Men’s Basketball falls in overtime to Ohio Northern

The Muskingum men's basketball team fell in the opening round of the OAC Tournament to Ohio Northern in overtime, 82-73.

The Basics

• Records: Muskingum (6-20 Overall), Ohio Northern (10-14 Overall)
• Location: ONU Sports Center – Ada, Ohio
• Attendance: 259

How it Happened

• The beginning of the game saw both teams struggle to build a consistent lead, as there were six lead changes in the opening five minutes. Muskingum was eventually able to grab a 16-11 advantage with just under 15 minutes left in the first half.
• Muskingum maintained their slim advantage for the remainder of the half, and the Muskies carried a 36-32 lead into halftime.
• Out of the break, Muskingum was able to quickly extend their lead to seven. However, Ohio Northern used a 5-0 run to cut Muskingum's lead back down to two.
• Despite the Polar Bear's momentum, the Muskies rattled of eight straight points to extend their lead back to 10.
• Ohio Northern quickly answered with a 13-2 run of their own to take a 55-54 lead, their first lead since 15:07 left in the first half.
• Both teams traded baskets down the stretch, and Muskingum found themselves trailing 70-67 with two seconds remaining.
• Despite trailing in the final seconds, senior Alex Masinelli drilled a fadeaway three pointer from the corner to tie the game at 70 apiece and send the game to overtime.
• However, despite Muskingum's late game heroics, Ohio Northern was able to hang on for their 82-73 overtime victory.

Inside the Numbers

• Muskingum was led by senior Alex Masinelli with 23 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists.
• Freshman Zaveon Croff tallied 15 points for Muskingum, while senior Carson Carter added seven.
• Junior Noah Begue also chipped in seven points, and sophomore Bradley Russell added six.
• Ohio Northern was led by CJ Napier with 27 points.
• On the night, Muskingum shot 27-of-66 (40.9%) from the field, while Ohio Northern went 28-of-66 (42.4%).