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Marietta Tigers fall to Loudonville, 84-60

Redbirds’ big first quarter makes the difference in win

Photo by Ron Johnston Marietta High’s Hannah Kroft (44) battles Loudonville’s Steph Kline (22) for a rebound Saturday at the BanJo.

MARIETTA — Marietta High’s orange and black had the blues at the end of the first quarter.

Trailing the Loudonville Redbirds by 17, the Tigers never really recovered and dropped an 84-60 decision Saturday at Marietta College’s Ban Johnson Arena.

“We got off to a slow start at Dover (Wednesday) and it cost us.” said MHS head coach Allen Ruth. “And we got off to a really slow start here today, and against a good team when you get in the hole…well, we’ve got a lot to learn.”

Jessica Smith led the Tigers (0-2) with 18 points, while Hannah Kroft and Morgan Alternburger added 13 and 12, respectively. Tia Jarvis chipped in with seven markers.

The Tyler Bates-coached Redbirds were paced by senior point guard Celeste Ryman’s game-high 27 points. Nikki Weber and Grace Vermilya each netted 15 markers, while Sydney Snyder and Emily Seboe had nine and eight, respectively.

The Redbirds graduated just one senior from last season’s 15th-ranked 22-2 squad.

“Loudenville’s a good team and well-coached,” Ruth said. “They shot the ball well.”

Sparked by Weber — who missed all of last season due to a knee injury–Ryman, and Vermilya, Loudonville staked itself to a 25-8 opening period advantage. The trio combined for 20 points. Marietta made only two field goals in the first eight minutes of play.

“I’m not going to use the excuse that we’re still young,” Ruth said, “because the sophomores who were freshman last year faced this same kind of stuff. We’ve just got to get tougher.”

With Smith scoring six points (all at the free-throw line) and Jarvis five, the Tigers outpointed the Redbirds,17-14, in the second period, and trailed 39-25 at the intermission.

In the third quarter, Smith added eight points to her total, and Marietta and Loudonville were pretty much even-steven. The Redbirds led 58-43 going into the final stanza.

Ryman — who had 500-plus points and 200-plus assists last season — scored eight points in the fourth quarter to help keep Marietta at bay. Kroft also tallied eight points for the Tigers in the fourth. Her bucket reduced the deficit to 11, 58-47. But the orange and black never got any closer to the Redbirds.

Loudonville 84, Marietta 60

Loudonville 25 14 19 26 — 84

Marietta 8 17 18 17 — 60

LOUDONVILLE (2-0)

Hinkle 2 0-0 6, Hollinger 0 2-2 2, Ryman 8 8-13 27, Weber 6 2-3 15, Vermilya 5 5-5 15, Snyder 3 0-0 9, Kline 1 0-0 2, ESeboe 1 6-8 8. TOTALS: 26 23-31 84. 3pt goals: Ryman 3, Hinkle 2, Snyder 3, Weber 1.

MARIETTA (0-2)

Hill 2 0-0 4, JenSmith 0 2-2 2, JesSmith 6 6-13 18, Altenburger 2 6-8 12, Jarvis 3 0-0 7, Pfeiffer 2 0-0 4, Kroft 6 1-4 13, ESmith 0 0-0 0, Korodi 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 21 15-27 60. 3pt goals: Jarvis 1, Alternburger 2

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