WOOSTER, Ohio – Wednesday night's marquee pre-Thanksgiving, non-conference regional clash did not go The College of Wooster's way, as seventh-ranked University of Mount Union's all-around stellar effort resulted in a 94-76 win over the Fighting Scots' men's basketball team at Timken Gymnasium.
Wooster's (2-1) bright spot came when sophomore Jamir Billings' step-back triple fell at the 9:21 mark, and that trifecta gave the Scots a 27-25 lead. Prior to that, senior Turner Kurt dished the ball down low to junior Jake Hoffman for a layup to pull the Scots within one. After the three-ball, Billings chased down Mount Union's (5-0) Jeffrey Mansfield and picked his pocket following the Purple Raiders' guard jumping the passing lane on a Scots' possession.
Christian Parker's old-fashion three-point play with 7:46 left in the first half put Mount Union up for good. That started a 14-3 run by the Purple Raiders, and Mount Union maintained a double-digit lead for nearly the rest of the night.
Wooster did get off to a strong start. Kurt took charge down low for the game's opening bucket, then junior Elijah Meredith picked Parker's pocket. Next, Meredith's three-pointer gave the Scots a quick 5-0 lead before Mount Union tied the game in a 42-second span.
Mount Union's win was keyed by dominating several areas Wooster typically has a sizable advantage in. Included were points off turnovers, where the Purple Raiders nearly doubled up the Scots 27-14, points in the paint, won by Mount Union 34-30, and fast-break points, which the guests had 11 to the hosts' two.
An 8-for-8 showing at the charity stripe vaulted senior Najee Hardaway to high honors in the scoring column for Wooster at 14 points. Billings followed with 13 points and three assists. Elsewhere, first-year Vinni Veikalas rode a 7-for-8 line at the stripe to nine points, and he added four rebounds and three assists to his line. Junior Nick Everett led the team in rebounding at six.
Wooster shot 40.7 percent (24-of-59), went 7-of-20 on three-pointers, and was 21-of-28 at the stripe. The Scots did have 19 turnovers, but won the rebounding battle 39-32, with 14 of the 39 coming on the offensive glass.
Parker's 21 points led all scorers. Four Purple Raiders finished in double figures, including Jeffery Mansfield, who missed just one shot on the night.
Mount Union shot 53.6 percent (30-of-56), went 9-of-18 on three-balls, and 25-of-36 at the line.
The teams combined for 50 fouls, which resulted in 54 free throws. Seven players had at least four fouls in the contest.
Next, Wooster opens North Coast Athletic Conference play at home against Hiram College (3-3, 0-0 NCAC) on Wednesday, November 30. Tipoff is set for 7:15 p.m.