Spring Arbor, Mich. - The Marian men's basketball team put up a fight after trailing by 14 points at the start of the second half to force overtime, but in the extra possession Marian was unable to take a lead, as they fell 68-65 at Spring Arbor Tuesday afternoon. Marian drops to 5-2 on the season, opening Crossroads League play 0-2.

A low-scoring affair started in the second minute of the game after Gavin Foe and Travis Grayson traded baskets on the opening possessions of the game, as a string of misses and turnovers followed. The two sides combined to miss six consecutive shots in a three minute stretch, and scoring continued to be hard to come by as just four total field goals were made by the first media timeout. 

A 5-0 spurt after the timeout paced by a Josh Bryan three and Gus Etchison jumper provided Marian with a 9-6 lead as they took the reins for the second time in the contest, but eight unanswered points by the Cougars placed the home team back on top. A Marian timeout was unable to aid the poor shooting percentage, as shots continued to miss for Marian. Spring Arbor cooled off from their 8-0 run but extended their lead to as many as seven as the home team's defense held the Knights scoreless for 6:34 of gameplay. Etchison helped attempt a comeback for the Knights as he increased his scoring totals to six and found Nolan Foster to cut the team deficit to as little as four, but the Cougars cut the momentum before allowing the score to inch any closer.

Marian entered the half trailing 33-21, and fell behind by 14 points as the second half started as Travis Grayson connected on a pair of free throws stemming from a Josh Bryan technical foul. The Knights shot just 29 percent from the floor in the first half, while the Cougars shot 45 percent from the field, helping them lead for over 14 minutes in the first half.

After the technical foul shots put Marian behind by 14, the Knights started chipping away, with a quick four points from Brody Whitaker helping to instill confidence in the team. Etchison helped drive the score back within single digits with three minutes of the half expired, while a four-point swing helped cut the lead to three before the under-15 media timeout.

Spring Arbor halted Marian's run and regained a two-possession lead, which they were able to hold as the sides would trade scores as the clock ticked under five minutes. A brief seven-point from a Gabe Newhof bucket had Marian go outside of the two-score game, but a 6-0 run paced by Whitaker and Etchison gradually had Marian within one point of the Cougars. The run extended to 8-0 with 1:50 to go as an Etchison steal and Whitaker fast break score gave Marian a 56-55 lead, their first since the 12:06 mark of the first half. 

The Cougars were able to quiet Marian's momentum and scored the go-ahead shot after timeout going back inside to Newhof to push on top 57-56. On the ensuing possession Etchison drew a foul, and was able to split a pair of free throws to level the score at 57. Each team would get a chance for the go-ahead score in the final minute, with Whitaker taking the best look with three seconds to play, but his jumper missed and sent the game to overtime.

Marian yielded the first three points in overtime as the Cougars worked their way to the foul line, forcing Marian to play from behind. Josh Bryan got the Knights on the board halfway through the five-minute quarter, but Spring Arbor was able to answer with a second-chance score. Etchison and Newhof traded rapid-fire scores on four straight possessions in the final 76 seconds, with Newhof able to keep his team in the lead, clinging to a 66-63 edge. Etchison would answer after a timeout was called with a quick layup, but having to foul the Cougars extended the lead back to three with 11 seconds remaining. On their final possession, Etchison found Josh Bryan twice for a pair of open three's, but the senior came up short on each look, with the game falling to Spring Arbor 68-65.

The Knights ended the game shooting 39 percent from the field, making 19 shots from the floor over the final 25 minutes of the game. Marian finished the contest shooting 1-17 from three, with Bryan connecting on team's only make. Etchison poured in a collegiate career-high 31 points, adding a team-best four assists. Whitaker finished the game with 13 points, and Jackson Ames had six points to go with a team-best eight rebounds. 

Marian will return home for a Saturday evening game to close their week, hosting IU-Northwest at 5:30 p.m.

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