ALLIANCE, Ohio -- The nationally ranked no. 8 Mount Union men's basketball team lost in the Ohio Athletic Conference semi-finals to Heidelberg 84-82 on Thursday evening. 

Leading the Purple Raiders (23-3, 14-2 OAC) was sophomore guard Chance Casenhiser (Uniontown / Lake), who scored a team-high 23 points. Senior forward Kevin Moore (Youngstown / Campbell Memorial) had a standout performance, scoring 12 points and grabbing nine rebounds, including four crucial offensive rebounds. Senior Dante Collier (Columbus / Licking Heights) was the third Purple Raider to reach double figures, contributing 11 points to the team's effort. 

Heidelberg (15-12, 7-9 OAC) was led by junior guard Markell Johnson-Nichols scored a team-high 22 points and senior guard Marcos Vazquez, who scored 21 points. 

The Student Princes began the game with a 13-5 run, taking an early lead with 16:00 left in the first half. Heidelberg then extended their advantage to 22-12 with 12:00 remaining. However, in the final 10 minutes, Mount Union found its rhythm. The Purple Raiders went on an impressive 11-0 run, narrowing the score to 22-20 with 9:10 left in the half. Mount Union continued to build momentum with another strong run, wrapping up the half with a 6-0 run and leading 38-35 at halftime. 

Heidelberg began the second half with momentum, launching an 8-0 run that gave them a 51-45 lead with 15:03 remaining. The game stayed close, with the Student Princes just ahead at 61-58 with 10:14 left. Both teams kept scoring back and forth. The crowd continued to get into it as the teams traded three-pointers, leading to a tie at 64 with 8:54 remaining. 

Mount Union went on a 14-4 run to take a 69-65 lead with 6:47 remaining in the game. A big spark off the bench for the Purple Raiders was freshman guard Cam Weekley (Massillon / Jackson), who scored eight points, knocking down two three-pointers. 

The Purple Raiders were leading 77-76 with 2:10 left on the clock. It was an exciting finish, with both teams exchanging baskets and the gymnasium filled with energy. Heidelberg managed to regain the lead and ultimately secured an 84-82 victory.

The Raiders will now have to wait and see if they receive an at-large bid into the 2025-26 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament when the selection show airs on Monday, March 2 at 1 p.m. on NCAA.com.