Marietta College Pioneers vs. Muskingum Fighting Muskies
Wednesday – February 2nd – 7:00PM
Match-Up History & Keys to Victory
February 2, 2022 by C. Jay Prescher
In the most recent NCAA Division III poll, the Marietta College Pioneers’ men’s basketball team climbed to #3 in the country. Ahead of this week’s new poll, we explained why such a lofty national rank could be a factor, if Marietta can maintain that spot. Finishing the season highly ranked in the NCAA D3 Hoops.com poll is just one part of the Pioneers’ pursuit of the ultimate goal, a National Championship .
Likewise, the D3 Hoops polls are only a reference point. Winning is what matters from here on out. There’s a lot of basketball left to be played before that conversation gets really serious. However, on Wednesday evening inside Ban Johnson Arena, Marietta College will have an opportunity to take one more step towards realizing that goal. The Pioneers welcome conference rival Muskingum University to “The Banjo”.
Match-Up History
A glance back at recent history between the Pioneers and the Muskies would seem to indicate this “Groundhog’s Day” outcome might produce an agonizing “repeat nightmare” of a disappointing trend for Muskingum. The Muskie men’s hoopsters haven’t beaten Marietta since January 10, 2010.
That’s 23 straight for the “The Navy Blue”. The Pioneers needed overtime to outrace Muskingum in a 107-100 shootout in New Concord four seasons ago. Since then, the games have all been heavily lopsided in favor of Marietta. Only last season’s battle at New Concord saw the Muskies end the game behind by less than 20 points.
Just five times during the 23-game losing streak has Muskingum not lost by at least double-digits. Muskingum has managed to hold the Pioneers under 90 points only twice since 2016. During this stretch, Marietta College has topped the “century mark” in five games.
The history of this rivalry says it hasn’t really been much of a rivalry at all. Comparing team statistics and performance, Wednesday’s game shouldn’t be a huge challenge for Marietta on paper. However, these are the types of situations teams need to watch out for. Here are a few keys to a Marietta victory to ensure the Pioneers don’t get blindsided.
Keys to a Pioneers’ Victory
• Get the Ball into the Paint
Marietta’s biggest source of offensive firepower comes from their gifted guards. The Pioneers can destroy an opponent’s morale by bombarding them with one three-point dagger after another. However, recently, “The Navy Blue” have benefited from solid play in the paint.
When teams have to chase the likes of, Lukas Isaly, Jason Ellis, Mason Lydic, and Cooper Parrott all over the perimeter, the paint is exposed. Ryan Reidy and Jac Alexander have also taken advantage of excellent shot opportunities because exceptional post play has provided open looks.
When defenses must collapse on Marietta’s talented big men, the open jumpers will happen. Senior Tim Kreeger is always a key. An almost unstoppable jump hook, blended with a deadly mid-range jumper, makes the 6’8” big man a challenge to defend. Sahmi Willoughby plays much taller than his rangy 6’3” frame. Sahmi has been a menace on the glass. He has especially tormented opponents on the offensive boards.
Willoughby’s shot has steadily improved as well. There have been stages in games this season when #14 has essentially dominated both ends of the court. Brennan Crawford’s quickness under the basket is also turning into a valuable asset. Crawford blends a soft shooting touch with an ever-present ability to dish off a timely assist. The more playing time Brennan gets, the more confident he becomes.
Addy Black has been a solid post defender and an excellent rebounder. Black’s not known as much for his offense, but he has produced some clutch baskets. Black had nine points in Marietta’s 20-point win at Muskingum. Another important key in Marietta’s rotation going forward could be junior Brett Martin.
The 6’5” Martin seems to have struggled with his confidence at times this season. But the talent is obvious and the potential immense. Marietta can prevent Muskingum from trying to turn this into an ugly, sloppy game by pounding the ball into the paint. It wouldn’t be surprising to see two or more of the Pioneer big men score in double-digits. A double-double is also not out of the question.
• Stay Out of Foul Trouble
This is always a no-brainer for basketball game strategy. However, every player in Muskingum’s primary rotation shoots well from the charity stripe. Only one of the Muskies’ lead eight players, forward Carson Carter, shoots worse than 70 percent from the foul line. As a team, Muskingum shoots just over 75%. The Muskies only average around 14 foul shots per game, so the Pioneers should avoid sending them to the free throw line as much as possible.
• DO NOT Look Ahead
This is the first of two home games at The Banjo, where the Pioneers might understandably have their focus challenged. Muskingum, and Saturday’s upcoming opponent John Carroll, have won a total of four OAC conference games between them this season.
Nevertheless, they are both rivals who could add a huge exclamation mark to otherwise disappointing seasons. Both would love to derail the #3 team in the country. In recent years, the John Carroll Blue Streaks have been especially adept at ripping the hearts out of the Pioneer faithful in big games.
Awaiting Marietta in two weeks are the nationally 11th ranked Mount Union Purple Raiders. The Pioneers must make the long journey up to Alliance on Wednesday the 9th. Mount Union and Heidelberg are the only two teams with any realistic chance of climbing to the top of the conference standings. Essentially, two more wins at home tonight and Saturday could make the Mount Union game a conference regular season clincher. Head coach Jon VanderWal will certainly pound the one-game-at-a-time notion into his team’s head. Looking ahead to an important future matchup with the Purple Raiders might prove devastating. Upsets happen when teams look past an opponent, especially in the OAC. Marietta must not look past their next two opponents, as simple as that might sound.
• The Right Path in February Will Blaze a Trail into March Madness
There are six more OAC conference games left ahead of the Marietta College Pioneers. Running the table would give them the all-important conference regular season banner. It would ensure home court advantage throughout the OAC playoffs. The Marietta College men’s basketball team must take this final month in the season one game at a time.
The talent is there; the focus must follow. Staying on task will hand the Pioneers an enormous psychological edge heading into March Madness. Ban Johnson Arena, packed full with a raucous crowd Pioneer faithful, is a formidable weapon. Marietta can take advantage by staying focused. This team is as good as any Division III school in the nation, maybe the best. Now, all they have to do is prove it; one-game-at-a-time.
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.
