MARIETTA, Ohio — The Marietta College men's basketball team will make its 47th appearance in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament Wednesday (Feb. 24) night when the eighth-seeded Pioneers visit OAC Regular Season Champion and top-seeded #25 John Carroll University for a OAC Quarterfinal match-up at the DeCarlo Varsity Center in University Heights. [
Marietta Game Notes]
[Live Stats]
Marietta at John Carroll is one of four quarterfinal games that will take place Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. Second-seeded Wilmington will play host to seventh-seeded Mount Union, third-seeded Capital will welcome sixth-seeded Baldwin-Wallace and fourth-seeded Ohio Northern will play host to fifth-seeded Heidelberg. The winners advance to the semifinal round played at the site of the highest remaining seed on Friday (Feb. 26). The championship game will be played at the same site as the semifinal round on Saturday (Feb. 27).
The Pioneers, under the helm of third-year Head Coach
Jon VanderWal, are making their second straight trip to the OAC Tournament after missing out the previous four seasons. Marietta enters this year's OAC Tournament with a 10-15 record overall and finished 6-12 in league play. Marietta is 24-46 in 46 appearances all-time in the OAC Tournament. The Pioneers have a pair of runner-up finishes, taking second place in 1986 and 1996. They are 10-13 in first round games since 1983 and 12-24 in first round games since 1970. The OAC Tournament was divided into divisions from 1970-82 and then moved from a 10-team tournament to an eight team tournament in 2004-05.
The Blue Streaks, led by 18th-year Head Coach Mike Moran, are in the OAC Tournament for a 21st straight season after compiling a season's record of 19-5, 15-3 in the OAC. Defending OAC Tournament Champion John Carroll also captured the OAC Tournament title in 2003 and 2004. The Blue Streaks, who finished runner-up in 2005 and 2007, are 19-17 all-time in OAC Tournament play.
John Carroll swept the season series, winning 96-57 in University Heights on Dec. 19 and 70-68 in Marietta on Jan. 23. Freshman
Brian Crader (Thornville, Sheridan) paced the Pioneers with a career-high 17 points and freshman
Scott Kimmey (Olmsted Falls, Olmsted Falls) added 11 points, while senior Rudy Kirbus led the Blue Streaks with 17 points in the first meeting. Marietta sophomore
Trevor Halter (Malvern, Malvern) scored a game-high 22 points and sophomore
Kevin Knab (Lakewood, Lakewood) contributed 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Kirbus scored 11 points and sophomore Corey Shontz had 10 points for John Carroll in the second game.
Halter is averaging 13.0 points and 1.5 rebounds and Knab is averaging 10.0 points and 9.5 rebounds in the two games against John Carroll in 2009-10. In addition, the Pioneers are shooting 40.2% (41-of-102) from the floor, including 28.9% (11-of-38) from beyond the arc, while averaging 34.0 rebounds and 19.5 turnovers against the Blue Streaks.
Entering the game, Marietta ranked 7th in the OAC in scoring offense (68.4 ppg) and 4th in scoring defense (70.8 ppg). The Pioneers were also 7th in rebounding (33.6 rpg), 9th in assists (11.6 apg), 9th in steals (6.3 spg), 1st in blocks (4.0 bpg), 8th in field goal percentage (45.0%) and 6th in three-point field goal percentage (34.3%).
Knab currently sits seventh in scoring (14.6 ppg), first in rebounding (7.6 rpg), first in field goal percentage (63.6%) and third in blocked shots (1.3 bpg). Halter is 10th in scoring (13.7 ppg), fifth in free throw percentage (80.2%), sixth in three-point field goal percentage (45.6%), ninth in three-point field goals made (1.6) and 10th in blocked shots (0.6 bpg).