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Pios seek improved effort on defense

Marietta College was a pretty good defensive team en route to a men’s basketball program best 28-4 record last season.

The Pioneers didn’t allow an opponent to score 80-plus points until the 16th game of the campaign on Jan. 21, and even then they still defeated the University of Mount Union, 86-82.

Overall, MC averaged 82.5 per contest, while the opposition scored 72.

This past Friday night, nationally-ranked MC (1-0) tipped off the current campaign in fine fashion with a 100-82 triumph over Westminster College (0-1) at Ban Johnson Arena.

Ninth-year head coach Jon VanderWal was naturally pleased with the victory and the fact that his cage team reached the century mark on the scoreboard.

But the “82” in his mind stuck out like a sore thumb.

“I don’t like seeing that 82 up there on that scoreboard. I’ll tell you that,” VanderWal said. “I’m a little disappointed in our defense. We’re going to have to get a lot better defensively.”

The Marietta College boss is absolutely right, of course. The Pioneers gave up 82 points to a Titans team that only posted seven wins (7-20) last season.

“We were fortunate that (Westminster) wanted to run with us,” VanderWal said. “That’s why we were able to score 100.”

No question that MC has the shooters to score 100 points in a game, and it just might do it again when it plays Bethany College (W.Va.) at Hummel Field House Tuesday night at 7 p.m.

But the Pioneers are going to have to tighten up and play better “D” like the coach says, because Bethany (1-0) is also very capable of scoring 100 points in a game. In the Bisons’ season- and home-opener on Saturday night, they defeated Penn State-DuBois, 100-67.

“I don’t know a whole lot about Bethany yet,” VanderWal said. “I know it’s a tough bus trip and a tough place to play.

“They’ve got a new coach (Nick Hager), so there’s just a lot of uncertainties there with what they’re going to be doing. So, we’re just going to have to make sure that we’re on top of our game.”

MC is expected to start A.J. Edwards, Eddy Grenert, Luis Garcia, Brennan McKean, and Dillon Young.

Bethany may counter with Alex Graf, Sam Roselli, Tristan Pierce, Gustin Luis Conde, and Kyle Mills.

After Bethany, the Pioneers are slated to return home to BJA for the 45th Annual Marietta Shrine Tournament this upcoming weekend. MC will be facing Methodist (N.C.) University Friday at 8 p.m.

“Then, we turn around (after the Bisons game) and have to play Friday and Saturday,” VanderWal said. “So, it’s a big week for us.”

Ron Johnston is a Marietta Times sports writer, and can be reached at (740)373-212, x534, or at rjohnston@mariettatimes.com

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