‘Berg Victorious over the Pioneers

Tiffin, Ohio – December 12, 2009 –The Heidelberg University men’s basketball team was victorious over Marietta College by a score of 78-71. Heidelberg improves to 5-3 overall, 2-1 in the OAC, while Marietta drops to 3-4 overall, 1-3 in conference play.
 
The first half consisted of six lead changes along with six ties. Heidelberg had the largest lead with two minutes left in the half, when Josh Calver (Shelby, Ohio / Shelby) found senior Matt Grieves (Huron, Ohio / Huron) in the paint for a layup making the score 37-29 in favor of the Berg. 
 
The Pioneers would chip away at its lead when Jacob Owens was fouled while shooting a three-pointer. Owens would make all three free-throws and the teams would go into halftime with Heidelberg leading 37-32.
 
Heidelberg came out strong in the second half and would eventually have their highest lead of the night, when freshman Kourea Hayes (Ypsilanti, Mich. / Belleville) found freshman Adrian Casey Jr. (Lorain, Ohio / Lorain Admiral King) for an easy two points building its lead to 17, with the score 57-40, with 12 minutes to go.
 
Marietta rallied and went on a 22-9 run, bringing the Pioneers within five points with four minutes to go, when Jacob Owens scored one of his five three-point field goals of the night making the score 66-62, in favor of Heidelberg.
 
The Berg would regroup and would take another double digit lead when senior Jim Smalley (Middleburg Heights, Ohio / Midpark) drained two from the charity stripe, while building Heidelberg’s lead to 72-62.
 
The lead would be too much for Marietta to overcome, ending with a final score of 78-71.

For the game, Heidelberg shot 55.6 percent (30-of-54) from the field, while Marietta shot 44.4 percent (24-of-54).  

Smalley led the way for the offense with a career-high 22 points to go along with four assists. Backing Smalley was freshman Nate Davis (Dayton, Ohio / Stivers) who made the most out of his first start of his collegiate career racking up a career-high 13 points to go along with four rebounds.
 
Grieves scored a career-high 11 points and gathered a team-leading six rebounds. Senior forward Travis Kinn (Alvada, Ohio / New Riegel) contributed with eight points and three assists, while Calver scored six points to go along with four assists.
 
Heidelberg continues its four-game home stand when it faces Baldwin-Wallace College, Wednesday, December 16, at 7:30 p.m.