DAYTONA BEACH, Florida — Two free throws from
Jac Alexander (Port Clinton, Ohio/Oak Harbor) in the final seconds sealed Marietta College's 71-67 victory over Lebanon Valley College Friday (Dec. 30) evening in the Florida Sunshine Shootout. The Pioneers improve to 8-3 on the season, while Lebanon Valley slips to 4-8 overall.
Alexander's two free throws snapped a seven-minute scoring drought for the Pioneers that saw Marietta's 14-point lead dwindle to just two.
Jake Singleton (Senecaville, Ohio/Meadowbrook) nailed a three-pointer to give Marietta a 69-55 lead with 7:19 left in the game. The Pioneers would miss their next 15 shots from the floor as the Dutchmen mounted a comeback.
Lebanon Valley's Kyle Tang converted one of two free throws at the 1:52 mark to make it a two-point game, 69-67. Both teams missed shots on the next couple of possessions and when Singleton grabbed the rebound off a Dutchmen missed three-pointer in the final seconds, Lebanon Valley was forced to foul sending Alexander to the line.
Lovenson Xavier (Naples, Fla./Community School of Naples) led the Pioneers with a career-high 22 points including six three-pointers. Xavier also grabbed eight rebounds. Alexander finished with a career-high 21 points including five three-pointers.
David Sanford (Springfield, Ohio/Springfield) chipped in with 11 points, while
Frank Waganfeald (Oregon, Ohio/Clay) pulled down a career-best 12 boards.
Collin Jones led all scorers with 25 points. He recorded a double-double with 14 rebounds. Ryan Harder scored 11 points and Tang added nine points.
Both teams struggled to finds its shot in the early going. Marietta hit just one of its first 12 shots from the field before Alexander and Xavier heated up. Alexander hit three consecutive shots, including two from three-point range, while Xavier drained three straight triples turning a six-point deficit into a six-point lead.
Another Alexander three-pointer gave the Pioneers a 38-26 lead with 3:01 left in the first half. Alexander's triple capped a 24-6 Pioneer run. Marietta took a 45-32 lead into halftime.
Marietta jumps back into Ohio Athletic Conference action when rival Muskingum University visits Ban Johnson Arena on Wednesday (Jan. 4). Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.
Fans can follow all 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.
