Marietta College claimed the Shrine Tournament championship by eclipsing the century mark in a 106-76 win over Pittsburgh-Bradford at Ban Johnson Arena.
Three Marietta players scored 20 or more points as the Pioneers pushed their record to 3-0 under second-year head coach Andy Bucheit. Picked to finish eighth in the Ohio Athletic Conference preseason coaches’ poll, the team has opened the year averaging 97.7 points per game.
Mason Wisniewski, a 6-foot-7 junior post, earned tournament Most Valuable Player honors after scoring 21 points against the Panthers to go with a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double in a 93-75 win over Waynesburg on Friday.
Marietta shot 40 for 67 from the floor at 59.7%, hitting 6 of 12 attempts from beyond the arc. Sophomore Joey Emory matched Wisniewski with 21 points, shooting 9 for 14 from the field while collecting game-highs of five assists and four steals. Trenton Collins contributed 20 points, three dimes, three steals, and a team-best six rebounds.
For Pittsburgh-Bradford, which slipped to 2-2, Jeremy Rodriguez led all scorers with 27 points and four assists. Rodriguez opened the scoring with two free throws, but that marked the Panthers’ only lead of the contest as Emory answered with a 3-pointer to put Marietta ahead for good.
Pitt-Bradford stayed within striking distance into the second half, narrowing the gap to 32-28 before a fastbreak dunk by Emory stretched the lead back to double digits at 41-31. The hosts held a 48-41 advantage at halftime before controlling the final period.
An 8-0 run by the Marietta bench around the 11-minute mark pushed the margin to 78-59 following a layup by Luke Powell, a 3-pointer by Johnny Kambani, and a three-point play from Dasai Bronson.
The lead swelled past 20 points on a fastbreak lay-in by Collins with 8:20 remaining, and reached 30 points when Wisniewski scored in the paint to make it 97-67 with 4:54 on the clock. Colton Conkle pushed Marietta past the century mark with two free throws 14 seconds later, while Sebastian Jordan and Jackson Childers added late baskets.
Kambani finished with 13 points off the bench for the Pioneers. Starter Angelo Diedalis added seven points, and Powell chipped in six points and five rebounds. Kanye McMahon joined Rodriguez in double figures for Pitt-Bradford with 11 points and a team-high six boards, while Tra Edwards handed out four assists and Jack Lymbery recorded three steals.
The Panthers shot 44.6% by hitting 29 of 65 shots and committed 28 turnovers against Marietta’s defense, while the Pioneers turned the ball over 17 times despite facing a persistent full-court press.
Next weekend, the Pioneers travel to Ohio Wesleyan for the annual Great Lakes Invitational. They face Saint Joseph’s (Maine) at 3 p.m. Friday before playing Berry College (Ga.) at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Marietta returns home on Wednesday, Nov. 25, to host Wittenberg.
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