MARIETTA, Ohio – The Heidelberg University men's basketball team closed the regular season with an emphatic 92-80 victory on the road at Marietta.  In spoiling Senior Day for the Pioneers, Heidelberg swept the season series from Marietta for the first time since the 2007-08 season.  

The Student Princes, 18-7 overall and 13-5 in the Ohio Athletic Conference, had already clinched the No. 3 seed in next week's six-team conference tournament.  Following the game, HU learned that it will host No. 6 Capital on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Eric Panning was one of five 'Berg players in double figures in double figures, tallying a career-high 19 points -- including three second-half dunks.  Starters Isaiah Young and Emmanuel Perdue added 17 points and 12 points, respectively.  Freshman sensation Brady Bosma had 16 points and standout transfer sophomore Jashun Cobb added 10.  

Nursing a modest 17-14 lead midway through the first, Heidelberg turned to Bosma for an offensive outburst.  Bosma buried 3-pointers on three consecutive HU possessions -- the last of which gave Heidelberg its first 10-point lead of the afternoon.  

Marietta's Cooper Parrott and Heidelberg's Jacob Logsdon exchanged 3-pointers late in the half, but ultimately, Heidelberg's defense did a tremendous job holding the Pioneers in check.  The Student Princes took a 43-31 lead into halftime. 

After enjoying success from long range in the first half, the Tricolor scored their first four field goals of the second half in the paint -- highlighted by two contested layups up Young.  

Though they trailed by as many as 19, Marietta chipped away. But as they did all afternoon long, Heidelberg regrouped and responded quickly.  On four occasions,  the Pioneers closed to within eight -- but on three of those times, Young delivered a well-timed basket.  The other was answered by a thunderous put-back dunk by Panning, who finished with nine boards.  

Parrott led all scorers with 23 points in the loss.  Marietta (15-10, 10-8), the No. 4 seed in the OAC Tournament, will host No. 5 Otterbein.  Though they upset D3hoops.com's No. 6 team in the country John Carroll on Wednesday, Baldwin Wallace lost out on a three-team tiebreaker and did not qualify for the tournament. 

The winner of the Heidelberg-Capital game will travel to No. 2 seed Mount Union on Thursday.  No. 1 John Carroll will host the winner of the Marietta-Otterbein contest.  

The OAC will use Hometown Ticketing for all OAC tournament contests. Tickets will be available for purchase on oac.org. OAC students and children 7 and under are free. Tickets for all others are $10, plus applicable taxes and fees.  Parent pass codes are not valid for the postseason.  

Heidelberg hosted Capital in the opening round of the 2022 OAC Tournament and won, 77-65.  

Photo courtesy of Rebecca Wheeler / Marietta Sports Information