NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The Marietta College women's basketball team fell behind early but still found themselves within one possession of the lead at various times in the contest, but eventually fell to Johns Hopkins University 75-66 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.  With the defeat, the Pioneers finished the season with a 21-7 record on the season. 

"Congrats to Johns Hopkins. They played a really good game," said Marietta Head Coach Kole Vivian. "We got off to a slow start and a had tough time making shots in that first quarter, but we got it rolling a bit more in the second and third quarters.  We had a tough time on the glass and Johns Hopkins had a lot to do with that. They're long and aggressive. But we really battled out there.  That's what this team does. Doesn't matter what the score is, they're always getting after it."
 
Johns Hopkins jumped out to a big 10-0 lead as Marietta had trouble matching up with their opponent's size differential.  Elisabeth Peebles fueled the opening run for the Blue Jays with a pair of three-pointers.  Paige Tolson (Guysville, Ohio/Federal Hocking) converted a pair of free throws at the 5:53 mark to finally get the Pioneers on the board, but Greta Miller's jumper extended the lead back out to 10 for the Blue Jays.  Despite the poor start, Marietta was able to hang close and keep the deficit at single digits.  Adi Hill (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta) nailed a jumper and Olivia Gribble (Irwin, Pa./Norwin) converted a pair of free throws to put the score at 17-9 with Marietta trailing going into the second quarter.  The Pioneers only shot 14 percent from the field for the quarter.
 
"We knew going in they had a size advantage but we knew we could be just as physical," said Hannah Schill (Rootstown, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban). "Early on, they threw the first punch but as soon as we figured out the physicality of the game, that's what kept us around." 

Both teams began the second period with a pair of traded baskets, but Marietta started to chip away at the lead with a pair of jumpers from Madison Cecil (Centerburg, Ohio/Highland) to put the score at 22-18.  After getting a jumper from Makenzie Wilson (Wapakoneta, Ohio/Wapakoneta) and a layup from Hannah Kroft (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta), Tolson cut through the lane for a layup at the 1:06 mark to cut the lead to 28-26, but the Blue Jays tallied four more points and took a 32-26 lead into intermission.
 
The third quarter got off to quick start as the Pioneers got five quick points from Gribble and, after a three-pointer from Schill, Marietta only trailed by a single point.  Johns Hopkins answered with a 13-1 run over the next couple of minutes to extend the lead out to 49-36.  Marietta battled back in the final two minutes of the quarter, getting five points from Kelly Levering (Powell, Ohio/Olentangy Liberty) and a layup with bonus free throw from Sophia Murray (Rocky River, Ohio/Rocky River). Hannah Kroft's (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta) layup in the final seconds put the deficit at 54-48 going into the final quarter.

Marietta stayed closed for the first five minutes of the fourth quarter as they matched shot-for-shot with the Blue Jays. Gribble nailed a three pointer at the 4:22 mark to put the score at 58-55, but that would be as close as they would get.  Johns Hopkins would go on a back-breaking 9-0 run over the next three minutes. The Pioneers battled into the final minute as they got a pair of treys from Gribble and three pointer from Levering, but the Blue Jays would go on to secure the 75-66 victory.
 
Gribble led the Pioneers with 18 points. Levering scored 10 points on the evening and registered a double-double on the evening, collecting a team-leading 10 rebounds.   and three steals.  Schill finished with six points.  
 
Macie Feldman led the Blue Jays with 18 points.
 
Following the game, the question was asked about the Marietta's six outgoing seniors.  Hannah Kroft (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta) spoke on her experience saying that her time at Marietta "was fun. Our class is very close. We really came together and we really wanted to get some wins. The classes before us set the culture and we just carried it on".  

"These seniors are really special," concluded Vivian. "They could have played anywhere and they chose to come here to Marietta. We got some holes to fill, but they have set us up for the future by they way they played and the example that they led."

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 X and Instagram.