Pioneers claim Shrine Tournament title
Marietta College’s Luke Powell, right, goes up for a basket as Pittsburgh-Bradford’s Lawson Hopkins defends during Saturday’s game at Ban Johnson Arena. (Photo by Jordan Holland)
Marietta College’s Trenton Collins, right, attacks the basket as teammate Mason Wisniewski sets a pick against Pittsburgh-Bradford during Saturday’s game at Ban Johnson Arena. (Photo by Jordan Holland)
Marietta College’s Luke Powell, right, goes up for a basket as Pittsburgh-Bradford’s Lawson Hopkins defends during Saturday’s game at Ban Johnson Arena. (Photo by Jordan Holland)
Marietta College’s Trenton Collins, right, attacks the basket as teammate Mason Wisniewski sets a pick against Pittsburgh-Bradford during Saturday’s game at Ban Johnson Arena. (Photo by Jordan Holland)
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MARIETTA -- Three Marietta College players scored 20-plus points as the Pioneers eclipsed the century mark in Saturday's 106-76 win over Pittsburgh-Bradford at Ban Johnson Arena.
With the victory, MC claimed the Shrine Tournament championship. Mason Wisniewski, a 6-foot-7 junior post, was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player after scoring 21 points against the Panthers. Wisniewski also posted a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double in Friday's 93-75 win over Waynesburg.
Marietta improved to 3-0 on the year for second-year head coach Andy Bucheit. Picked to finish eighth in the Ohio Athletic Conference in the preseason coaches' poll, the Pioneers have started the season on fire, averaging 97.7 points per game.
Marietta finished 40 for 67 (59.7%) from the floor Saturday, including 6 for 12 from 3. Sophomore Joey Emory tied Wisniewski for team-high point honors with 21. The point guard was 9 for 14 from the field and tallied game-highs in assists (5) and steals (4). Trenton Collins added 20 points, three dimes, three steals and a team-best six rebounds.
Jeremy Rodriguez led all scorers with 27 points for Pitt-Bradford, which dropped to 2-2 on the year. Rodriguez hit a pair of free throws to open the game, but that was the Panthers' only lead as Emory's 3-pointer put MC in front to stay.
Wisniewski's transition dunk at the 12:37 mark put the Pioneers up 13, 25-12. However, three straight baskets by Rodriguez brought the Panthers within four, 32-28. Wisniewski answered with another jam, and Emory later followed with a fastbreak dunk of his own to stretch the lead back to double-digits, 41-31.
It was 48-41 at halftime, but the Pioneers completely dominated the second half. Pitt-Bradford hung around until about the 11-minute mark, when Marietta's bench went on an 8-0 run to go up 78-59. Luke Powell converted a layup, Johnny Kambani knocked down a 3-pointer and Dasai Bronson hit a basket-and-one to stretch the lead to 19.
MC took its first 20-point lead on Collins' fastbreak lay-in with 8:20 remaining. With 4:54 on the clock, Wisniewski got the ball in the paint and slammed it home to put the Pios up 30, 97-67. Colton Conkle's two free throws 14 seconds later gave Marietta 101 points. Sebastian Jordan hit a 3 and Jackson Childers buried a jumper in the final minute.
Kambani gave Marietta 13 points off the pine. Starter Angelo Diedalis finished with seven points while Powell added six points and five boards.
Other than Rodriguez, who added four assists to his statline, Kanye McMahon was the only other Panther to score in double figures (11). He also grabbed a team-high six boards. Tra Edwards had four assists while Jack Lymbery contributed three steals for Pitt-Bradford, which shot 44.6% (29 for 65) from the floor and committed 28 turnovers.
The Panthers utilized a full-court press most of the game, but Marietta only committed 17 turnovers against the pressure.
Next weekend, the Pioneers head to Ohio Wesleyan for the annual Great Lakes Invitational. They'll face Saint Joseph's (Maine) at 3 p.m. Friday before taking on Berry College (Ga.) at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Marietta's next home game is on Wednesday, Nov. 25, against Wittenberg.