Marietta College Pioneers vs. Heidelberg University Student Princes
Saturday – February 19th – 4:00PM
Match-Up History & What’s at Stake
February 18, 2022 by C. Jay Prescher
The # 2 D3Hoops nationally ranked Marietta College Pioneers prepare for the final game of the 2021-2022 OAC regular season after dodging a bullet last Tuesday night at Ban Johnson Arena. Tuesday’s victory was far from easy. It was a 40-minute dogfight. Anyone who knows much about Capital University basketball shouldn’t be surprised.
During his post-game interview, Marietta Head Coach Jon VanderWal gave a sigh of relief, heaping praise on the Pioneers’ opponent. Coach VanderWal stressed, “It’s never easy in this conference.” “Coach Goodwin does a great job and his kids played their tails off tonight.”
VanderWal was also proud that the Pioneers “made enough plays to gut it out”. Capital’s bus got jammed up in a traffic snarl on their trip down from Columbus, which delayed the team’s arrival to Marietta. Nevertheless, Head Coach Damon Goodwin’s squad played with a rabid intensity right from the opening tip.
Keep in mind, this is a Capital men’s basketball program that hasn’t finished with an OAC regular season won/loss percentage below .500 for 14 consecutive seasons. After falling short in their upset bid Tuesday, that record could be in jeopardy. However, it’s not because the Comets didn’t leave everything out on Fenton Court last Tuesday night. They did.
Prior to hanging on to beat Capital, the Pioneers had already clinched their seventh OAC title out of the last eight. That honor places this Marietta team in elite company. It is the longest stretch of regular season success in Ohio Athletic Conference history.
Only the Otterbein Cardinals, between 1984 and 1992, and the Wittenberg Tigers, between 1984 and 1992, were able to claim six regular-season OAC titles in seven seasons. The Pioneers’ dominance over the last eight seasons has been truly remarkable.
It is extremely difficult to win back-to-back titles in such a tough Division III conference. To win or share seven out of eight championships shows the level of excellence these tremendous student/athletes expect from themselves when they commit to play basketball for the Marietta College Pioneers.
“Pioneer Proud” really means something to these young men. Nevertheless, one more win on Saturday to close out the 2021-2022 regular season will add another level of magnificence to an exceptional season. A win over Heidelberg would complete an undefeated regular season.
A 17th OAC regular season victory on Saturday in Tiffin will cement the 2021-2022 Marietta College Pioneer men’s basketball team in the annals of Ohio Athletic Conference history. First, let’s take a quick look back at the recent Marietta/Heidelberg rivalry. Then, we’ll talk about what’s at stake on Saturday for both the Pioneers and the Student Princes, because there’s a lot.
Match-Up History
Last Game Marietta at Heidelberg – January 15, 2022: When Heidelberg traveled down to Ban Johnson Arena back in January, the fifth D3Hoops poll of the 2021-2022 season had been released earlier in the week. At #8, Marietta was 10-2, and Heidelberg was #18 in the country, having lost only once, at 11-1. The Student Princes took advantage of a cold shooting first half by the Pioneers to race out to a 42-30 lead. However, Marietta caught fire in the second half.
Emmanuel Perdue single-handedly kept Heidelberg close, leading all scorers with 33 points. But Marietta used a balanced attack with five players in double-digits, led by senior Lukas Isaly’s 27. The Pioneers blew up the Fenton Court scoreboard with 70 second-half points. Marietta reached the century mark to post a 16-point victory. Marietta College should expect Heidelberg to remember how they were overwhelmed after halftime.
Another recent head-to-head game, one that the Pioneers should keep in mind, happened almost two years ago to the day this coming Saturday. Marietta traveled up to Tiffin on February 22, 2020. It was also the final game of that OAC regular season. The Pioneers were in the middle of another outstanding year.
Mount Union had already clinched the regular season title, and Marietta was locked into the #2 OAC tournament seed. The Student Princes had struggled most of the year. However, Heidelberg, led by Perdue’s 17 points, played two exceptionally balanced halves of basketball to upset the 16th ranked Pioneers, 85-68.
