WESTERVILLE, Ohio — The Marietta College women's basketball team got 51 points from its bench as the Pioneers defeated Otterbein University 82-75 Wednesday (Nov. 30) evening in the Ohio Athletic Conference opener for both schools. Marietta improves to 6-1 overall and 1-0 in the OAC. The Cardinals are 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the OAC.

The Pioneers played from behind for most of the game. A layup from Corrie Burkhardt with 2:32 left in the game gave Marietta its first lead of the night, 72-70. Burkhardt's bucket was part of a 12-2 Marietta run that turned a four-point deficit into a six-point lead.

Burkhardt led four Pioneers in double figures with 16 points. She also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds. Brooke Borich added 15 points, while Shay Lett and Amisha Herd each chipped in with 12 points. Burkhardt, Borich and Lett all came off the Pioneer bench.

Otterbein raced out to an early 8-0 lead and led 25-18 at the end of the first quarter. The Cardinals extended their lead to as many as 13 points, 32-19, with 8:45 left in the second quarter.

Marietta took advantage of a six-plus minute Otterbein scoring drought to knot the game at 33-33 at the 2:12 mark of the period. The Pioneers outscored Otterbein 14-1 during that span. The Cardinals recovered and were able to take a 40-36 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter Marietta again found itself trailing by double digits as Otterbein pushed the margin back to 11 points, 58-47, with 2:33 left in the quarter. The Pioneers kept the game close and cut the deficit to five points, 60-55, heading into the final period.

Abby Miduri and Dani Kissel led Otterbein with 22 points each. Kiersten Taylor finished with 12 points and eight rebounds, while Ali Cartnal chipped in with 10 points. Miduri drained five three-pointers and dished out six assists.

For the game, Marietta shot 44.4% (28-of-63) from the floor, 31.8% (7-of-22) from three-point range and 76.0% (19-of-25) at the free throw line. Otterbein was 26-of-67 (38.8%) from the floor, 8-of-25 (32.0%) from behind the arc and 15-of-20 (75.0%) at the line.

The Pioneers outrebounded Otterbein, 42-39. Each team committed 11 turnovers in the game.

Marietta returns home to host Baldwin Wallace University at 3 p.m. on Saturday (Dec. 3) in Ban Johnson Arena.