WILMINGTON – Junior Kelly Noll poured in a career-high 27 points as the Wilmington College women’s basketball team defeated Marietta 79-72 Saturday in Ohio Athletic Conference play at Fred Raizk Arena.
The Quakers were 11 for 19 from three-point range in the victory.
Wilmington took a 15-9 lead when Maddie Snider, playing in her first game this season, made a jumper with 3:35 to play in the first quarter. A quick 6-0 run from Marietta put the Pioneers up a point, but baskets from Morgan Ritz and Faith Teaford put Wilmington up 19-16 after one quarter.
The majority of the second quarter was played within a four-point window but the Pioneers, taking advantage of two banked-in triples, tied the game 33-33 with 2:44 to play in the half. A basket from McKayla Binkley and four points from Kennedy Lewis put the Quakers up 39-33, but Shay Lett ended the half with a layup and Marietta, which defeated Wilmington at Hermann Court 81-73 last season, trailed by four at halftime.
The Pioneers outscored the Quakers 19-13 in the third quarter and two Lett free throws to open the fourth gave the visitors a 56-52 lead. Wilmington didn’t waste time taking the lead back, however, as Noll hit a jumper followed by two threes to put the hosts up 60-58 at the 7:43 mark of the fourth quarter.
Marietta would score the next three points, but a 7-0 run from the Binkley twins put Wilmington up 67-61. After two Lett free throws, another Noll basket put the Quakers on top 69-63 with 3:52 to play.
That basket from Noll would be Wilmington’s last field goal of the game, but the Pioneers would never get the ball back with a chance to tie it as the Kennedy Lewis made enough free throws down the stretch to earn Lady Quaker Basketball its first OAC win of the season.
“I was really proud of how we played given we’ve lost our last three games,” WC coach Jerry Scheve said. “After our last three losses, I told them I was proud of them, but wasn’t going to say that again until we won. They made that easy today.”
Wilmington finished 24-of-56 (42.9 percent) from the field including its blistering shooting from distance, the best on the season to date. The Quakers also converted 20-of-29 (69.0 percent) from the free throw line and out-rebounded Marietta 44-40.
The Pioneers finished 26-of-70 (37.1 percent) from the field, 7-of-30 (23.3 percent) from distance and 13-of-18 (72.2 percent) from the free throw line.
Individually, Noll led all scorers with a career-high 27 points. The junior also set career bests in field goals made with nine and triples made with six. Lewis added 18 points including tying her career high with 10 free throws made while Savannah Hooper dished out a career-high nine assists.
“Kelly [Noll] can shoot the basketball,” said Scheve. “We got her in some positions to get some shots off and she drained them.”
Lett led Marietta with 22 points despite shooting 7-of-25 from the field. Corrie Burkhardt and Alexis Enochs also finished in double figures in scoring for the Pioneers.
Wilmington (5-4, 1-3 OAC) host Capital University on Wednesday evening.
