ALLIANCE – Despite four 'Berg players scoring in double figures, the Heidelberg University Men's basketball team fell to No. 12 Mount Union, 84-79 on Saturday. Eric Panning continued his double-double streak, extending it to 15 games straight in the loss. 

Isaiah Young led all HU scorers with 17. Eric Panning, Tre Watkins, and Markell Johnson-Nichols all scored in double figures in the loss. 

The hosts got off to a quick 13-5 lead following a Christian Parker three that forced Heidelberg (10-5, 6-2 OAC) to take an early timeout. Following the timeout, HU closed their deficit to 17-16 following a fastbreak score from Johnson-Nichols with under ten minutes left in the half.

The Student Princes took a 28-27 lead following a Johnson-Nichols steal that led to an Isaiah Young three-point play with 5:48 left on the clock. Not phased, the Purple Raiders (13-2, 6-2 OAC) took back a six-point advantage after a Parker score in the paint. 

Johnson-Nichols knocked down a shot from distance with 34 seconds left in the half, but the home team countered with a jump shot just before the buzzer to take the 44-39 lead into the break.

Panning got things started in the second half of action knocking down a three to cut the hosts lead to just three. Two 'Berg turnovers allowed the Purple Raiders to capitalize and stretch their lead to 49-41. Mount Union forced a Heidelberg timeout after taking their largest lead of the game, 54-42. 

Following the timeout, the Student Princes went on a 13-0 run to take back the lead 55-54 after a Tre Watkins shot from behind the arc. It was a back-and-forth affair, and the hosts went on their own 7-0 run to take back the lead.

Both teams kept trading buckets as the game continued and a Zachary Chatmon bucket tied things at 74-74 with just under five minutes left in the game. With Mount Union holding the 79-75 advantage with just 1:53 left to play, both teams would go scoreless until 27 seconds left on the clock as Corey Hudsen sank two from the charity stripe. 

While The Berg fought hard until the end, missed shots down the stretch helped aid in the 84-79 victory for the Purple Raiders.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
Panning's 15 double-doubles on the season puts him just one behind Myron Prewitt who had 16 in 2018-19 … Heidelberg's bench outscored Mount Union's bench, 29-18 … Johnson-Nichols notched a career-high 13 points

UP NEXT:
The men will host Baldwin Wallace on Wednesday in a mid-week tilt. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.