Sports
Marietta Splits Opening Weekend At Allegheny
By: Austin Carpenter
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The Marietta women started their season in Meadville, Pa., for the Allegheny Tip-Off Tournament. The Pioneers began play on Friday afternoon with a 60-58 loss to Fredonia State (N.Y.).
"It was a battle the whole game," senior guard Tori Dixon said. "They finished their shots well whereas we did not." In a game where neither team led by more than seven points, Dixon had eights points to go along with two assists.
With an 8-3 run late in the second half, Fredonia took the lead 54-47 after a Becky Hebert bucket. Marietta was able to scratch its way back with 1:47 left in the game as Tori Dixon hit a jump shot to put the Pios up 58-56.
After that bucket, the Pioneers were held scoreless as Fredonia scored the last four points of the game, including a layup by Becky Hebert with five seconds remaining.
Hebert led all scorers in the game with 24 points and also had seven rebounds. Marietta junior forward Candice Alexander led the team with 15 points. She also completed her first double-double of the year after grabbing 11 boards.
Despite the loss, Marietta had to bounce back the following day while it had a date with D'Youville College. The Pioneers cruised to a 22-point victory, beating the Spartans 96-74.
Marietta had five players score in double figures led by Tori Dixon's 15 points. After a quick basket by D'Youville to begin the game, coach Stacia Shrider's crew did not trail for the rest of the game. The Pioneers were up by as many as 31 points in the second half.
It was not the defense, turnovers, 3-point shooting that led the Pioneers to a blowout victory. It was the play of their bench. Shrider's bench outscored the bench of D'Youville 47-19.
"Early in the game, some of our starters got into foul trouble and the players coming off the bench were ready as soon as their numbers were called," senior Paige Lamb said. "Each person who came in contribute to our success and that is what a team needs to win a game."
Marietta shot 48 percent from the field and 40 percent from behind the arc. The Pios out rebounded the Spartans 53-36. The Pioneers also got scoring from some of the freshmen that played a good chunk of the game. Morgan Liedtke and Mackenzie Kiser each had 15 points and fellow freshman Tristin Toman had 11. Lamb chipped in with 10 points, five rebounds, and four assists of her own.
Marietta heads back to Ban Johnson Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 19, to battle Bethany College.
"In order for us to beat [Bethany],” Lamb said, “we are going to have to buckle down and play good defense. We just have to focus on what we do best and what we can control."
Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.