INDIANAPOLIS - Fueled by strong defense and offensive efficiency in the paint, the Marian women's basketball team completed a wire-to-wire victory in the PE Center on Wednesday night in the NAIA National Tournament Second Round, defeating Texas A&M Texarkana 63-46. Marian's win punches their tickets to their ninth consecutive NAIA Tournament Final Site appearance, where they will carry an overall record of 28-5. 

Marian started the game with a strong defensive presence, forcing a pair of turnovers in the first three minutes while holding Texarkana to a 1-for-5 start from the field. While the defense started strong, the offense took a handful of possessions to get going, building on a 4-3 lead with a three from Jayla Wehner.

Kinnidy Garrard made up for a low-scoring game in Tuesday's First Round in the first quarter, making up for her woes on Wednesday with an eight point outburst in the first eight minutes. Garrard's scoring combined with the Wehner three and a pair of steals leading to hoopsby Abbey McNally helped build Marian's lead and highlighted a 13-3 run. In the final two minutes Texarkana would trim the Marian advantage to seven, as an exchange in scores would end the first quarter with the Knights on top 19-12.

The Knights continued their attack in the paint in the second quarter, as offensive rebounds and backdoor cuts helped score easy baskets. The post duo of Garrard and McNally combined for 20 of the Knights first 27 points, as the lead stood at 27-18 with 4:18 remaining in the first half. The score stayed within three possessions for the greater portion of the closing first half minutes, but Marian gained energy as the quarter expired with a lift from a Tamia Perryman three-point play in the final minute.

The Knights led 36-25 in the first half, shooting a commanding 60 percent from the floor while holding the Eagles to just 31 percent.

Both sides started the second half slow, with each team going cold for the first 2:30 until Texarkana broke the drought. Marian stayed to their game plan despite the lethargic start, attacking inside to reclaim a double-digit lead behind the duo of McNally and Garrard. The Knights led by 13 for much of the quarter, and in the final minute saw their margin grow to a favorable 21, as Ella Collier knocking down eight free throws in the 60 second window.

Collier's foul shots helped end the third quarter on a 10-0 Marian run, as the Knights entered the fourth quarter on top 52-31. The strong start allowed Marian to withstand early Texarkana pressure, controlling the pace until the 6:39 mark when Collier completed a three-point play to shoot the lead to 23 points.

The Knights drained the closing minutes of the game with the comfortable lead at hand, with Perryman and Aliyah Evans burying shots to ice the game. Rotating the bench in the final minutes, the Knights closed the NAIA Tournament Second Round and advanced to the  NAIA National Tournament Final Site in Sioux City, Iowa, with their commanding 63-46 win.

McNally dominated for the Knights in their final game on home court for the season, dropping a team-high 16 points to go with a career-high 17 rebounds. Collier finished with 15 points on a 3-3 shooting night, scoring nine points at the foul line. Garrard added 14 points in the win, corralling five rebounds and a team-leading four assists. 

The Knights will take on either Southern Oregon or Westmont in Sioux City, playing at 4 p.m. eastern on Monday, March 13. An update will be posted to MUKnights.com later this week with a game preview.



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