Mount Vernon, Ohio - The Marian men's basketball team saw its two-game winning streak in Crossroads League play snap on Saturday afternoon, as Marian fell 78-63 at Mount Vernon Nazarene. The Knights are 2-9 overall and 2-2 in league play.

Marian threw the first punch Saturday, but were unable to weather the storm of Mount Vernon, as the team's 5-0 start in the opening 98 seconds was washed away by the first media timeout as the Cougars roared back. A 12-5 run gave Mount Vernon the lead with 15 minutes to play in the half, but Marian stayed in the game as Joshua Renfro knocked in a three and pull-up jumper to push the Knights back on top 15-14. 

Luke Carroll extended Marian's lead to three points with 12:19 to go in the half, but it would be the last lead for the Knights as Mount Vernon used an 8-0 to capture a 22-17 edge. Ron Rutland III would snap a drought of over four minutes to pull Marian back within one score, but the offense came up flat over the final eight minutes of the half, mustering just four points. Mount Vernon would add eight points to their total as they too struggled offensively, taking a 30-23 lead into halftime.

Mount Vernon opened the second half on a 7-2 sprint in the opening two minutes of play, putting Marian in a bind as the Knights fell behind by double digits. Luke Lindeman ended the run with a jumper, but another five-point Cougars run saw the deficit grow to five possessions.

Marian played through the freshman class in the second half as Renfro, Lindeman, and Blake Russell helped cut the difference to nine with 14:09 to play, but the Cougars almost immediately shot the lead back to 15, as a Kieran Granville dunk ignited a 6-0 run. 

A three-pointer from Joshua Renfro with 10:35 to play pulled Marian within 14 as they trailed 54-40, but Marian was unable to get the successful stops in the final 10 minutes of play to keep up with the Cougars. Mount Vernon extended its lead to 21 points with 7:30 to play, squashing Marian's comeback chances, as the Knights would go on to lose by a final of 78-63.

Renfro led the Knights with a team-high 23 points, playing a team-high 38 minutes in the loss. Nate Luce scored eight off the bench in his collegiate debut, and Ron Rutland III scored eight points while dishing two assists. Blake Russell led the team in rebounding with seven. 

Marian next plays in the Athletes in Action Christmas Showcase, playing in Xenia, Ohio, on December 16 and 17. Marian plays Georgia Gwinnett on December 16, and will play either Rio Grande or Southeastern on December 17. 

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