Mount Union men's basketball team sets program record with 11-0 start

ALLIANCE — Mount Union's perfect run was in peril.

By day's end, it was pretty historic.

The Purple Raiders broke a 100-year-old team record by winning their 11th straight game to start the season on Saturday, Dec. 20. Chance Casenhiser hit two free throws with three seconds left to help Mount Union close out Ohio Northern 73-71 at the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex.

Earlier in the week the 2025-26 Purple Raiders joined the 1925-26 Purple Raiders as the only men's basketball teams in school history to win their first 10 games. Today the 2025-26 Purple Raiders stand alone.

"It's unbelievable the things we can do with each other if we stay solid and keep growing each and every day," Casenhiser said. "We're 11-0. We're going to see how far we can go."

The Purple Raiders (11-0, 4-0) will go as far as their depth takes them. Their second unit against Ohio Northern is the biggest reason why their winning streak remains intact.

Mount Union trailed 45-36 in the second half when head coach Mike Fuline put Cam Weekley, Jarrett Taylor, Jack Dunbar, Dante Collier and Shaun Vaden on the court. The five reserves led a 13-0 run over the next five minutes that pushed the Purple Raiders in front for good. Dunbar scored six points during the run.

"They came with some great energy," Fuline said. "We needed it.

"We were very flat. We have a couple guys going through some nagging injuries, and I think it got to them a little bit mentally.

"We would have finished the game with that group if they weren't tired."

Casenhiser praised his teammates on the second unit.

"They came in and played with just unbelievable energy in the second half," Casenhiser said. "We were dead. The first group was turning it over.

"That second group, man, they get all the love in the world for what they did. They brought us back in the game. ... They gave us that energy, that flow, to get to where we were and win the game."

Mount Union's second unit fed off its defense. Ohio Northern turned the ball over on six straight possessions during the Purple Raiders' 13-0 run.

"When shots aren't going in, which they weren't toward the beginning, we really rely on defense," Collier said. "Shaun and Jarrett had a couple of blocks. (Dunbar) had a few steals. I think our press really sped them up, and we were able to create some turnovers and get some easy buckets."

Casenhiser finished with a game-high 19 points. Collier and Elijah Farrington each scored nine points for Mount Union. Farrington also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.

The record-setting winning streak to start the season is just one milestone the Purple Raiders hope to reach.

"It feels good," Collier said. "We never started off this hot before, but we want to end the season with the best (winning streak) in history."

Reach Mike at [email protected]

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The Canton Repository sports department can be contacted via email at [email protected].

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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Mount Union NCAA D3 men's basketball score vs. Ohio Northern