ALLIANCE -- With the game essentially out of reach, down by 31 with 13:13 remaining in the game, the Heidelberg University men's basketball team nearly pulled off a comeback for the ages, but such efforts eventually ran out steam. No. 11 Mount Union fended off late pressure and walked away with a 93-80 win. 

The loss drops Heidelberg to 10-13 overall and 8-8 in OAC play. Mount Union moves to 20-3 overall and 14-1 in conference this season. 

Tamal Watkins paced Heidelberg with 19 points, while Curt Jacobs scored a season-best 18 points on 6-of-10 from beyond the arc. Dylan Woods was the lone other 'Berg player to reach double figures, scoring 17 points. Martone Cole led the team with seven rebounds, while Tamal Watkins chipped in a team-best three assists. 

After exchanging pleasantries early on, the Student Princes grabbed a brief lead with 16:26 remaining in the first half. First a pair of free throws off the fingertips of Tamal Watkins pushed HU's lead to 8-7 after trailing early on. Then Josh Dixon responded to a made jumper from Nathan Bower-Malone to put Heidelberg ahead 10-9. 

The Student Princes then faced an uphill climb for the remainder of the game as Mount Union erupted on a 12-0 run that built out a 21-10 lead. Dylan Woods' made jumper temporarily halted the Purple Raiders' surge, but Mount continued to fend off The Berg. 

The hosts even managed to build on their lead throughout the final 12:08 of the half, as they took a 53-35 advantage into the break. 

After the intermission, Mount Union showed just why they have surged to the top of the OAC standings and into the No. 11 spot nationally, by bulldozing their way to a 31-point lead at the 13:13 minute mark of the second half. 

However, the daunting 31-point deficit did not seem to rule Heidelberg out. The Student Princes responded by going on a 34-12 run over the space of 10:22 of the second half. The flourish of offensive saw seven different 'Berg shooters find the score sheet. Dylan Woods and Tamal Watkins each had eight, while Curt Jacobs added six in the run. 

Unfortunately for HU, the task of overcoming the 31-point deficit against the top team in the region proved to be just too much. In the final 2:51 of play, down by nine, Heidelberg seemed to be in full desperation mode. The Student Princes missed six crucial opportunities to score in the dying moments of the game, while resorting to fouling to stop the clock. In the bonus, Mount Union took advantage of their trips to the foul line and held off the resilient comeback effort. 

In the end, time ran out for the Student Princes as Mount hung on for the 93-80 win.  

The Purple Raiders shot a much more efficient 54% from the floor, while Heidelberg managed just 39%. Additionally, Mount was much more efficient from beyond the arc as they converted 50% of their attempts and HU was successful on just 32%. 

In addition to the final score and shooting percentages, Mount also held the upper-hand in rebounding (42 to 35), assists (13 to 11), and blocks (eight to two). The Berg did have 10 steals, seven more than Mount's three. 

Nathan Bower-Malone led all scorers with 22 points. Collen Gurley (17), D'Vontay Friga (15) and Logan Hill (14) also reached double digit scoring. Friga compiled a double-double as he led the game with 10 rebounds. 

Heidelberg will stay on the road for a Wednesday meeting at Ohio Northern. Tipoff in Ada is slated for 7 p.m. The game will prove vital as The Berg continues to jockey for position in the crowded OAC standings heading into the final week of the regular season. Full updated standings can be found on the OAC website.