ALLIANCE, Ohio. – Mount Union's women's basketball team fell 70-67 to No. 22 nationally ranked Marietta in an Ohio Athletic Conference game Wednesday at the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex.
The Purple Raiders (4-7, 1-4 OAC) were led by junior
Emma Cannon (Dalton) with 22 points and five rebounds along with sophomore
Sarah Meech (Smithville), who scored a career-high 14 points.
Marietta (13-1, 6-1 OAC) got 18 points with 11 rebounds from Makenzie Wilson.
Mount Union started the game connecting on three shots to take an early 6-4 lead. Both teams exchanged baskets throughout the first quarter and the game was tied four different times including 15-15 at the end of the period.
Marietta scored seven of the first nine points of the second quarter to get out to a 22-17 lead but Mount Union came back and tied the game at 25-25 on a
Daveonna Nash jumper with 2:42 left in the period. Marietta stretched it back out to four points before a
Madison Hensley bucket at the buzzer got Mount Union within two points, 32-30 at the break.
Marietta pushed the lead to seven points early in the third quarter but jumpers by Meech and Cannon closed the margin down to three points, 39-36 with 6:40 left in the period. The Pioneers pushed the lead back out to seven points but Cannon scored six of the final eight points of the period finished off by a three-pointer to make it 50-47 Marietta heading into the fourth quarter.
Marietta opened the fourth quarter on a 15-8 run to lead 65-57 with 3:36 to play. Mount Union rallied again as jumper by Meech got the Raiders to within a bucket, 67-65 with 1:19 to go. On the ensuing possession, Marietta turned the ball over but the Raiders also turned it over and the Pioneers converted it into a bucket that got the lead back out to four points. Marietta led by three points after going 1-of-2 from the line with two seconds left but a Cannon half court shot just missed at the buzzer and hte Pioneers got the win.
Mount Union next hosts Otterbein in an OAC game Saturday, Jan. 15 at 2 p.m. at the MAAC.