Marietta College set to battle against Oswego State
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Marietta College is locked in.
The No. 2 ranked Pioneers (27-2) are anxiously awaiting Friday's NCAA Tournament matchup with Oswego State (27-2). Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside Ban Johnson Arena. Only 16 teams remain in Division III. This is Marietta's fifth time playing in the Sweet 16, and with a win Friday would make the Elite Eight for the third time in school history.
MC head coach Jon VanderWal said his guys know what's at stake.
"The energy is good," he said. "The focus is there. They know they they need to prepare with a sense of urgency. Our film sessions and practices have been really good. Guys are well aware we're going to have to play our best basketball."
Marietta survived the first week of the NCAA Tournament, defeating Medaille 91-79 and Rochester 88-83 in overtime. Now, the Lakers of head coach Jason Leone come to town. The champions of the State University of New York Athletic Conference, Oswego State defeated Hood 82-73 and Keene 84-63 in the first two rounds.
The Lakers have four players averaging 10 points or more, and three more averaging between 8.2 and 8.4.
"They're a bit like us," VanderWal said. "We pride ourselves on balance. They've got a lot of guys that could have a big game on a given night. There's nobody you can key on. We've just got to be ready and execute our defensive gameplan."
Devin Green, a 6-foot-3 guard, leads the way with 11.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Jeremiah Sparks, a 6-3 guard, averages 11.6 points and 5.6 boards while Julien Crittendon, a 6-2 guard, adds 10.7 points per game. Christian Simmons, a 6-5 forward, contributes 10 points per game off the bench. Oswego State doesn't have an overwhelming post presence, but it has "a lot of length across the board," VanderWal said.
"All their guys are really good at driving it. They're really agile. They don't have a big, monster post player, but they can score in the post, for sure."
The Pioneers have won 25 straight games dating back to Nov. 23. They played as tough of a regular season schedule as ever under VanderWal. The level of intensity in preparation is the same for every game, and that includes Friday.
"We put so much emphasis on winning every game we play," VanderWal said. "It could be game 16 against an OAC opponent, and it still feels like life or death for us. We prepare the same way every game. We do what we do as a coaching staff, demand the same things, and we've just got to execute it a higher level now. This will be our 11th game versus an NCAA Tournament-caliber team. I feel like we're experienced. We don't have to do anything out of the norm. Our approach is no different."
Jason Ellis leads the Pioneers with 17.3 points per game. Lukas Isaly is up to 15.3 points per game after an amazing 33-point effort against Rochester, in which all of his points came after halftime. Big man Tim Kreeger contributes 11.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Mason Lydic adds 10.8 points per game. Off the bench, Sahmi Willoughby gives the Pioneers 8.3 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds per game. Rebounding is going to be a major key going forward for Marietta, especially against Oswego State.
"They're a plus-nine rebounding team," VanderWal said. "We've got to rebound. If you look across the board, all the teams left are going to be elite rebounding teams. We've got to win the battle of the boards."
Christpher Newport and Stockton are scheduled to play at 4 p.m. Friday. The winner of that game will play the Marietta-Oswego State winner at 7 p.m. Saturday with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
PACK THE BANJO
Tickets for Friday night's NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament Sectional round game between Marietta College and Oswego State will be available for purchase online to the general public beginning at 4 p.m. today.
Friday's Sectional round will be a split session with the arena being cleared between games. Single game NCAA Tournament ticket prices are $15 for adults and $10 for senior citizens (age 62 and older) and students. To purchase tickets, go to https://pioneers.marietta.edu/sports/2020/10/12/online-ticketing.aspx
The doors will open at approximately 6 p.m. on Friday for the 7 p.m. tip-off between Marietta and Oswego State. Any remaining tickets will be available for purchase at the gate when the doors open at 7 p.m. There will be no re-admittance to the facility.
The first game of the evening will start at 4 p.m. and features Christopher Newport and Stockton. Doors will open at 3 p.m. for the first game.