Mount Vernon, Ohio - The Marian women's basketball team extended its undefeated start on Saturday afternoon, as the Knights crushed Mount Vernon Nazarene 81-47. The win is Marian's seventh by 30 or more points this season, as they move to 10-0 overall and 4-0 in league play.

The Knights wire-to-wire win came with a commanding 7-0 start, scoring inside and out as Abbey McNally, Kenna Kirby, and Madisyn Bailey provided the quick lead for Marian. The Cougars would slash the Knights' lead to five by the first media timeout of the quarter following three consecutive turnovers, but Marian stood tall after the break, as McNally and Bailey scored in the paint to take the edge back to three possessions. A three-pointer from Olivia Faust on Marian's final possession of the quarter gave the team a 23-14 lead going into quarter two.

In the second quarter, Marian showed their strengths, holding Mount Vernon to 10 points in the quarter as the defense ramped up their intensity. Mount Vernon was held to a 3-14 shooting effort in the quarter, while the Marian defense forced eight turnovers, five of which resulted in steals. Kiley McNally paced the offense in the quarter, scoring all of her nine points in the game in the period. Jumpers from Olivia Faust and Taylor Double took the lead to double figures, while McNally proved as the constant, hitting a three in her strong quarter to take the lead to 17. The senior post player would score the final points of the first half in the waning seconds, giving Marian a 42-24 lead.

Mount Vernon contested Marian in the third quarter as they limited Marian's scoring, but the Knights managed to continue their strong play thanks to the efforts of Abbey McNally. The reigning All-American scored 10 points in the quarter and snared seven rebounds to help control Marian's grip on the game. The Cougars' offense would challenge Marian at times in the quarter as they were able to scratch within five possessions, but the scores from McNally allowed Marian to match points going on the board, as they increased the lead by nearly 20 points. 

Marian led 58-39 after three quarters, and in the final stanza, the Knights put the game to rest, outscoring the Cougars 23-9. Olivia Faust shouldered the scoring to help put the game to rest, dropping eight points in the period, hitting a pair of three-pointers in her 3-4 effort. Five points from Taylor Double saw Marian's lead hit 20 points, as she sparked a game-clinching 15-0 run, running the score to 73-41. Violet Shuluga scored Marian's final point of the day with 2:04 to play, as the Knights coasted the final two minutes to win 81-47. 

Abbey McNally needed just 24 minutes to log her fifth double-double of the season, scoring 18 points in total to go with 13 rebounds. Taylor Double finished the day with 15 points and five steals, while Olivia Faust scored a bench-high 13 points. Madisyn Bailey flirted with a triple-double on the afternoon, scoring eight points, dishing nine assists, and recording seven steals. 

As a team, Marian had 21 steals and 19 assists. 

Marian faces its toughest test on paper next Saturday, as they travel to the University of Rio Grande for a 1:00 p.m. tip against the Red Storm. 

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