the highest remaining seed hosting the game.

Coaches

Mike Fuline (Kent State '98) is 261-113 (.698) in his 14th 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 and became the All-Time Winningest Coach in program history with his 251st career win earlier this season. 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 153-147 (.510) in his 12th 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.