INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian women's basketball team never trailed, and controlled the tempo on Wednesday night as the Knights moved to 9-0 with their 91-45 victory over Goshen College. The Knights begin Crossroads League play 3-0 with the win.

Offensively, Wednesday night, Marian got off to a slow start, as turnovers plagued the first handful of minutes with the Knights committing five infractions in the opening six minutes of play. Despite the turnovers, the Knights were able to establish control of the game by building a 10-4 edge. Marian would use a timeout to settle down after Goshen tracked within three points, and out of the break began knocking down three's, as Eva Fisher and Olivia Faust drained downtown shots to give Marian an 18-9 lead. Three free throws at the end of the quarter gave Marian a 21-9 advantage after one period.

The hot surge at the end of the opening quarter carried over into the second, as the Knights out-scored the Maple Leafs 27-8 in the quarter, including a 20-2 run over the final six minutes of the half. Olivia Faust had a strong offensive quarter, scoring 7 of 12 first-half points, including a three and a pair of fastbreak layups. The scoring deciding run in the game was led by a pair of Zoe Wheeler three-point shots, while Kiley McNally chipped in four points in the final 90 seconds. While the offense clicked, the defense equally matched the pace, holding Goshen to a 4-15 mark in the second quarter. 

Marian's strong push at the end of the quarter gave them a 48-17 lead at the half.

The second half was a near mirror of the first, as Marian dominated the quarter, holding a 22-11 edge over Goshen. The team's ability to hit from downtown paced the quarter, with Eva Fisher and Madisyn Bailey each knocking down a trifecta in the quarter. Abbey McNally also played a large role in Marian's ability to run away with the lead, as she returned to the court after sitting out a large chunk of the first half with foul trouble, scoring eight points while grabbing six rebounds in the quarter. Fisher's three came in the final minute of the quarter, sealing a 70-28 lead after three quarters.

In the final quarter, the Knights pushed their lead to 50 points, as each of the 12 players in uniform got into the scoring column. Aubrey Frank and Emily Grim shouldered the scoring load, as Marian out-scored Goshen in the final quarter 21-17. Zoe Wheeler put the final points on the board with a putback basket in the waning seconds, capitalizing on Marian's commanding 91-45 victory.

As a team, the Knights finished the contest shooting 52 percent from both the field and beyond the arc, and were led in scoring by Olivia Faust's 15 points. Abbey McNally logged a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double in the win, and Kiley McNally scored 11 points off the bench. Emily Grim recorded a team-high two blocks, and Kenna Kirby had a team-high three steals. 

Marian will finish their week at Mount Vernon Nazarene on Saturday, playing the Cougars at 1:00 p.m. in its final Crossroads League game of the semester. 

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