ALLIANCE, Ohio -- Laron Mann hit a three-pointer at buzzer to lift LaRoche (Pa.) to a 68-65 come from behind overtime victory against Mount Union in a men's basketball game Monday night at the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex in Alliance.
Mann, who scored a game-high 21 points, took a pass from Joel McIntosh 35 feet from the basket as the Redhawks went the length of the floor for the win. LaRoche improved to 9-1 on the season as it played its first road game since the death of head coach Scott Lang 10 days ago.
Jimmy Wood (Wintersville/Indian Creek) scored 13 of his 18 points in the second half and Dave Pellerite (Olmsted Falls/Olmsted Falls) had 10 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists but Mount Union (3-7) went the final three minutes of regulation and the entire five minute overtime period without a field goal.
The Purple Raiders jumped out to an 11-2 lead in the game's opening seven minutes, but LaRoche rallied to score 16 of the next 22 points and took its first lead of the game, 18-17 on a dunk by Oneal Brown with 7:25 left in the half.
Mount Union ran the lead back out to seven, but the Redhawks rallied again and the Raiders took a 29-28 lead into the half.
Mount Union again extended the lead back out to eight points, 40-32 in the first six minutes of the second half.
LaRoche would not go away as it went on a 9-1 run to tie the game at 41 with just under 12 minutes in regulation.
The Raiders again pushed the lead back out to six points, 57-51, at the 4:25 mark and took a 59-55 lead on a Pellerite layup with 3:03 left in the second half.
Mike Dixon would hit a pair of layups inbetween a pair of Mann free throws as LaRoche would take a 61-59 with 1:11 left.
Pellerite would then hit the Raiders only points over the final three minutes, a pair of free throws, to tie the game and send it to overtime.
In the extra session, Derek Barber-Richards would give the Redhawks their first lead since Brown's dunk in the first half with a three-pointer, 64-61.
Mount Union missed its first five shots of the overtime but a pair of Wood brought the Raiders within one, 64-63 with 1:28 to play.
Each team traded possesions before David Jackson made one of two free throws to put LaRoche back up 65-63.
Hodkinson then tied the game on a running layup with four seconds left that set up Mann's heroics.
Mount Union will play for a third time in five days when it travels Wednesday to Muskingum for an Ohio Athletic Conference game at 7:30 pm in New Concord.