MARIETTA, Ohio — The No. 21 ranked Marietta College women's basketball team defeated Wilmington College, 87-72, Saturday (Dec. 16) afternoon in Ban Johnson Arena. The Pioneers improve to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. Wilmington falls to 5-3 overall and 2-2 in league play.

With the victory Marietta has equaled the best start in program history with eight straight win to open the season. The 1985-86 and 1989-90 teams also started 8-0 before losing.  The Pioneers will look to make history when they host Washington and Jefferson on Tuesday.

"We are happy to be 8-0 and tie the best start in program history," Marietta head coach Kole Vivian said. "To be in the same conversation as the 1985-86 and 1989-90 teams is pretty special to us."

Back-to-back three-pointers from Savannah Hooper and Kelly Noll gave Wilmington its only lead of the afternoon, 6-4, less than three minutes into the game. The Pioneers answered with a 7-0 run, including five points from Brooke Borich, to retake the lead. Marietta never trailed again.

Borich led all scorers with 19 points. The senior hit four three-pointers to lead the Pioneers in scoring for the fourth time this season. Amisha Herd was a thorn in the Quakers side at both ends of the floor. Herd finished with 17 points and eight rebounds to go along with seven assists and seven steals.

"Amisha was spectacular tonight. She was all over the floor and it seemed like whenever they had something going she would get a big board or steal or hit a big shot," Vivian said. "Brooke had another great game too making big shots all day. Having guards that can score like those two is a big reason we are 8-0."

Corrie Burkhardt chipped in with 13 points and eight boards, while Alexis Enochs came off the bench to add nine points.

Marietta scored the final four points of the first quarter to lead 25-14 after the first period. The Pioneers ended the half with a 13-point lead, 44-31, after finishing the second quarter on and 8-2 run.

Any hopes Wilmington had of a comeback were dashed in the third quarter. Marietta drained five three-pointers in the first five minutes of the period extending its lead to 19 points, 58-39.

The Quakers cut the deficit to eight points, 66-58, early in the fourth quarter on an old fashioned three-point play by Mackenzie Campbell. Campbell led Wilmington with 16 points.

McKayla Binkley scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Noll added 10 points and five boards.

Once again Herd responded with a three-pointer, one of Marietta's season-high 11 treys in the game, to push the lead back into double digits.

For the game, Marietta shot 47.1% (33-of-70) from the floor, 42.3% (11-of-26) from three-point range and 66.7% (10-of-15) at the free throw line. The Quakers were 22-of-53 (41.5%) from the floor, 5-of-12 (41.7%) behind the arc and 23-of-28 (82.1%) at the charity stripe.

Wilmington edged the Pioneers on the glass, 38-17. However, the Quakers couldn't overcome 29 turnovers in the game. Marietta committed 16 turnovers.

Marietta is back in action on Tuesday (Dec. 19) when the Pioneers host Washington and Jefferson College. Tip off against the undefeated Presidents is set for 2 p.m. in Ban Johnson Arena.