Sioux City, Iowa - The magical season for the Marian women's basketball team came to it's untimely end Saturday afternoon in the Tyson Events Center, as the Knights fell short against the University of Providence in a 78-68 defeat. The Knights' program-record win streak ends at 31 games, as they end the season with a 33-2 record.

Marian got off to a poor start from the field, as two turnovers and two missed shots in the first three minutes allowed a red-hot Providence team to capitalize with a 9-0 run. Ella Collier opened the lid on the rim and score four unanswered points to start the flow, but Marian was unable to keep up the pace with the Argos, as they fell behind by double-digits under seven minutes into the game. Another four-point spurt from Collier helped the Knights get back within three possessions, but a 4-0 finish from Providence put Marian behind 24-12 after one quarter.

As the second quarter opened, the Knights continued to be double figures, as Marian had no answers in the paint defensively. Providence's strong shooting in the paint and from three allowed them to hold their lead over 10 points for the duration of the quarter, with the lead swelling to as many as 16 points. Ella Collier continued to carry the offensive output with help from Allison Bosse, Aliyah Evans, and Tamia Perryman, but without getting stops on the defensive end, Marian failed to cut the lead under four possessions. Perryman earned a pair of free throws late in the quarter while a stop from Collier on the final possession gave Marian positive momentum entering the break, however the Knights found themselves trailing 42-28.

Marian opened the third quarter on a strong note as Collier and Abbey McNally came out scoring on their first touches of the half, however the same problems on the defensive end loomed as the Argos clamped tight to their double-digit edge. With 4:41 to play in the third quarter Marian fell behind by 18 points, but slowly started to take ownership, as stops and open shots kept them in the contest. Collier and Perryman were able to cut the deficit from 18 to 12, and with a score from McNally in the seconds before the buzzer sounded, the Knights trailed 61-49.

The Knights were unable to keep their late offense rolling into the final quarter, as nearly two minutes passed before a Providence three-point play pushed the Marian hole 15 points. Perryman and Collier stopped the bleeding and pushed the Knights to get back into the game, but as the score continued to rock between a 12 and 16 point contest, the odds continued to drop for Marian. With 4:54 remaining in the season Marian made one final push, as the senior Perryman scored seven straight points for her team to cut the margin to 12. Collier and McNally pushed Marian to an 11-point deficit with 2:28 to play, but hit a cold streak for two minutes, as they were unable to keep the fight going. 

Marian would get within nine points in the final minute, but time ran out on the magical season as they fell 78-68 to Providence.

The Knights ended the game shooting 54 percent from the field, but the Argonauts 58 percent shooting night and 88 percent effort at the foul line did the Knights in. Collier finished the game with a career-high 30 points, breaking Marian's single season scoring record in the second quarter of Saturday's game. Perryman finished with the game with a career-high 18 points, going 6-7 from the floor. McNally scored 12 points and had six rebounds, and Sara Majorosova led the team with five assists.

Marian, the winner's of the Crossroads League Regular Season and Tournament Championships, ended the season with a program record for win percentage as they close with a 33-2 overall record. The Knights' set program records single season win streak and program-long win streak with their run of 31 consecutive victories.

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