MARIETTA, Ohio — The Marietta College women's basketball team defeated Carnegie Mellon University by the score of 71-63 Thursday (Dec. 30) in the 36th annual Jim Meagle Holiday Classic sponsored by BSN Sports.
"It is great to go 2-0 at the Jim Meagle Tournament. Jim was an unbelievable guy, and to win two games at the event is really special," Marietta head coach Kole Vivian said. "I am so proud of how hard our players competed today. Carnegie Mellon is a really long and big team, and while it wasn't pretty, we did enough to win."
The Pioneers head into 2022 with a 10-1 record after winning their last four games. Marietta is off to its best start since the 2017-18 season when MC started 16-1. Carnegie Mellon slips to 5-3 on the season.
Olivia Gribble earned the Lisa Wagner Most Valuable Player Award after leading all scorers with 19 points. Gribble was 7-of-12 from the floor including four three-pointers. Erin Hahn scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds to earn All-Tournament Team honors.
Jill Congrove finished with 13 points and three assists, while Devin Hefner chipped in with 11 points, four assists and four steals.
"Hahn was great inside and Jill gave us a big boost off the bench. She got to the foul line a bunch when we needed it," Vivian said. "And Gribble winning the Lisa Wagner MVP is really cool. She was in a zone today."
Hefner hit her first three shots of the game as the Pioneers shot 73% from the floor in the first quarter. Congrove drained a three-pointer in the closing seconds of the period to give MC a 20-13 lead.
Marietta went on a 9-0 run pushing the margin to 14 points, 31-17, with 3:33 left in the first half. Hahn scored the final seven points of the run with three layups and a free throw. CMU got a jumper from Anisha Chintala at the end of quarter and trailed 34-23 at halftime.
The Tartans got hot in the third quarter and cut the deficit to six points, 49-43, on a bucket from Megan Matsko at the buzzer.
Hahn started the fourth quarter with a basket extending the Pioneer lead to eight points. Carnegie Mellon managed to get within six points three times in the final period, but Marietta answered each time with points on its ensuing possession to secure the victory.
Five Tartans finished in double figures. Chintala led the way with 13 points to go along with six rebounds. Isha Nambisan scored 12 points, while Catherine Or, Caitlyn Clendenin and Leah Weslock each chipped in with 11 points. Clendenin, Weslock and Matsko pulled down seven rebounds apiece.
Chintala and Clendenin were both named to the All-Tournament Team.
In the first game of the day, Bethany College downed the College of Wooster, 70-57. Lindsey Garrison and Makenzie Mason earned All-Tournament honors for Bethany, while Harley Holloway represented Wooster.
Marietta hosts rival Muskingum University on Wednesday (Jan. 5). Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. in Ban Johnson Arena.