MARIETTA, Ohio — It hasn't been an easy run, but Marietta has been here before. Now the senior class wants to set a new standard for Pioneer basketball.

But if the second-ranked Pioneers (28-2) want to reach its first NCAA Division III Final Four in school history they'll have to get by an extremely athletic Christopher Newport squad on Saturday.

"Christopher Newport is lights out. They have an unbelievable team," said Marietta coach Jon VanderWal following the Pioneers' 89-81 victory over Oswego State Stockton in the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament Sectional Semifinal at Ban Johnson Arena Friday night.

Marietta will face the Captains, who defeated Stockton 93-54 earlier in the day, at 7 p.m. Saturday at the BanJo. The Pioneers edged CNU 86-83 in the first game of the season back on Nov. 12. Marietta is playing in the Elite 8 for the third time in program history.

"I got a lot of confidence in these guys. We feel like we have something special brewing with this group. I believe these guys are ready for the moment," VanderWal said. "This is our third time knocking on the door and I tell these guys all the time, all you can do is put in the work, do everything in your power to increase your odds and then go let her rip."

Senior guard Lukas Isaly said the locker room was quiet after Friday's win as he and his teammates took a moment to think about how close they are to accomplishing this goal.

"Tomorrow we could do something this school has never done before. That we could make tomorrow a real special day," he said. "It's hard making it here. We've had a tough three rounds that we fought our way through and we're here at the point and tomorrow we just have to make it happen. This team possesses a lot of confidence and that's what makes us special. We know we can do it and we possess everything in our power to make it to next week. But we have to be ready for the moment tomorrow."

The Elite 8 wasn't a guarantee, though. It took a gutsy performance to make it to Saturday's showdown.

"Give Oswego and Coach (Jason) Leone a lot of credit. They have a great team," VanderWal said. "They came into tonight's game 27-2 just like us and they were every bit we thought they were. I thought it was two great teams, really slugging back-and-forth. We had a seven-point lead at half, and then they came out of the gates in the second half and just jumped on us. They executed everything to perfection. Being down at the half wasn't a problem for them. They made all of the plays to start the second half."

The Lakers (27-3) went on a 17-4 run to take a 56-47 lead with 13:26 to play. Junior guard Devin Green sparked the run with two 3-point baskets and eight points. Freshman guard Ahkee Anderson closed out the run with a 3-pointer.

"They ran a play right out of the half and hit a three and I think that gave them some momentum," VanderWal said. "I think we were a little soft on defense to start the second half … weren't quite ready and they're really good and we gave them momentum. … They were more aggressive to start the second half."

Leone was pleased with the fight he saw from his squad.

"This was a game that was very typical of how we played this year," he said. "A lot of resolve. Guys really competed. A lot of togetherness. We were ready to go."

And he wasn't surprised when Marietta responded and chipped away and took a 59-58 lead with 8:05 to play.

"We tried to get them off the arc, which we did, but then they really hurt us inside and we fouled too much," Leone said. "When you have multiple pieces like they do they're going to consistently put pressure on you. That's a credit to them."

The last time Marietta trailed was with 5:02 to play when Green made a 3-pointer that gave the Lakers a 66-65 lead. Over the final 4:52, the Pioneers outscored Oswego 24-15. Isaly had nine point during that run and he finished with 17.

"We got down nine and then showed our resiliency and our toughness. We didn't get down on ourselves and we just battled back," VanderWal said. "Once we got the lead, well, this place, it helps. It was electric in there today and gave these guys some mojo … and they made all the plays down the stretch."

Senior center Tim Kreeger had 17 points and five rebounds, and he said the 1,150 fans definitely play a role in the outcome.

"It means everything. You can just feel it inside you when the crowd goes crazy and everyone is cheering for you. The sense of community here is just incredible. It's like nothing else," Kreeger said. "We've been down before and we have a great group of guys, so when our backs are against the wall we don't freak out. We figure it out like coach always wants."

One player who figured it out was senior guard Jason Ellis, who led all scorers with 28 points.

"I feel like the ball just fell my way and we executed well. I just kind of had lanes to the rim," Ellis said. "It also helps when you have four other guys on the court who they have to cover. I think we're just so balanced."

VanderWal is never surprised when Ellis comes up big.

"He's one of the best players in the country. He's put in a ridiculous amount of time. There's nobody that works harder than he does," he said. "I don't think it's that big a deal. I expected this. He's lights out. Everybody knows who he is and we got a lot of them and that's why we're going to the Elite 8 because we're not a one-man band."

There was plenty of balance for the Pioneers. Sophomore forward Addy Black had 10 rebounds, while junior post Sahmi Willoughby added 11 points and six rebounds.

However, little-used senior guard Ryan Reidy gave the Pioneers a spark off the bench in the first half. He finished with four points and one assist in a little over 12 minutes of action.

"Reidy has had real limited minutes. Of the five seniors he's getting the least amount of time. But I'll tell you what, he's in the gym every single day. I'm always surprised by how much he puts in to it and how little reward he gets for all the hard work," VanderWal said. "But he was going to make sure he was ready for moments like this. He gave us a huge spark in the first half. He came in and gave us great minutes. He's one of those guys you couldn't be more proud of because he has a great attitude, great approach and great mentality every day. He gives himself up for the team."

Green led the Lakers with 22 points and four assists, while Jeremiah Sparks had 19 points. Anderson added 12 points and six assists, while Jamal Achille had seven rebounds in the loss.