MC hoops teams tip season off in winning fashion

Local Sports MC hoops teams tip season off in winning fashion November 8, 2026 5 min read Trending Trenton Collins poured in a career-high 31 points leading Marietta College to a 94-82 season opening win over Bethany College Saturday in Ban Johnson Arena. Collins was one of three Pioneers in double figures as Mason Wisniewski and Toma Gasaj both posted double-doubles in the game. Wisniewski finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Gasaj had 15 points and 12 boards. Marietta broke a 10-10 tie with seven straight points midway through the first half. A layup from Collins coupled with an old-fashioned three-point play from Gasaj and a jumper from Jonny Kambani accounted for the Pioneer run. A three-pointer from Luke Powell at the 5:33 mark pushed the Marietta lead to 11 points, 33-22. The Pioneers led by as many as 13 points in the opening period and took an 8-point lead, 41-33, into halftime. A dunk from Wisniewski with 16:30 left in the game made it a 12-point game, 52-40. The Bison refused to go away and scored nine straight points to get within three, 52-49. Marietta regrouped and pushed the margin back into double digits, 67-56, with 8:35 left on the clock. Bethany whittled away at the Marietta lead and had a chance to tie the game. Jayden Jackson went to the line for a pair of free throws with the Bison trailing 75-73. He made the first but missed the second. Marietta scored the next 12 points to put the game away. Collins scored the first seven points of the run and Wisniewski added the final four with a pair of layups. Jackson led Bethany with 30 points and 12 rebounds. Jaden Stewart had 25 points and nine boards, while Semaj Marshall added 19 points. Marietta hosts the annual Shrine Tournament next Friday and Saturday. The Pioneers play Waynesburg on Friday at 7:30 p.m. WOMEN The Marietta College women’s basketball team used a relentless defensive effort and balanced scoring attack to roll past Penn State Altoona, 84-54, Saturday in the season opener at Ban Johnson Arena. The Pioneers begin the season 1-0 and the Lions drop to 0-1 to begin their season. “I’m proud of how our team approached the game from start to finish,” said Marietta head coach Jenna Andersen. “We had contributions on both sides of the ball, but our defensive intensity and commitment were what allowed us to get the win. This group understands that we still have a lot of areas where we can improve, and that’s exciting.” Penn State Altoona scored first, but Marietta quickly seized control with a suffocating defensive effort. A layup from Amelia Uhrig tied the game at 2-2 before consecutive scores by Kendall Sury and Emma Rasmussen pushed the Pioneers ahead 6-2. Marietta’s defense forced eight first-quarter turnovers, with Rasmussen recording a pair of steals and converting one into a fast-break layup. Sury knocked down a jumper midway through the period and Abby Garner added a putback basket to extend the advantage to 11-4. Callie Powell provided another spark off the bench with a layup and later followed up in a missed shot at the buzzer. Marietta took a commanding 21-6 lead into the second period. Penn State Altoona found some rhythm offensively in the second quarter behind the three-point shooting of Ellie Irvin, but Marietta consistently had an answer. Uhrig scored on a layup to open the quarter, followed by baskets from Carpenter and Ella McMillen . Rasmussen nailed a trey and Sury buried a three-pointer moments later to keep momentum on the Pioneers’ side. Irvin helped Penn State Altoona stay within striking distance by knocking down four three-pointers in the quarter, trimming the lead to 33-19 midway through the period. Sury found some teammates for baskets before scoring herself late in the quarter. Harlan added a three-pointer and Peyten Bruns supplied a strong finish in the closing minutes, converting an old-fashioned three-point play before tipping in a missed shot at the halftime horn. Marietta went to the half with a 48-26 advantage. Sury opened the second half with a jumper before Penn State Altoona briefly cut the margin to 19 points. Marietta answered with a flurry of offense sparked by Garner, Sury, McMillen, and Powell. After the Lions pulled within 50-31, Garner finished a layup, Sury drilled a three-pointer, and McMillen converted a transition basket following a steal to ignite a 13-2 run. The surge pushed the lead to 57-33 with just over six minutes remaining in the quarter. Bruns converted free throws and scored repeatedly around the rim, while Powell knocked down a three-pointer and McMillen added multiple baskets in the lane. Marietta took a comfortable 78-39 lead into the final stanza. Marietta turned the final quarter over to its depth, allowing several players valuable game experience while maintaining defensive intensity. Bruns opened the scoring with a jumper off an assist from Mallory Plesac. Madison Lynn added a layup midway through the quarter, and Maggie Baker converted a steal into her first career Pioneer basket to account for Marietta’s final points. Penn State Altoona received late scoring from Alina Sopko, Hannah Glunt, Maddie Benton, and Irvin, who finished with a game-high 17 points. However, the Pioneers would cruise to an 84-54 opening day victory. 14 different Pioneers scored in the victory, led by Sury’s 16 points and Bruns’ 15-point performance off the bench. Bruns also led with seven rebounds. Sury also collected five assists and four rebounds. Kelsey Harlan added five points and a game-high seven assists. Marietta shot 53.1 percent from the floor (34-of-64), dominated the glass 41-27, and dished out 20 assists on 34 made field goals. They also forced 15 turnovers, scored 21 points off miscues, and received 47 points from their bench. Marietta returns to action next Friday (Nov. 13) as they will play in the Rochester Chuck Resler Tournament in Rochester, New York. The Pioneers will battle Vassar College in the opening round with a scheduled start time of 1 p.m. Andersen concluded, “We’ll enjoy this win, then get back to work next week as we prepare for a great challenge in Rochester.”