FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Four Pioneers scored in double figures as the Marietta College women's basketball team defeated Simpson College (Iowa), 71-60, Thursday (Dec. 20) afternoon in the Cruzin Classic. The Pioneers improve to 6-3 on the season, while Simpson falls to 7-2 overall.
"We had a really good defensive effort today against one the best scoring offenses in the nation. We handled their press really well and moved the ball against their zone," Marietta head coach
Kole Vivian said. "We didn't want to come down to South Florida just to enjoy the weather, we had a goal to compete and do well on the court, and we are halfway there after today."
Simpson entered the averaging just shy of 80 points per game, but the Pioneer defense held the Storm nearly 20 points below their average. With Marietta playing extremely well defensively, Simpson struggled to hit shots consistently.
The Storm was 0-for-10 from three-point range in the first half and trailed Marietta by nine, 33-24, at the intermission. Senior
Corrie Burkhardt (Zanesville, Ohio/Philo) led the Pioneer attack scoring 12 of her game-high 21 points in the first two quarters.
Marietta opened the third quarter with a 12-2 run pushing its lead to a game-high 19 points, 45-26.
Shay Lett (Chillicothe, Ohio/Chillicothe) triggered the run with a steal and coast-to-coast layup. She added a three-pointer a few possessions later. Burkhardt chipped in six more points during the Pioneer spurt.
The Storm finally found its range from behind the arc and sank a trio of three-pointers in the final minutes of the third quarter trimming the deficit to 12 points, 53-41, heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
Simpson couldn't maintain the momentum and never got within 10 points in the fourth quarter.
Bailee Brooks (Akron, Ohio/Cuyahoga Falls) helped fend of the Storm with seven of her 12 points coming in the final period.
Burkhardt led all scorers with 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Lett and Brooks each finished with 12 points and six boards, while
Alexis Enochs (Beverly, Ohio/Fort Frye) notched a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Jenna Taylor paced Simpson with 15 points and seven rebounds. Janey Botkins sank three from behind the arc and added 10 points.
For the game, Marietta was 26-of-62 (41.9%) from the floor, 7-of-22 (31.8%) from three-point range and 12-of-18 (66.7%) at the free throw line. The Storm shot 30.9% (17-of-55) from the floor, 22.7% (5-of-22) behind the arc and 63.6% (21-of-33) at the line.
The Pioneers outrebounded Simpson, 48-38. Both teams turned the ball over 18 times.
Marietta College wraps up play in the Cruzin Classic on Friday (Dec. 21) when the Pioneers play Coe College from Iowa at 12 p.m.
Fans can follow all of the Pioneer teams all year long at
pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at
facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on Twitter and Instagram.
