Third-Ranked Mount Union Survives Raven Rally in NCAA Tournament

The University of Mount Union survived the rally of the Anderson men's basketball team with a 73-65 victory in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday in Alliance, Ohio.

Mount Union (26-2), which is ranked No. 3 in the latest D3hoops.com national poll, held a 16-point lead in the second half. The Ravens (18-10) came within striking distance as they trailed the Purple Raiders 65-64 under the two-minute mark. Mount Union's Darnell Newsom drained a 3-pointer with 1 minute, 26 seconds to take a 68-64 lead. Collen Gurley came up with a steal on the following possession to help seal the game for Mount Union.

Anderson competed in the program's second-ever NCAA Tournament after last making the tournament in 2010. The Ravens also captured the program's first-ever Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Tournament title a week earlier. Anderson went 14-4 in conference play and earned a share of the HCAC regular-season title.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Anderson jumped out to a 4-0 lead as Tate Ivanyo and Jordan Gadis scored the first two baskets of the game.
• After Mount Union tied the game at 6-6, Fred Shropshire knocked down a 3-pointer to give Anderson a 9-6 lead with 16:54 left in the first half.
• Collen Gurley once again tied the game with a 3-pointer for the Purple Raiders, but Elijah Mattingly took the lead back for the Ravens with a 3-pointer as Anderson led 12-9 with 15:54 left in the first half.
• Trailing Anderson 15-13 with 14:00 left in the first half, Mount Union put together a 12-0 run during the next 5:13 to go ahead 25-15 with 8:47 left in the first half.
• The Ravens cut the lead to 31-26 before the Purple Raiders took a 43-32 lead into halftime.
• Mount Union built a 57-41 lead with 12:08 to go.
• During the next 3:31, Anderson compiled a 12-3 run, which included five points from Bryson Huckeby. The Purple Raiders led 60-53 with 8:10 to go.
• The Ravens began to chip away and Ivanyo drained a 3-pointer to make the score 63-62 with 3:23 to go.
• Braedon Poole made a pair of free throws for the Purple Raiders, but Mattingly responded with a dunk to cut the lead to 65-64. Anderson brought the game within one point in the final two minutes.
• Poole found Darnell Newsom with a clutch 3-pointer as Mount Union took a 68-64 lead with 1:26 to go.
• On the following possession, Gurley came up with a critical steal to help put the game out of reach.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Anderson committed 13 turnovers while Mount Union turned the ball over just seven times. The Purple Raiders outscored the Ravens 17-8 off turnovers.
• Mount Union held a 43-38 rebounding advantage.
• The Purple Raiders racked up 20 assists on the game.
• Mount Union knocked down 28-of-65 (43.1 percent) shots from the field while Anderson converted 23-of-59 (39.0 percent) attempts from the floor.
• Anderson made 9-of-31 (29.0 percent) shots from 3-point range while Mount Union hit 7-of-22 (31.8 percent) attempts from the perimeter.
• The Purple Raiders knocked down 18-of-35 (51.4 percent) shots from the floor in the first half and 10-of-30 (33.3 percent) attempts from the field in the second half.
• Anderson hit 10-of-14 (71.4 percent) shots from the free-throw line while Mount Union made 10-of-21 (47.6 percent) attempts from the charity stripe in the second half.
• Tate Ivanyo – 14 Points
• Elijah Mattingly – 12 Points, 8 Rebounds
• Bryson Huckeby – 12 Rebounds, 7 Points
• Camden Smith – 9 Points, 4 Assists
• Fred Shropshire – 9 Points
• Jordan Gadis – 7 Points
• Alex Hunt – 5 Points
• Gavin Dowling – 2 Points

COACH CARTER COLLINS'S COMMENTS

Man, we were right there. Down by one with under two minutes to play, and just couldn't quite complete the comeback. I'm still proud of the guys - we certainly don't have anything to hang our heads about. Nobody has beaten Mount Union on their home court all year, and we came about as close as anybody.

The future is definitely bright for this program. We have a ton of talented guys in our locker room, and they are incredibly fun to work with, as well. I can't wait to get back out there.