Devin Hefner helps Marietta College basketball make history
Trending
ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Marietta College women's basketball team reached unprecedented heights after defeating 19th-ranked Ithaca College, 44-42, during Saturday evening's second round of the NCAA Division III National Tournament.
Making their third appearance on the national scene in program history, the Pioneers secured their first Sweet 16 berth after outscoring the Bombers 9-0 in the final 4 1/2 minutes of regulation.
MC improves to 22-7 and will meet 13th-ranked Babson College, which advanced after defeating SUNY New Paltz, 76-66, at a site and time yet to be determined.
"Any time you are able to advance the program to a place it has never been, well, that is really special," said Marietta head coach Kole Vivian. "We are playing more kids this year, and they all bought into the different roles we need them to play. Eleven years ago, when I was an assistant for Coach (Stacia) Shrider, we were just trying to win 16 games. Now we are one of the final 16 teams still playing."
Parkersburg South graduate Devin Hefner led MC with a game-high 15 points and scored the game-tying bucket with 54 seconds left in the fourth quarter on an inbounds play thanks to an assist by Hannah Schill.
"We just made history and I am glad to be part of this team," Hefner said. "I didn't know what to feel or think when it was over, but I was excited. We came back and played as hard as we could until the end."
With the game tied at 42 on Ithaca's next possession, Hannah Polce misfired on a 3-pointer. A tie-up at the other end gave the ball back to the Bombers and after another game-winning attempt by Ithaca couldn't find the mark, Erin Hahn tore down the defensive rebound and the ball eventually found Hefner, who was fouled attempting to bring the ball before she reached halfcourt.
With the clock showing 2.7 seconds, Hefner made both ends of the two-shot foul for a 44-42 MC advantage.
"I've been in that position before, and I wasn't going to miss those foul shots," Hefner said. "The game was on the line, and I had to make them."
Ithaca called its final timeout. On the inbounds near halfcourt, Emily Dorn received the pass. Her turnaround jumper just inside the free line was blocked by junior Makenzie Wilson just as time expired to preserve the comeback from an MC squad which trailed by as many as 10 points with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Erin Hahn scored six of her eight points in the final period and also grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. Hefner finished with a double-double after hauling in 10 boards.
Ithaca, which lost in the second round of the national tournament for the third straight year, ends the campaign at 24-5. The Bombers were led by Cara Volpe with 12 points. Dorn, Natalie Smith and Camryn Coffey each pitched in eight points. Coffey and Lindsey Albertelli led the team with eight rebounds apiece.
Vivian opened the game using his patented lineup of starting his second five, and the women produced with back-to-back buckets -- including a 3-pointer from Paige Tolson which put the Pioneers in front 5-0.
MC, which made just one 3-pointer in Friday's opening round win over Eastern Connecticut State, connected on three of its first five attempts from beyond the arc and pulled out in front 13-5 at the mid-point of the first quarter.
The Pioneers did not hit another three the rest of the game, which consisted of 18 attempts.
As MC encountered a scoring drought lasting more than eight minutes, Ithaca overtook the Pioneers with a 14-0 run and put the Bombers in front to stay until Hefner's heroics at the charity stripe late in the fourth quarter.
Despite their offensive struggles, MC stayed within range once coach Vivian switched his defense to a 2-3 zone midway into the second quarter.
"After we went back on the court (following a timeout), I turned to (assistant coach) Jenna (Anderson) and asked if she thought we should switch to a zone," Vivian said. "She thought it was a good time, so we just told them to do it.
"I thought Camille (Cummins) and Makenzie were tough in the paint, and when you have Dev and Hannah (Schill) on the perimeter, they force a team to push the ball out more than they would like."
Ithaca, which maintained a 25-19 advantage at halftime, did not look comfortable trying to make the adjustment and finished the game shooting just 25% (16-of-64) from the floor, including 19 % (3-of-16) from beyond the arc.