INDIANAPOLIS - Trailing by seven at the break, the Marian men's basketball team ramped up their defense in the final 20 minutes, going on multiple runs in the second half to pull away and defeat Bethel 81-70 in the Crossroads League Tournament Quarterfinals. Marian's win advances them to the semifinals with a 21-8 overall record.
The Knights started out strong, scoring inside and out in the opening minutes to jump in front 7-3. Following a Brody Whitaker make, Bethel caught fire running their offense through Nathan Aerts, as he scored 13 points in the first six minutes to help the Pilots take control of the wheel. Aerts' offensive attack helped Bethel go up by as many as nine in the first seven minutes, however Marian was able to trim their deficit slightly as Christian Harvey and Taeshon Cherry earned points for the home team.
Bethel was able to hold their lead at six or more for the final 12 minutes of the opening half, and would lead by as many as 12 points in the period as they forced Marian into tough, contested shots. Harvey slowly helped bring his team back to life, scoring six straight Knight points to whittle the Pilot lead to eight with over three minutes to go. The senior would bring Marian within seven at the break as he executed a two-for-one opportunity in the closing seconds, scoring 14 points in the half to send the Knights back to the locker room trailing just 46-39.
Harvey continued to be the catalyst starting the second half, going on a 6-2 run to bring his team back within three and force an early timeout. The score before the media timeout would be Marian's last nearly three minutes, as Bethel pestered the Knights offense.
Despite the lulls, Marian stayed in the game with strong defense, and got the offense going as Brody Whitaker converted a three-point play. A corner three from Gavin Foe off a no-look pass from Luke Gohmann delivered Marian's first lead at 51-50 since the 17:03 mark of the opening half, while Whitaker completed the 8-0 run with another score. Bethel would quiet the run with a drive to the basket, but an open three from Gohmann woke the crowd back up, with a Maximus Gizzi layup jumping the difference to five with 9:32 to play.
Marian's lead would teeter between three and six points, as the Knights and Pilots traded score for score and strong defense for strong defense. A driving score on the fast break from Hayden Langkabel with 4:28 to go put Marian on top 66-61, while Harvey drove to the dish and added two more, making it a three-possession game. The Knights continued to stay on top by two scores or more for the final four minutes, and with 55.5 seconds to go Langkabel iced the game, growing Marian's lead to 12 as he sank four free throws. Marian would finish the game making five of their final six foul shots, sealing the 81-70 win in the closing minute.
The Knights defense played a large role in the win, as they erased their seven-point halftime deficit and out-scored Bethel 42-24 in the final 20 minutes to seal the win. Marian limited Bethel to just 29 percent from the floor in the final half, while their offense shot 45 percent in the period, knocking down 20 free throws in total in the win.
Harvey poured in a career-high 28 points in potentially his final home game, making 10-of-15 shots from the field while going 8-9 at the stripe. Cherry finished with 16 points, while Langkabel scored 11 and Whitaker had 10. Gohmann and Cherry each had nine rebounds, and Langkabel led Marian with four steals.
Marian will travel to Grace College for the semifinals on Saturday afternoon, with tip scheduled for 1:00 p.m. against the top-seeded Lancers.
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