WILMINGTON, Ohio – The Wilmington College women’s basketball team led for more than 36 minutes, but Marietta College took the lead on a corner three-pointer with 31 seconds to play Saturday and escaped Fred Raizk Arena with a 66-63 Ohio Athletic Conference victory.
Both teams shot 41 percent from the field and combined to miss just three of 22 free throws. The Quakers connected on 9-of-22 (40.9 percent) from three-point distance while the Pioneers were just 5-of-18 (27.8 percent). Both teams grabbed 33 rebounds and committed fewer than 10 turnovers.
Marisa Seiler led all scorers with a career-high 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting with five rebounds. Kyria Walker added 13 points and six rebounds off the bench while Kennedy Lewis had nine points and three assists.
Wilmington (8-5, 2-4 OAC) closes out a three-game homestand with Muskingum University 7 p.m. Wednesday.
After the first six-plus minute saw the Pioneers cling to a 13-12 lead, the Quakers scored the final 10 points of the quarter which included three points from both Zahrya Bailey and Seiler. In total, Wilmington was 4-of-6 from distance in the first 10 minutes and led 22-13.
That advantage grew to 17 points (32-15) as Lewis made a layup midway through the second. From the end of the first quarter to the start of the second, the Quakers went on a 16-0 run. Trailing by 17, Marietta closed the gap and fast, scoring on 8-of-9 possessions. The final basket of the half, a baseline three from Olivia Gribble, made the score 36-33 Wilmington.
Five points from Seiler opened the second half to push the host’s advantage to eight, a margin that would remain midway through the fourth quarter. A free throw from Brooke Stover made it 60-52, but the Quakers were stuck on 60 for five minutes.
The Pioneers pulled to within a point on a Devin Hefner layup, but a rainbow three from Lewis put the hosts up 63-59 with 1:26 to go. Two Marietta free throws followed and, after a Quaker miss, Hefner found Gribble in the corner for the go-ahead three with 31 seconds to play.
Trailing 64-63 and out of timeouts, Wilmington got an open look for three, but Walker’s shot was off the mark. The Quakers were forced to foul, and after two Gribble free throws, a potential game-tying three from Lewis was just short.
