Mount Union’s Jacubec named OAC’s freshman of the year

Staff report

ALLIANCE

Mount Union’s Nate Jacubec has been named Ohio Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year in men’s basketball.

Jacubec (Struthers) led all conference freshmen and was second on the team in scoring (11.8 points per game). He scored a season-high 24 points against Baldwin-Wallace and led the team in free throw shooting (82.5 percent) while finishing second in assists (47).

Also, Mount Union senior forward Jimmy Wood (Indian Creek) was selected all-conference first team. Wood was the conference’s top scorer (17.9) and 3-point shooter (62). He also had a team-high 5.2 rebounds per game. He is eighth all-time at Mount Union with 1,287 points.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Mount Union has been selected to host the first two rounds of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

The Purple Raiders (26-1), ranked No. 6 in the d3hoops.com poll, will play host to La Roche (Pa.) on Friday in a first-round game, after Catholic (D.C.) plays Muhlenberg (Pa.). That game will be played at 5 p.m., with the Mount Union-La Roche game scheduled for 7 p.m.

The winners will play on Saturday at 7 p.m.

The Presidents’ Athletic Conference qualified two teams to the NCAA tournament.

League champion Thomas More will host Louisiana College, Maryville and Illinois Wesleyan. Saint Vincent will play York (Pa.) at Juniata (Pa.).

MEN’S BASKETBALL

The NCAA Division III tournament bracket was announced on Monday.

Presidents’ Athletic Conference champion Bethany (25-3) earned the automatic bid and will play Thursday at St. Mary’s (Md.), which is 19-7. That winner will then play on Saturday at Virginia Wesleyan (25-3).

Ohio Wesleyan (20-7), Wittenberg (21-6) and Wooster (24-4) were selected out of the North Coast Athletic Conference, and Capital (18-9) was selected out of the Ohio Athletic Conference.