ALLIANCE, Ohio – A stiff road test was presented Saturday afternoon to the Otterbein men's basketball team, traveling up north and ultimately absorbing a 99-72 loss at No. 14-ranked Mount Union.

The Purple Raiders, extending their winning streak to 10 games, improve to 18-3 on the season with the trio of defeats occurring by a combined six points, all on the road. Otterbein, meanwhile, remains tied for eighth in the Ohio Athletic Conference standings with Muskingum.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Mount Union began with a quick 11-2 run and never trailed after the first minute, despite the Cards hanging close throughout the entire opening half.
   
• Otterbein clawed back to tie the contest, 32-32, with 6:56 remaining before intermission but went stone cold the rest of the period. Mount strung together a 22-2 run in that time span to open a 20-point margin at the break.
   
• The Cards did their best to trim the gap, slicing the deficit to 14 points shortly after halftime but unable to get any closer.

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

• Freshman Dallas Patrick continued his hot stretch, setting a new season-high with 28 on 12 of 20 shooting. It marked his third-straight game over 20 points.
   
• Justin Carter added 12 points of his own, on 6-of-7 shooting, as Otterbein did covert a solid 46 percent from the floor collectively.|
   
• Nathan Bower-Malone dropped 19 to lead four Purple Raiders in double figures. The hosts shot a blistering 62 percent as a group and finished with a 37-15 edge in bench scoring.

 
UP NEXT:

Otterbein will have a massive week ahead, hosting Ohio Northern on Wednesday and then Muskingum next Saturday afternoon in a pair of critical home games. The contests will go a long way in deciding who earns that eighth and final spot in the OAC Tournament.