Prior to the February 2020 upset, Marietta had won three straight in the series and 19 out of the last 20 meetings with the Student Princes. Marietta College can reestablish its dominance over Heidelberg University in basketball on Saturday while also achieving elite status in conference history.
What’s at Stake?
For the Pioneers
Marietta College has clinched the OAC regular season championship. There will be yet another banner hanging on the far wall inside Ban Johnson Arena. The Pioneers are also the #1 seed for the conference tournament.
All roads towards earning the OAC’s automatic invite into the NCAA Championship travel through “The Banjo”. So, for Marietta, there doesn’t appear to be a lot at stake on Saturday in that respect. It might be understandable if the Pioneers opted to rest up.
Play the best game possible against the Student Princes on Saturday. Then, come back to Marietta healthy to prepare for their first OAC tourney matchup in the quarterfinal round.
Adding an OAC tournament championship banner is this team’s obvious next goal. It’s an important one as well. With the conference tournament championship comes the automatic OAC bid into the 2021-2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. That’s where the ultimate banner is to be won.
But it’s going to require an outstanding effort to win the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament. Just because you’ve been anointed the regular season champ means nothing but home court advantage. Every team in the OAC will be gunning for that automatic NCAA Championship bid. You can count on it.
Because of how significant every conference tournament game is, momentum can be huge. Heading into Saturday’s 4:00 pm tip-off, the Pioneers are on a roll. Since losing to the #1 ranked Randolph Macon Yellow Jackets way back on November 20, Marietta College has won 19 straight games. It’s been an impressive run.
The Pioneers have clearly established a head of steam. A loss at Heidelberg will not affect Marietta’s tournament seed. It probably won’t have a huge effect on how favorably the selection committee views the Pioneers in regards to their seeding for March Madness. However, it would suck momentum away from a team that has been rolling along like a locomotive.
After the Pioneers leave Seiberling Gymnasium, and climb aboard the bus back to Marietta, every “next game” will be a one-and-done situation. After Saturday, the stakes become high, very high. Rolling into the conference tournament and maintaining momentum should be a huge motivational factor against the Student Princes tomorrow.
Momentum is always important. Now is the point the in college basketball season when it becomes increasingly urgent. A loss of momentum at the wrong time after Saturday will mean the end in the pursuit of a goal. Ultimately, losing momentum could mean a regrettable end to a promising season. Maintaining their momentum is something that’s at stake for the Pioneers on Saturday.
There’s something else at stake in Saturday’s regular season finale. What’s at stake for the Pioneers is an opportunity to match an 83 year old OAC record for excellence in a season. With a victory, Marietta College will finish the 2021-2022 OAC regular season as the “undefeated champion”. The Pioneers would reach 17 OAC regular season victories for the second time in school history. Marietta went 17-1 in 2015-2016. Other teams have matched that 17-win conference record.
No OAC school has ever done it twice. Finishing at 17-0 in the conference will also propel the 2021-2022 Pioneers into any conversation about the greatest teams in OAC history. A win in Tiffin on Saturday would make the Pioneers the first unbeaten OAC team since the 1985-1986 Otterbein Cardinals. At 17-0, the Marietta College men would also match the best undefeated season in conference history.
The only other team to win 17 OAC regular season conference games, and not lose a single one, was the 1938-1939 Wooster Fighting Scots. That is the best single-season mark ever in the OAC. So yes, Saturday does have a great deal more significance than just being the final away game for a team that has already locked up a conference title. A win over Heidelberg would cement this team’s legacy as one of the best basketball teams in OAC history.
For the Student Princes
There’s momentum and a tremendous amount of historical significance in this game for the Marietta College Pioneers. But there’s an extremely high sense of urgency for the Student Princes as well. Heidelberg is currently 12-4 in the OAC. They are in third place.
With the OAC tournament bracket being expanded this year to include all 10 teams, the #7 seed will host the #10 seed, plus #8 hosts #9 in two opening round games. Seeds #1 through #6 do not play until Tuesday. Mount Union is currently in second place. On Tuesday, #3 will host #6, and #4 will host #5.
