The Case Western Reserve University women's basketball fell to Marietta College 73-45 in its home opener on Monday night at Horsburgh Gymnasium in Cleveland.

The Spartans dropped to 1-1 on the season, while the Pioneers improved to 2-0.

Senior forward Kayla Characklis led the team with nine points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Both graduate student forward Morgan Micallef and junior forward Evie Miller added eight points, with Miller securing seven rebounds.

After the hosts scored the first basket of the game, the visitors responded with a 10-0 run to open an eight-point advantage. A three-pointer by senior guard Margaret Terry and a jumper by Micallef cut the deficit to three, but a quick Pioneer layup increased their advantage to five.

A six-minute scoreless drought for both teams that overlapped the first and second quarters ended on a quick 5-0 Marietta run to make the score 17-9. Miller ended the first half with a layup to cut the Spartan deficit to four, 24-20, heading into the break.

The Pioneers opened a 10-point lead to start the third period, but the Spartans used a 7-0 run to shrink their deficit to just three, 32-29, midway through the quarter. Senior guard Sarah Mitchell started the run with a three-point play, a block by sophomore guard/forward Emily Plachta led to a Characklis jumper, and Micallef ended the run with a driving layup.

The three-point deficit was the closest CWRU would get for the remainder of the contest, as Marietta outscored Case Western Reserve by 14 points over the final five minutes of the frame to open a 17-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The Spartans will look to rebound on Friday when the team heads to Arlington, Virginia, for the 2023 Pablo Coto Tip-Off Tournament hosted by Marymount. CWRU faces Penn State Harrisburg on Friday night at 7 p.m. and will play in either the consolation or championship game of the tournament on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. against either the host Saints or Worcester State Lancers.