Mount Vernon, Ohio - Playing with just seven active players, the Marian men's basketball team fought back from a 17-point deficit against Mount Vernon Nazarene, but were unable to hold on to a four-point lead in the waning minutes, as the Knights fell 66-63. Marian's loss drops the team to 8-10 overall on the season and 2-6 in league play. 

The Knights got off to a slow start on Wednesday night, as a 1-4 start from the field coupled with a pair of turnovers put Marian in a 9-2 hole in the first 3:15 of game time. Noah Lovan would score the first points of the game for either team, then turned the scoring over to Aidan Franks, who scored 10 early points to make up for the sluggish start. The 10 points from Franks brought the team within four of the Cougars, trailing 14-10 with 12:27 to play in the opening half, but was not enough to bring his team to a level balance.

Mount Vernon expanded their four-point lead to 12 over the next five minutes, using a 10-2 run to grab a 24-12 advantage. The Cougars would remain in control of the remainder of the first half coming off of their run, eventually expanding their lead to 17 points as the Knights endured a lengthy spell without a made field goal. Trailing 35-18 with 2:50 to play in the first half, the Knights regained composure and clawed back into the game with a 9-2 sprint to close the period. A three-pointer from Reis Butcher as the clock hit zeros brought Marian within 10 at the break, as they entered the locker room trailing 37-27.

Coming out of the intermission, Marian became the aggressors and attacked the rim intensely, opening the half on a 6-2 run to get within two scores. Marian continued to whittle away as Franks and Lovan chipped away with layups, getting within three points by the first media timeout of the half. The effort put Marian in a 43-40 game, however their early hot streak faded as the Cougars pushed their lead back to seven over the next three minutes. 

With 12:20 to play in the game Franks sparked the rally cry, getting a pair of layups to fall in a three possession swing to inch within one possession. The defense kept Marian in the game as Gavin Foe and Luke Carroll fought for rebounds, eventually turning their efforts into offense as a Hayden Nahra layup with 9:48 to play made the difference two points. Reis Butcher tied the game on Marian's next possession after the under-10 minute timeout, bringing the game level at the 9:15 mark. Mount Vernon would reclaim a four-point lead, however Marian stayed engaged and pulled back within a point, taking the lead on a second-chance layup from Hayden Nahra.

Leading 56-55 with 4:27 to play in the game, Marian was able to expand their lead to four over the next 90 seconds after Gavin Foe canned a 17' jumper. Despite building their two possession edge, the Knights were unable to keep the Cougars down, as defensive fouls allowed the home team to score five consecutive points at the foul line to grab a lead. The free throw spree for Mount Vernon continued as the Knights came up empty on two consecutive offensive possessions in the final minute, with Gage Milton extended their advantage to three points. An offensive foul against Marian with 14 seconds to play would seal the game, as Mount Vernon Nazarene iced the game away in the final seconds with two more foul shots, closing out their 66-63 victory.

Aidan Franks had a strong offensive game for Marian, carrying the load with 24 points on a 10-23 shooting night. Noah Lovan and Hayden Nahra finished the game with 13 points each, with Lovan recording six rebounds and assists. Gavin Foe had career night in the glass in the loss, recording 19 rebounds to set a new career-high. Of Foe's rebounds, the redshirt-junior grabbed nine on the offensive glass and 10 on the defensive end. Reis Butcher would score five points to lead the short-handed bench, while Luke Carroll scored two points to go with a blocked shot and steal. 

As a team, Marian finished the game shooting 23-66 from the field, going 3-14 from downtown. Marian made 14 foul shots in the game, and finished the night +14 on the glass with a 45-31 edge. 

Marian will return home on Saturday, taking on (RV) Indiana Wesleyan in their first meeting of the season. Tip for the Knights comes at 3:00 p.m. as the two teams end the first half of the Crossroads League schedule. 

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