The top two seeds will play the winners of Monday’s games. This is where things start to get more interesting. The #2 and #3 seeds will be on the opposite side of the bracket from the Pioneers. The #2 seed will play the winner of #7 vs. #10. But the Purple Raiders have a tough final game coming up Saturday on the road at Otterbein. The chance to move up to the 2nd seed is the first thing at stake for the Student Princes on Saturday. Likewise, the Otterbein Cardinals are one game behind Heidelberg for third place in the conference.
As the OAC tournament unfolds, the difference between #2, #3, and #4 could have huge implications. As well, both Heidelberg and Otterbein should be considered potential at-large bubble teams when the NCAA Selection Committee begins formulating the final bracket. If either Otterbein or Heidelberg fails to earn the OAC’s automatic bid, they’ll be fighting for one of only 20 at-large spots.
Heidelberg is 17-5 overall, and Otterbein is 17-6. Marietta is ranked #1 in region VII. Mount Union is 4th, Heidelberg 5th, and Otterbein 8th. An Otterbein win over the Purple Raiders would open the door for Heidelberg to possibly jump up to finish second in the final OAC standings. It could also potentially bump Heidelberg up as the second-most appealing OAC at-large team for March Madness.
Without a doubt, both Otterbein and Heidelberg would benefit tremendously from late-season wins over top-10 ranked teams. However, a loss by Heidelberg could drop them below the Cardinals in the eyes of the committee. Yes, there are some very important “post-season scenarios” on the line for Heidelberg on Saturday. With so much at stake, you can bet both teams will be pumped and ready.
• Pioneer Milestones & Records Watch
• Senior guard Jason Ellis now has a 93.2% free throw percentage for the 2021-2022 season, plus a mark of 86.6% for his Pioneer career. If he maintains his outstanding free throw accuracy, he will break the Marietta College records for both a single season and career. Dillon Young set the season mark of 92.1% in 2015-16. Mitch Miracle (1975-79) has the career mark of 84.5%.
• Senior Guard Lukas Isaly is 12 points shy of joining Jason Ellis and Tim Kreeger on the Marietta College 1,000 point club.
• Ellis, with his team high 21 on Tuesday, climbed up to 1,416 points during his Marietta College career. Ellis is now just 84 points shy of becoming only the seventh Pioneer in school history to reach the 1,500 point mark.
• 6’8” senior big man Tim Kreeger is now tied with Brent Cahill on the 1,000 point list with 1,015 in his Pioneer career. Next up in the Marietta College record books are Dave Copeland (1989), Ben Dittmar (1997), Luis Garcia (2016), and Art Clark (1976). Kreeger is only 18 career rebounds shy of reaching 600.
• 6’3” Junior Sahmi Willoughby needs only nine more offensive rebounds to reach 100 for the season. On Tuesday against Capital, Willoughby posted his sixth double-double of the season, and fourth in the last five games.
• A Lot at Stake on Saturday
The Marietta College Pioneers have already achieved one team goal for their season. There are other, more lofty goals left on their list. One unspoken goal would be to finish a conference regular season undefeated. It would place this talented group in any conversation about the best basketball teams in OAC history. Heidelberg has a lot at stake as well. The Student Princes aren’t striving for any elite conference records. But they could be playing on Saturday to lay out what pathway the rest of their season takes.
These are two of the best men’s basketball teams in not only the Ohio Athletic Conference, but in the country. Saturday will be a dogfight. However, if the “Navy Blue” plays up to their capabilities in Tiffin, they will bring home a historic team honor. For the 2021-2022 Marietta College Pioneers, what’s at stake on Saturday is greatness.
The Word Jester is not employed by Marietta College, and is not affiliated with the Ohio Athletic Conference or D3 Hoops.com
The opinions expressed in this article are the exclusive viewpoints of the author.
They do not reflect the points of view, policies, or principles of any outside agency or organization.
