SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Lovenson Xavier hit four free throws in the final 11 seconds of the game to secure a 67-63 Marietta College win over Illinois Wesleyan University Saturday (Nov. 18) evening in the Great Lakes Invitational being hosted by Wittenberg University.

The Pioneers split a pair of games on the weekend and are now 3-1 on the season. The Titans move to 2-2 on the season after a 1-1 weekend.

"I couldn't be prouder of our guys. I challenged them and said we would find out a lot about ourselves today with how we handle adversity," Marietta head coach Jon VanderWal said. "After playing so poorly yesterday, our guys responded with a gutsy effort today. We showed some toughness and resiliency."

Ryan Sroka hit a pair of free throws to get the Titans within two points, 63-61, with 56 seconds left in the game. Marietta missed a three-pointer on the ensuing possession and Hakim Williams grabbed the rebound for Illinois Wesleyan.

Following a Titan timeout, Xavier came up with a huge steal and was fouled. He sank both free throws pushing the lead back to four, 65-61, with 11 seconds left on the clock. Illinois Wesleyan got a quick layup from Luke Yoder and called a timeout with five seconds left.

Marietta inbounded the ball to Xavier and he was immediately fouled. The junior sank both free throws for a 67-63 Pioneer lead. Illinois Wesleyan's last second three-pointer was off the mark as the final buzzer sounded.

Xavier led all scorers with 25 points to go along with five rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots. Sahmi Willoughby notched a double-double with 16 points and 10 boards, while Cooper Parrott chipped in with 12 points and seven rebounds.

Sroka led four Titans in double figures with 15 points and six rebounds. Yoder finished with 12 points and nine boards, while Harrison Wilmsen and Nick Roper added 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Illinois Wesleyan led by six points several times in the first 10 minutes of the game. A layup from Trey Bazzell gave the Titans a 20-14 lead at the 10:06 mark of the first half.

Marietta went on a 14-0 run to go in front by eight points, 28-20, with 3:57 left in the first half. Xavier and David Sanford each had two buckets and Parrott and Willoughby each added a three-pointer during the Pioneer run.

The Pioneers led by as many as 13 points in the first half and took an 11-point advantage, 37-26, into halftime.

Illinois Wesleyan opened the second half with a 13-2 run tying the game at 39-39 with 15:35 left on the clock. Marietta responded with a three-pointer from Xavier and a layup from Willoughby and never trailed in the second half.

Marietta returns home to host Bethany College on Wednesday (Nov. 22). Tip-off is set for 4:00 p.m. in Ban Johnson Arena.