NEW CONCORD, Ohio – The No. 16 ranked Marietta College men's basketball team earned its 20th win of the season in a 102-82 victory at Muskingum University on Wednesday (Feb. 19) evening. This is the sixth consecutive season with 20-plus wins, the longest streak in program history.
"It's never easy, especially against your rival on their home floor. I thought our seniors really stepped up today," Marietta head coach
Jon VanderWal said. "Mike (Hall) was great defensively and Caleb (Hoyng) was a monster on the offensive end. It was a great team effort all around today and we withstood their best shot."
Muskingum held an early 5-4 edge two minutes into the game, but Marietta answered with a 7-0 run that saw the Pioneers take an 11-5 advantage, and forced a Muskie timeout. The run was led by five points from
Caleb Hoyng (Celina, Ohio/Celina) and a layup from
Jason Ellis (Marion, Ohio/Marion Harding).
The teams battled through the middle of the first half and Marietta maintained a slim 25-21 edge with just over 10 minutes to play in the period. With the Pioneers ahead 29-24, Muskingum went on a 6-0 run and took a 30-29 lead with seven minutes to play in the half.
The Fighting Muskies maintained a small lead until the final minutes of the half. Marietta ended the first stanza on an 11-0 run and took a 52-45 lead into the intermission. The run saw Hoyng, Ellis,
Mason Lydic (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio/Woodridge), and
Christian James (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro) score. James hit a buzzer beater from beyond the arc to end the first half.
The Pioneers opened the second half with back to back three-pointers from
Lukas Isaly (Clarington, Ohio/River) and
Mike Hall (Belpre, Ohio/Warren Local). The buckets put Marietta on top, 58-45, one minute into the half. The Pioneers maintained a 76-61 edge with just under 11 minutes to play in the game.
Marietta stretched its lead to 87-63 behind an 11-2 run. The run was a well-rounded attack as James,
Kyle Matoszkia (Johnstown, Ohio/Johnstown),
Jalen Greiser (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland), and Hoyng all scored for the Pioneers.
Marietta never let Muskingum back into the game and foul shots from
Ryan Reidy (Cincinnati, Ohio/McNicholas) and
Karson Snyder (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg) put the Pioneers over the 100-point plateau for the fourth time this season. Marietta won the game 102-82.
The Pioneers were led by Hoyng as he tied his career high with 26 points and pulled down seven rebounds. Ellis added to the offense with 16 points.
Tim Kreeger (Delphos, Ohio/Delphos St. Johns) played a solid game with 11 points, eight rebounds, and had a pair of steals.
Marcus Dempsey was the lone Muskie in double figures with a game-high 39 points. Trey Singleton added nine points, while Alex Masinelli grabbed eight rebounds.
Marietta will return to the court Saturday (Feb. 22) when they travel to Heidelberg University for the regular season finale. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 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.
