Strong 3rd-quarter surge, Hale’s career-high 18 points not enough as Women’s Basketball falls to Marietta

By Wes Mayberry

MARIETTA — The Ohio Northern women's basketball team outscored Marietta 15-2 in the third quarter Saturday afternoon but ultimately fell 60-52 in what was a tightly contested game at Ban Johnson Arena.

Saturday's game was the Ohio Athletic Conference opener for both teams as the Pioneers improved to 6-0 overall and 1-0 in the OAC while the Polar Bears dropped to 4-2, 0-1.

Senior Jaidyn Hale (Lima/Bath) finished with a career-high 18 points for ONU which also got eight points each from senior Alissa Stahler (Lima/Shawnee) and junior Brynn Serbin (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny).

Sophomore Kristen Luersman (Fort Jennings) tallied a team-high seven rebounds for ONU, and Serbin led the Polar Bears with four steals and three assists.

Sophomore Kelly Levering paced Marietta with a double-double of a career-high 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Senior Jill Congrove added 16 points for MC and was 4-of-5 from 3-point range.

The Pioneers held a slim 21-20 lead at the end of the first quarter but outscored the Polar Bears 17-7 in the second frame to take a 38-27 halftime edge.

Unfazed, ONU methodically worked its way back throughout the third quarter as it put together a 15-0 run capped by a layup from freshman Abby Dickson (Germantown/Valley View) that gave the Polar Bears a 42-38 lead with 1:28 left in the period.

The scoring run was sparked by eight points from Hale and five from Stahler.

Going back to the end of the second quarter, ONU held Marietta scoreless for 10:28 before the Pioneers got back on the scoreboard with a pair of free throws from senior Kate Liston with 1:10 left in the third.

That strong third-quarter surge sent the Polar Bears into the fourth leading 42-40, setting up a back-and-forth final 10 minutes.

MC regained the lead at 45-42 on a Congrove 3-pointer with 7:59 remaining, but Hale answered with a triple for ONU with 7:28 left.

A Hale layup gave ONU a 52-51 edge with 3:02 remaining, but the Polar Bears would not score again.

Levering hit a pair of free throws to put Marietta up by five, 57-52, with 43 seconds left, and the Pioneer defense held strong to close out the win.

The Polar Bears were 0-for-6 from the field over the final three minutes.

Ohio Northern made 22-of-64 field goals for 34.4% and was 3-of-13 from 3-point range for 23.1%, while the Pioneers made 21-of-66 field goals for 31.8% and were 7-of-26 from beyond the arc for 26.9%.

The Polar Bears were 5-of-8 from the foul line for 62.5% while Marietta was 11-of-14 for 78.6%.

MC out-rebounded ONU by a 46-43 margin.

The game featured eight ties and 20 lead changes.

The Polar Bears return to action on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. game at OAC foe Wilmington.