Strong Second Half Lifts Women’s Basketball Over Marietta

The Heidelberg College women's basketball team held visiting Marietta College’s offense to a 7-for-25 (28.0%) showing in the second half on its way to a 59-46 Ohio Athletic Conference victory. The win is the second-straight victory in league action for the Berg who improves to 10-5 overall and 3-5 in the OAC, while the Pioneers fall to 2-13 overall and 0-8 in league action.

The Heidelberg defense also forced 21 Pioneer turnovers for the contest. For the game the Berg was consistent in both halves of action, shooting 40 percent from the field in both periods. The Pioneers however, edged the Berg on the glass, 36-35.

Brittany Skolnicki (Lorain, Ohio / Clearview) and Maureen Hunter (Toledo, Ohio / Notre Dame) led two in double figures for the Berg with 18 and 16 points, respectively. Amanda Campbell (Pataskala, Ohio / Watkins Memorial) led the way on the glass, pulling down 11 boards followed by 10 rebounds from Stacey Richard (Galloway, Ohio / Central Crossing).

Marietta was led by Abby Hess with 16 points, 14 coming in the first half, and Jamie Beckett with 11 points and 15 rebounds.

Heidelberg trailed 25-24 at halftime, but a Richard three-pointer to start the second half ignited an 11-1 Heidelberg run to put the Berg on top by nine, 35-26, with 13:34 to play in the game. The Pioneers responded and cut the lead to two with an Abby Hess jumper just under the 10 minute mark. On Heidelberg’s ensuing possession, a Hunter jumper and a Hunter missed free throw put back by Hollie Knott (Concord, Ohio / Riverside) pushed the lead back to six for the Berg. Another Richard trey extended the lead to nine, 44-35, with 7:48 on the clock.

Marietta got as close as seven points, but every threat the Pioneers made the Berg responded with a score, the lead extended out to as many as 13 points on three occasions including the final score in the final 11 seconds following two Hunter free throws.

The Pioneers opened the game with a 6-0 lead just 2:12 into the contest, but a Hunter three-pointer cut the Pioneer lead in half. Heidelberg knotted the score twice and finally took its first lead, 13-12, of the contest on two from the charity stripe from Hunter at the 11:22 mark of the first half. Marietta went onto outscore the Berg 13-11 to hold a one-point lead at the break, 25-24.