Marietta College Pioneers at Capital Comets
Wednesday – February 15 – 7:00 pm
“Capital Assignment” in Columbus!
Pioneers Look to Build Postseason Momentum Against the Comets
February 14, by C. Jay Prescher
Last Saturday inside “The BanJo”, the Marietta College men’s basketball team rewarded a packed house during Winter Weekend 2023. Marietta dismantled Wilmington College in front of an enthusiastic crowd of Pioneer faithful, avenging a January loss to the Quakers at their place. As Head Coach Jon VanderWal put it, “I thought it was one of our most balanced games of the year.” “We were really solid on both ends of the floor and played with confidence.”
The most successful coach in Pioneer basketball history couldn’t have been more accurate. The Navy Blue Hoopsters were truly impressive. They excited the 1,200-plus Fenton Court crowd with solid defense blended with one of their most effective offensive showings of the season. Marietta shot over 50% from the field overall and netted just under 50% of their three-point tries. The Pioneers outrebounded Wilmington by double digits and forced 14 Quaker turnovers while committing only 8 themselves. It was a complete team effort.
A thoroughly dominating performance against a conference foe couldn’t have come at a better time. Marietta’s men now have two critical OAC regular season games remaining. Both will prove vital to how well the Pioneers position themselves ahead of the conference tournament. Up first for the Navy Blue is a trip up to Columbus. Marietta will travel to The Capital Center for a Wednesday night rematch with the Capital Comets.
The Pioneers will try to do the same thing to the Comets that they accomplished against the Quakers; avenge an earlier loss. However, this game holds tremendous significance for both Marietta College and Capital University. Wednesday’s matchup carries huge OAC tournament implications for both squads. Let’s look at where the Pioneers are in the current Ohio Athletic Conference standings and talk about why Marietta College’s next two games are so meaningful towards them realizing any postseason hopes they may have.
• Pioneers’ Postseason Path •
Obviously, hosting a quarterfinal OAC tournament game at The BanJo is goal number one. By winning at least one of their final two games, Marietta will guarantee that happens. It’s the most logical path to earning an opportunity to upset either of the OAC’s two top-10 nationally ranked teams on the road. The Pioneers are good enough to upend either #4 ranked Mount Union or #6 ranked John Carroll. But they have to earn that chance first.
But even if the unthinkable happens, and the Pioneers end up on the short end in the final two games, Marietta College has clinched a spot in the OAC men’s basketball conference tournament. Saturday’s win over Wilmington cemented no worse than the sixth seed. Capital and Baldwin Wallace cannot both match the Pioneers’ current conference win total of 9. Each team is 7-9 in conference play, but the Yellow Jackets and Comets play each other on the final Saturday. One will be in, and one will not. Having beaten BW in their first match-up, Capital has the inside track to the final spot in the tournament. That means Wednesday’s game against Marietta is all the more critical for the Comets.
But the Pioneers could land anywhere from the 3rd seed all the way down to that 6th spot. Otterbein could jump ahead of the Pioneers in the standings, claiming the 4th seed. If both Marietta and Capital finish at 9-9, Capital would slip past the Pioneers for the 5th seed and potentially the coveted 4th seed and opening round home game. There’s one sure way to remove all doubt. Knock off Capital on Wednesday. If the Pioneers do that, they clinch at least the 4th seed. A win will secure a home game to open the OAC tournament.
But again, the 3rd seed is not out of reach either. Heidelberg currently holds a two-game advantage over the Pioneers. The Student Princes visit Ohio Northern on Wednesday, where the Polar Bears have nothing to play for except spoilers. However, a loss in Ada would mean the head-to-head matchup on Saturday, February 18th in Marietta will have a lot riding on the outcome. Nevertheless, to have any realistic chance of pushing the OAC to a second tiebreaker to determine the 3rd seed, the Pioneers must first take care of business in Columbus.
Starting the tough OAC tournament at home will provide a tremendous chance for the Pioneer men to build momentum. We have to be honest here. With a limited number of at-large bids available into the 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, Marietta probably needs to win the conference tournament in order to secure an automatic berth. Another OAC Tournament banner is the way the 2022-2023 Marietta College men’s basketball team gets to the “Big Dance” in March. It’s just the reality of finishing the regular season no better than third in your conference. But the last month has shown us a lot.
The Navy Blue has the talent to beat both Mount Union and John Carroll. It will not be easy, especially on the road. They’re going to have to beat one or both of them if they want to be playing basketball in March. It’s just that simple. But first, Marietta must beat a good Capital Comets team in their own gym. There are two key things the Navy Blue must do Wednesday night in order to enjoy the bus ride home after an important victory.
• Keys to a Pioneer Victory •
- Take Advantage of Open Shots: When the Pioneers shoot the ball, they’re successful. They did not do that in the first meeting with Head Coach Damon Goodwin’s squad. Marietta shot an abysmal 26% in the second half, leading to an eventual 86-83 loss at The BanJo. While shooting the ball well is essential for a successful outcome in just about every basketball game, it rings true for the Navy Blue. When the Pioneers have not taken advantage of open looks, the results have not been good. Marietta needs to shoot the ball well Wednesday against the Comets and be especially accurate when they get open shots.
- Protect the Basketball: Marietta did an excellent job of taking care of the basketball in the first 3-point loss to the Comets. The Pioneers only turned the ball over seven times compared to the Comets’ 16 turnovers. This stat clearly shows how much Marietta’s shooting woes hurt them in game one. If they can shoot the ball well on Wednesday and protect the basketball, the Pioneers can notch their 10th OAC conference win of the season and secure a home game in the tournament. Yes, it’s really that simple.
The Marietta College men’s basketball team is good enough to beat any team it faces. While young, they have gradually matured into a team no one should want to go up against. If they play up to their capabilities, there is a realistic chance they could be playing basketball into March. It’s time to take care of business. That business begins with a “Capital Assignment” in Columbus on Wednesday night – beat the Comets! Pioneer fans who can’t make the trip north to Columbus to help fill the seats inside Performance Arena at the Capital Center can stream the game live at the link below.
Player photographs courtesy of Marietta College Pioneer Athletics – Men’s Basketball
The Word Jester is not employed by Marietta College, and is not affiliated with the Ohio Athletic Conference or D3 Hoops.com
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They do not reflect the points of view, policies, or principles of any outside agency or organization.
