INDIANAPOLIS – No. 6 Marian downed Bethel 62-42 Wednesday night on John Grimes Court led behind Ella Collier's 18 points. The win wraps up the regular season sweep of the Pilots, moving the Knights to 13-1 in Crossroads League play and 22-2 overall.

Marian got out to a quick 5-0 start before Bethel got their first points at the 7:17 mark. It was the start of a 14-4 run fueled by Jayla Wehner and Ella Collier who combined for all by two points during the spurt to give Marian the 10-point lead at 19-9 to end the first quarter.

Collier picked up right where she left off, canning the triple 33 seconds into the second quarter. Collier was a key factor to Marian's success by spreading the Pilots' defense thin. The junior guard went 6-7 from the floor to have 14 first half points. Marian's lead got up to 19 by the end of the first half after a triple by Kenna Kirby sparked a 9-0 run to close out the second quarter 35-16.

Wehner and Allison Bosse scored the first points for Marian with a jumper and three-pointer. The Pilots responded seconds later with a basket of their own, but it was Abbey McNally giving her team more momentum by scoring six of her team's last 12 points in quarter three. The Knights held the 28-point lead at 52-24 going into the final quarter of action.

Bethel never gave up despite their deficit as they outscored Marian 18-10 in the fourth. The Pilots got a little bit of an offense flowing with an 8-2 run to cut the lead back to 56-32. Alexa McKinley ended the run with three free throws and later a layup to put her team back up by 25. McKinley's points would be the last for the Knights for a little over five minutes as the Bethel defense put a stop to Marian's offensive.

The defensive pressure by the Pilots allowed them to cut the deficit to 62-42 for a final score.

Collier led all players with 18 points, while also adding four rebounds and two assists. Wehner added 10 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Abbey McNally ended with eight points and five rebounds, while Aliyah Evans and Kinnidy Garrard each poured in six points. Garrard also corralled a game-high seven rebounds.   

Marian will return to play on Saturday when they host Huntington on Senior Day. Tipoff is set for 1 PM.



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