INDIANAPOLIS - Despite a strong start to the game that saw Marian lead by as many as 13 in the first half, the Knights were unable to land a home victory on Saturday, falling to St. Francis (Ind.) by a 72-57 final score. Marian dips below .500 following the defeat, dipping to 8-9 overall and 2-5 in the Crossroads League.
Marian gained an upper-hand early in the game Saturday, fighting through a slow start offensively as
Dylan Moles scored two early jumpers to gain a quick 4-0 lead on St. Francis. The Knights played strong defense against the Cougars throughout the first half, as they forced four turnovers before the first make by the visitors. The effort on the defensive end led to a pair of
Aidan Franks fast break layups entering the first media timeout of the game, and after the break the Knights turned their 8-2 lead into a 14-2 edge.
Franks and Moles carried Marian through the early stages of the first half as the backcourt duo combined for 18 of the team's first 20 points, with the Greencastle product draining a pair of shots from downtown in the strong start. The second three from Moles provided Marian with a 20-8 lead with under 11 minutes to play in the half, however Marian would be unable to expand their lead past 13 points as the Cougars began to open up from downtown. Zane Burke made three shots from beyond the arc in the final 10 minutes of the first half, while another three from Robert Fry II and strong shooting at the foul line pushed St. Francis to drawing even. The Knights would lead 28-18 with 4:18 to play in the half, but allowed a 10-0 over the final four minutes as the Cougars tied the game at the break.
The Cougars carried their run into the second half as Isaiah Malone scored on their first possession of the new period, in total expanding the run to 14 unanswered points until
Josiah Gustin took the lid off the basket. Gustin's bucket brought Marian back within two points trailing 32-30, but the Knights would be unable to tie the game, as the Cougars scored eight straight to build a 40-30 lead after five minutes of play. The Knights would continue to fight on the defensive end in spite of their woes on offense, forcing contested shot after contested shot.
Aidan Franks would end the game's two minute scoring drought with a pair of free throws, but the Cougars would claw back with six unanswered points.
Marian was able to keep the score within five possessions as
Dylan Moles found his first half rhythm once more, scoring seven of nine points for his team to bring the margin within nine of the Cougars. Saint Francis put an end to Marian's run, using a two minute stretch to expand their lead from nine to 14, as they built a 60-46 hold with 6:21 to play. With the large difference on the board, the Knights rallied one final time and cut the lead to nine with 3:01 to play as
Gavin Foe drove in a layup, however that would be as close as Marian got, as the Cougars pushed their lead back to 15 with six points in one minute. Trailing by 15, Marian came up short in their last ditch rally, falling by a final score of 72-57.
As a team, Marian finished the game shooting 32 percent from the floor, while making just four of 17 shots from deep. Moles led Marian in scoring with 22 points, while Franks finished with 12 as the only other player in double figures.
Gavin Foe had six points and rebounds, leading the team with three steals. In defeat, the Knights forced 22 Cougar turnovers while grabbing 11 steals.
Marian returns to the court on Wednesday night, traveling to Mount Vernon Nazarene for a 7:00 p.m. matchup against the Cougars.
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