Ohio Northern falls at No. 6 Marietta in championship game of OAC Men's Basketball Tournament
By Tim Glon
MARIETTA — Ohio Northern fell at No. 6-ranked Marietta 100-49 in the championship game of the Ohio Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Tournament on Saturday night at at Ban Johnson Fieldhouse.
The fifth-seeded Polar Bears end their season at 5-7, while the top-seeded Pioneers end their season at 12-1.
The game marked the second time in the past four seasons that Ohio Northern reached the finals of the OAC Tournamernt.
Sophomores Grant Heileman (Millersport/Sheridan) and Landen Long (Mason) were named to the All-OAC Tournament Team.
Long scored 10 points and heieleman scored seven points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead ONU.
Marietta was led by Jason Ellis with 25 points.
MC raced out to a 30-11 lead with 8:12 left in the first half to take control early.
Ohio Northern answered with a 10-0 run over the next 2:08 to get within 30-21 with 6:04 to play.
A dunk by sophomore Heath Jeffries (Newark/Catholic) and a basket by Heileman pulled the Polar Bears within 34-27 with 3:53 left in the opening half.
MC ended the half on a 9-3 run and led 43-30 at intermission.
The hosts opened the second half on a 16-3 run and the lead was 59-33 with 14:13 remaining in the game.
Ohio Northern made 16-of-53 field goals for 30.2 percent and was 4-of-22 from 3-point range for 18.2 percent. Marietta made 37-of-79 shots from the floor for 46.8 percent and made 14-of-33 shots from beyond the arc for 42.4 percent.
The pioneers out-rebounded the Polar Bears 57-29.