Marietta women fall to visiting Heidelberg 70-67
Amanda Carraher scores a game-high 21 points

Feb. 7, 2009
MARIETTA, Ohio — Trailing by seven points with 59 seconds to play, the Marietta College women’s basketball team put together a late rally and had a last-second shot to win but the three-pointer did not fall and visiting Heidelberg University escaped Ban Johnson Arena with a 70-67 victory on Saturday (Feb. 7) afternoon.

Marietta senior wing Amanda Carraher (Hilliard/Hilliard Davidson) knocked down a season-high five three pointers and finished with a game-high 21 points to go along with six assists. Freshman post Chelsea Drake (Georgetown) added 12 points and five boards, while senior guard Nikki Driscoll (Bellaire) contributed 11 points and eight assists. In addition, junior Jamie Beckett (Wooster/Triway) had seven points and nine rebounds, freshman wing Rachel Jones (Dublin/Coffman) finished with nine points and freshman post Lizz Wilson (Ashtabula/Edgewood) added four points and a game-high 10 boards.

Heidelberg (6-15, 3-11 OAC) came out of the gate with the hot hand and built a 15-7 lead over the course of the first nine minutes. Back-to-back three-pointers by Carraher and Driscoll helped the Pioneers (2-19, 0-14 OAC) cut the deficit to two points, 15-13. The Student Princes then scored the next five points to boost the advantage back to seven, 20-13, with 8:12 to play in the half. The lead was back at seven points, 24-17, two minutes later before a layup by Jones sparked a 12-0 run for Marietta, allowing it to take a 29-24 lead as the teams entered the final three minutes of the period. The squads traded baskets the rest of the half, and the Pioneers went into intermission leading by three points, 33-30.

Marietta used the momentum from the late first-half run to extend its lead to 10 points, 46-36, in the opening minutes of the second stanza. The Student Princes’ full-court press quickly cut the lead down to five points, 46-43, with 13:15 to play in the game. Heidelberg tied the game at 49-49, with just under 10 minutes remaining and regained the lead, 51-49, on a jumper in the paint by Brittany Skolnicki with 9:05 to go. The Student Princes then extended their advantage to five points before the Pioneers tied the game at 54-54 with six minutes left on the clock. Heidelberg boosted its lead back to five points, 61-56, with 3:49 remaining, and then 63-58, with 2:25 to play.

The score remained the same into the final minute until Morgan Harrigan hit a pair from the line to give the Student Princes a seven-point lead. Carraher was then fouled shooting a three-pointer and knocked down three from the line to cut the deficit to four points, 65-61, with 49 seconds remaining. After Heidelberg hit one of two from the charity stripe, Carraher connected from beyond the arc to pull Marietta within a basket, 66-64, with 35 seconds to play in the game. Stacey Barker then hit three of four from the line before Carraher knocked down another three to pull Marietta back within a bucket, 69-67. Stacey Richard followed by hitting one of two from the stripe with 15 seconds left. Driscoll shot a contested three as the clock expired but it was off the mark, giving Heidelberg the 70-67 win.

Skolnicki paced Heidelberg with 18 points. Barker and Harrigan both added 14 points and Jenny Miller had 11 points and eight rebounds in the win.

Marietta is back in action on Wednesday (Feb. 11) evening when the Pioneers visit rival Muskingum College for a tip-off at 7:30 p.m.

Senior Amanda Carraher had 21 points on Saturday.

Box Score