Upland, Ind. - The Marian men's basketball team came up out on the wrong end of a 69-59 defeat Saturday afternoon, as the Knights lost on the road at Taylor University. The loss at Taylor drops Marian to 10-12 on the campaign, and 4-8 in Crossroads League play.

Marian and Taylor played back and forth basketball in the first half, as the game opened with a slew of scores from both teams. Aidan Franks gave Marian their first lead in the scoring exchange on the team's third possession, and pushed Marian in front 11-8 a handful of possessions later as the second-year player picked up his fifth point of the day. Taylor pushed back with five answered points going into the first media timeout to reclaim the lead, but the lead would not stick as a pair of hoops from Josiah Gustin helped carry his team in front.

A basket from Franks with 12:56 to play in the first half gave Marian a 19-16 lead, but following the make the lid on the rim closed for Knights as a scoring drought came over the court. Taylor used a three from Izaiah Day to spark a 14-0 run, as the Trojans spiked their hold on the game to a 30-19 margin. Reis Butcher ended the over four-minute drought with 7:43 to go in the half, helping Marian gain momentum into the break. Luke Carroll scored six points in the three minute window following Butcher's score, and a quick layup from Noah Lovan in the waning seconds of the period brought the game within a single score.

Marian entered the half break trailing 36-33 following Lovan's score, closing a half where the Knights shot 52 percent from the field, while Taylor made over 60 percent of their attempts.

After trailing at the intermission, the Knights came out focused in the first minutes of the second half as Dylan Moles sparked a 5-2 run in the first minute to bring the game to an even 38 score. Taylor regained control of the lead over the next minute with a pair of makes at the foul line, keeping the home team in the lead despite Marian's best efforts. Made shots from Gavin Foe and Noah Lovan were unable to match Anton Webb and the Trojans, as the home team secured a three-possession lead after seven minutes of play in the period. 

The strong scoring spree helped Taylor take a 57-45 advantage with 9:31 to play, sealing their hold on the game. Marian turned to Aidan Franks for answers as he made a pair of three point attempts in the final seven minutes to keep alive, while Butcher scored twice in the paint to get within two scores. The late press brought the game to a 63-57 difference in favor of the Trojans, but Marian was unable to break within 10, as they fell into a late three minute drought that allowed Taylor to go back in front by 11. With the lead insurmountable, the Knights fell by a 69-59 score.

Franks led Marian in scoring in the defeat, scoring a team-high 17 points. Lovan scored nine points while dishing out four assists, and Gustin scored eight points to go with his team-high seven rebounds. Butcher led the bench with eight points, while Carroll had six off the bench. 

Marian will aim to rebound into the win column next Wednesday, as the Knights host Goshen College at 7:30 p.m.

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