WILMINGTON, Ohio - The Wilmington College men's basketball team continues its quest for an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament championship when a semifinal game at No. 6 Marietta College on Thursday. Tip-off from Ban Johnson Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Teams: Wilmington and Marietta. The Fightin' Quakers are 4-9 overall having defeated Heidelberg University 62-58 in a quarterfinal game in Tiffin on Tuesday. The Pioneers are 10-1 overall and handled Otterbein University 88-71 in a quarterfinal on Tuesday.
The Coaches: K.C. Hunt is in his 14th season as head coach of Wilmington's men's basketball program. Hunt, who has coached two All-Americans and seven of the school's 1,000-point scorers, led the Quakers to OAC Tournament titles in 2010 and 2014. He garnered Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year honors for guiding Wilmington to OAC Tournament title and a win in the NCAA Division III Tournament in 2010. Jon VanderWal, Marietta's all-time winningest men's basketball coach, has been the Pioneers' head coach since the 2007-08 season. VanderWal has guided the Pioneers to six consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearances.
The Players: Jeffery Mansfield, a First Team All-OAC selection a season ago, leads Wilmington in scoring at 18 points per game and rebounding at 5.1 boards per contest. The Wilmington High School alumnus also helps his teammates score, dishing out over five assists per game. Bilal Sow, who connected on 4-of-5 triples late in the win at Heidelberg, averages 11.2 points per game. Noah Dado grabs five boards per game. Marietta features a balanced scoring attack as four Pioneers – Mason Lydic, Jason Ellis, Lukas Isaly, and Tim Kreeger – score in double figures with Lydic leading the bunch at 16 points per game.
Tale of the Tape: Points per game – Wilmington 70.2, Marietta 90.6; opponents' points per game – Wilmington 75.3, Marietta 76.3; field goal percentage – Wilmington 44.2, Marietta 48.6; three-point percentage – Wilmington 34.4, Marietta 39.0; free throw percentage – Wilmington 69.0, Marietta 74.4; rebounds per game – Wilmington 31.6, Marietta 42.2; assist-to-turnover ratio – Wilmington 1.05, Marietta, 1.70.
Recent History: Wilmington is 16-38 against Marietta since becoming an NCAA Division III member prior to the 1991 season. The Pioneers have won the last five meetings with the Quakers' last win coming in a 68-62 triumph at Hermann Court on February 9, 2019. More information on the series history can be viewed by visiting the link above.
OAC Tournament History: Wilmington is 12-17 all-time in OAC Tournament games. The Quakers are 1-5 against Marietta, but defeated the Pioneers 92-82 in overtime the last time the two squads met in an OAC Tournament semifinal (2014). More information on the program's history in the OAC Tournament can be viewed at the link above.
D3Hoops.com Top 15 Poll: Marietta College checks in at No. 6 in the most recent D3Hoops.com Top 15 Poll.
Third Time's the Charm: After a pair of close losses to Heidelberg in the regular season, Wilmington defeated the Student Princes when it mattered most. The Quakers, who fell twice to the Pioneers including once in overtime during the regular season, will need to do the same to Marietta to advance to the OAC Tournament finals.
Coverage: Live statistics and live video of the game will be available – visit the links above.
Social Media: Wilmington athletics is represented on Facebook (Wilmington College Athletics), Twitter (@DubCQuakers) and Instagram (@DubCQuakers). Follow all the happenings of Wilmington College on social media by using the hashtag "#WeAreDubC".
Up Next: The winner of the contest will head to the OAC Tournament title game on Saturday against the winner of Ohio Northern University and Muskingum University.
