CHICAGO, Ill. - The Marian men's basketball team fell behind early on Saturday as they traveled to the Windy City to take on NCAA DII Roosevelt, and despite a strong rally in the second half, the Knights were unable to overcome a 20-point halftime deficit as they fell 78-63 against the Lakers. Marian is 6-5 overall on the season.

Marian started the road battle strong on Saturday, scoring the first four points of the game as they began the matchup 2-2 from the field with makes from Elhadj Diallo and Gavin Foe. The fast start quickly fell off after a good defensive run, as the Lakers scored five unanswered to take their first share of the lead. Marian would rebound with four points after the first media stoppage, but a 10-0 run by Roosevelt gave the home side a 15-8 lead as the game reached the midway mark in the opening half. 

Dylan Moles kept Marian fighting as he knocked down a pair of jumpers to cut the Roosevelt's lead to three points, but the Lakers continued to come up with answers after their lapses, pushing their lead to 11 with five minutes to play in the period. Roosevelt extended a 14-0 run into the final two minutes of the half, carrying a 34-16 lead with 1:30 to play. Hayden Nahra and Gavin Foe would score for the Knights before the half, but the offense was not enough to cut the score under 15, as the Lakers went in front 40-20 at halftime.

In the second half Roosevelt carried their lead to 27 points within the first five minutes of the second half, putting Marian in a greater hole. Despite the large deficit, the Knights continued to fight as baskets from Noah Lovan and Josiah Gustin sparked a 12-0 run in under three minutes of game time to bring the margin within five scores. Roosevelt would answer Marian's run with five quick points to push their lead back to 20 points, however Marian's fight remained strong as a three from Moles after the second media timeout in the half brought the score back to a 15-point difference.

Marian trailed 56-41 with 11:05 to play after the trifecta from Moles, as they remained in a battle with the Lakers in their effort to get the score within 10 points. Lovan and Moles continued to carry the offense, and with 6:57 to play in the game, a basket from the freshman brought the margin to an even 10, as the Knights trailed 62-52. After a steal by Moles the sophomore was unable to connect from downtown, resulting in a pair of back-to-back three point shots made by the Lakers, expanding their advantage to 16 points. The Knights would cut the lead to 14 points in the final three minutes of play, but were unable to regain their momentum, as Roosevelt pulled away with a 78-63 victory.

Despite limited minutes in the first half after getting in foul trouble, Noah Lovan would lead Marian in scoring in the game, as the freshman picked up 23 points off the bench. Moles played a team-high 35 minutes and scored 13 points, while Gavin Foe, Reis Butcher, and Josiah Gustin each scored six points. Foe led the team in rebounds, blocks, and steals, and Butcher had a team-high four assists. Marian finished the game shooting 35 percent from the floor and 2-of-16 from three.

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