Masinelli’s 39 points fuels Muskies past ONU

Behind senior Alex Masinelli's game-high 39 points, the Muskingum men's basketball team topped Ohio Northern, 76-69.

Up Next

• Muskingum will be the nine-seed in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament and play at eight-seed Ohio Northern in the opening round on Monday, February 21. The game time is set for 7:00 p.m. The Muskies swept the regular-season series against the Polar Bears. 

The Basics

• Records: Muskingum (6-19 Overall, 3-15 OAC), Ohio Northern (9-14 Overall, 3-13 OAC)
• Location: ONU Sports Center – Ada, Ohio 
• Attendance: 442

How it Happened

• Early on, the Muskies jumped out to a quick 16-8 lead with just under 13 minutes left in the first half.
• Riding their momentum, Muskingum pushed their lead out to 23-12 midway through the opening half.
• Ohio Northern was able to trim the Muskie lead down to seven on multiple occasions, but Muskingum rebounded and built a 44-31 lead heading into halftime.
• Out of the break, the Polar Bears opened on a 15-2 run to quickly tie the game at 46.
• Despite Ohio Northern holding all the momentum, the Muskies were able to settle in and recapture the lead at 48-46 with just under 15 minutes remaining.
• Muskingum would not surrender their lead for the remainder of the game, securing their clutch 76-69 win.

Inside the Numbers

• The Muskies were led by senior Alex Masinelli with a game-high 39 points. Masinelli also added seven rebounds.
• Senior MJ Smith and freshman DJ Donnell each tallied nine points for Muskingum.
• Freshman Zachary Chatmon chipped in seven points and a team-high eight rebounds.
• Ohio Northern was led by Brandon Waugh with 22 points.
• On the day, Muskingum shot 32-of-65 (49.2%) from the field, while Ohio Northern went 25-of-60 (41.7%).