INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian men's basketball team fell in the team's home opener on Tuesday night, as Olivet Nazarene used a pair of 40-plus point halves to take out the -Knights by a final count of 92-74. Marian drops to 0-2 on the young season following the loss. 

Olivet Nazarene won the opening tip on Tuesday night, putting Marian in an early bind in their home opener. Ron Rutland III paced the Knights with four early points, while the first points in a home uniform for Blake Russell kept his team in a two-point game entering the first media timeout. Trailing 10-8 at the stoppage, the Knights were unable to match the Tigers through the next five minutes, as Olivet expanded its lead to nine during the stretch. A pair of three's from Joshua Renfro before the second media stoppage would make the game a six-point count, but the roar from Olivet's Eli Edwards would be unmatched.

Edwards carried Olivet Nazarene throughout the first half, as Marian had few answers to stop the post player. Attempting to get back in the flow, the Knights put the ball into Aaron Humphrey Jr.'s hands, who picked up a quick six points while Noah Lovan scored another five, slashing an eight-point deficit to three. Edwards would extend the Tiger lead back to a five-point game following the surge from Lovan, as the Tigers' big man provided a nine-point cushion of 34-25 going into the under-five media break. 

A late spark in the half helped slash the deficit to three points in the final three minutes, but Olivet Nazarene would have the strong finish, ending the period on a 6-0 run to take a 42-33 lead at half. Marian ended the first half 0-4 from the field in the final 3:25. 

Coming out of the locker room, both teams burned the nets, with the two sides scoring on each of their first four possessions. Marian was able to hang within three possessions, but an Edwards basket inside and three from Mason Wood saw Olivet extend the lead well into double figures. Marian trailed 60-44 at the under-15 media timeout, gradually whittling their deficit to 10 behind Aidan Franks and Joshua Renfro. 

The efforts brought Marian to a 66-56 deficit, but the Knights were unable to get any closer than 10, as the Tigers pushed the tempo and the score back to a 15-point outing by the 10-minute mark. Marian never managed to get closer than 13 points in the final 10 minutes of the game, as Olivet Nazarene would lead by as many as 21 before the game ended in its 92-74 final score.

Rutland III led Marian in scoring in the loss, dropping 19 points in his first game in the home PE Center. Humphrey Jr. scored 13 points and led the team in rebounds with nine, while Renfro scored 13 to lead the bench. Lovan finished the game with a team-best three assists in addition to 10 points. 

The Knights play the second of their four consecutive home games this Saturday, hosting St. Thomas University at 2:00 p.m.

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