ALLIANCE, Ohio – Mount Union's men's basketball team defeated Heidelberg 77-66 in the semifinals of the Ohio Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Tournament on Thursday evening.

The Purple Raiders (18-8, 14-4 OAC) had two players score in double figures with sophomore Elijah Farrington (Massillon / Massillon Washington) leading the way with a career and game-high 25 points and freshman Chance Casenhiser (Uniontown / Lake) added in 14 points to round out the Raiders in double digits.

The Student Princes (17-10, 12-6 OAC) were led by Eric Panning and Manny Hill who scored 21 points apiece.

Over the first seven minutes of the game both teams would go back and forth with neither able to gain an edge as they would be tied at 15 apiece with just under 13 minutes left in the first half. Heidelberg would then go on a 10-1 run over the next 4:59 to take a 25-16 lead with 7:51 remaining in the first half. Mount Union would answer with an 8-2 run of their own over the next minute and a half of action to cut the lead down to three with 6:24 left to play in the half. The Student Princes would maintain their lead over the remainder of the half as they would take a 39-31 lead into the halftime break.

Both teams would once again trade baskets over the first eight minutes of the second half before the Raiders would go on an 8-0 run over the next 2:21 of game time to tie the game at 52 with 10:41 remaining in the game. After back-to-back baskets by the Student Princes, Mount Union would go on a 15-2 run over the next five and a half minutes to take their largest lead of game at 67-58 with four minutes left to play in the game. Heidelberg wouldn't be able to get closer than six over the final four minutes of action as the Raiders would go on to win 77-66.

With the win the Raiders advance to the OAC Tournament Championship game to take on John Carroll at University Heights, Ohio on Saturday, March 1 at 2 p.m.