Both ONU men’s and women’s basketball teams lost to Mt. Union on Saturday. The men’s game follows and the women’s game is below the men’s.
Ohio Northern got 28 points, nine rebounds and four assists from senior All-American center Ryan Bruns(Chickasaw/Marion Local), but the ONU men's basketball team fell 79-71 at Mount Union on Saturday afternoon at the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex.
The Polar Bears fall to 4-15 overall and 0-12 in the Ohio Athletic Conference, while the Purple Raiders improve to 15-4, 9-3.
Senior forward Daniel Donner (Belleville/Northmor) added 11 points and juniors Caleb Bryan (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) and Austin Allemeier (Lima/Elida) chipped in 10 points each for ONU.
UMU had three players in double figures in scoring, led by Nathan Bower-Malone with 20.
The Purple Raiders built a 66-48 lead with 7:45 left in the game, but the Polar Bears mounted a furious rally.
A 10-0 run, sparked by seven consecutive points from Bruns and a 3-pointer from sophomore Colton Bachman(Piqua), pulled ONU within 3:59 left.
A 3 by senior Kevin Austin (Cincinnati/Winton Woods) made it 77-71 with 19 seconds to play, but Bower-Malone would make two free throws five seconds later and UMU would hold on for the win.
Ohio Northern made 24-of-54 field goal attempts for 44.4 percent and were 7-of-17 from 3-point range for 41.2 percent, while Mount Union was 32-of-62 from the field for 51.6 percent and made 4-of-15 shots from beyond the arc for 26.7 percent.
ONU won the rebounding battle 33-30. UMU forced Ohio Northern into 14 turnovers, while Northern's defense forced five Mount Union turnovers.
The Polar Bears will return home on Wednesday for a 7 pm contest against Baldwin Wallace at the ONU Sports Center.
ONU women’s game
A late, ten-foot jump shot from the Purple Raiders' Rachel Tinkey proved to be the difference Saturday afternoon as the Ohio Northern women's basketball program fell in a tight-knit, 59-57 battle to Ohio Athletic Conference foe Mount Union inside the ONU Sports Center.
Late in the fourth quarter, the two sides drew even at 55-55 with 1:54 remaining in the contest. However, the visitors capitalized on a Polar Bear turnover moments later, racing down the court for a fastbreak lay-up to pull ahead during the game's late stages.
ONU would not go quietly as senior guard Alyssa Manley (Lima/Bath) responded with a pull-up jumper to level the scoreline at 57-all and force a Mount Union timeout.
Following the break, Tinkey received the ball on the right wing, drove toward the baseline, and drained the game-winning shot with one second remaining. The Polar Bears would receive one final opportunity to send the game into extra time, but senior Jenna Dirksen's (Beavercreek/Carroll) turnaround jump shot in the paint fell just short as time expired.
With the loss, Ohio Northern moves to 11-8 overall this season and to 5-7 against the conference loop. Meanwhile, the Purple Raiders end a three-game losing skid, improving to 14-5 overall and to 7-5 in the OAC.
Dirksen contributed a team-high 12 points in the conference affair on four-for-eight shooting, which included eight points in the fourth quarter. The senior also connected on all four free throws attempted, hauled in three rebounds, and recorded a steal.
Junior center Emily Mescher (Maria Stein/Marion Local) and sophomore guard Emily Brock (Akron/Revere) each chipped in nine points Saturday afternoon. The former drained a team-high five free throws and also registered six rebounds and two assists. Meanwhile, the latter recorded her nine points on three-for-five shooting, including two made three-pointers, and added a rebound.
Senior forward Tori Wyss (Ada) paced Ohio Northern on the glass, bringing down a team-high eight rebounds.
As a team, Ohio Northern shot 45.2% (19-42) from the floor and drilled 16 free throws in the contest. The Purple Raiders shot at a 38.7% (24-62) shooting clip and outrebounded the Polar Bears 32-30.
ONU will return to action next Wednesday evening when the team travels to Baldwin Wallace for a midweek OAC showdown. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. inside Ursprung Gymnasium.
