INDIANAPOLIS - After having their contest postponed 24 hours, the Marian men's basketball team picked up a 76-68 win over Goshen College on Thursday night, as the Knights took their second win over the Maple Leafs this season. Marian's win improves their mark on the year to 11-12, while standing at 5-8 in the Crossroads League. 

The Knights wasted little time getting on the board Thursday night as Aidan Franks picked up a quick two points on the opening possession of the game, but Goshen came fighting right back as they scored eight unanswered points that prompted an early timeout for the home team. The early stoppage awoke Marian's offensive efforts, as the Knights responded with an 11-0 run of their own, sparked by a Josiah Gustin basket. Marian's run gave them an 13-8 lead, but the game would settle back to a flush 15-15 score by the first media stoppage.

Dylan Moles pushed Marian in the lead after the timeout with an open score with 11:53 to play, starting a back and forth pace over the next series of minutes as Goshen matched their opposition. With 8:55 to play in the first half, Luke Carroll drove around the Goshen defense and earned a three-point play, giving the Knights momentum in the game. Moles helped increase Marian's lead to two possessions over the next two minutes, however it failed to be enough to keep the Maple Leafs down, as Marcus Northern and Jacob Carlson pushed the visitors on top 36-31. 

Trailing by five with 4:47 remaining in the opening period, the Knights ramped up their defensive pressure while finding a rhythm on offense, ending the half on a 9-0. All nine points came in the final 3:35 of the period, with a downtown jumper from Moles sparking the scoring sprint to give Marian a 40-36 lead at halftime. Marian ended the half holding Goshen 0-4 from the field with three turnovers.

The late run in the first half sealed Marian's stamp on the game, as Goshen only managed to get within one possession of the Knights' lead just one time in the second period. Gavin Foe started the second half scoring with four quick points, while a Jackson Ames dunk helped the lead soar to eight points. Noah Lovan and Dylan Moles kept the Knights afloat after a 5-0 sprint from Goshen, and by the halfway point in the period Reis Butcher and Aidan Franks helped increase the home lead to nine.

Luke Carroll provided a spark in the second half as he scored seven of his season-high 10 points in the period, knocking down a three with 6:40 to play to capture a 67-55 lead. Marian would maintain their double figure lead into the final two minutes of the game as scores from Foe and Moles held the lead, but Goshen would make one final surge, scoring six quick points to make the game a two-score contest with 1:35 to play.

Holding a 71-65 lead, Marian turned the ball to the hot hand, finding Carroll on a driving layup to ice the contest with his score. The first-year Knight reclaimed a three-score lead for Marian with his layup, sealing the win as three free throws in the final 20 seconds from Noah Lovan iced the 76-68 win over Goshen.

Dylan Moles finished the night with a game-high 21 points, while Aidan Franks scored 13 in the win. Noah Lovan finished with 11 points and six assists, and Carroll had 10 points and seven rebounds. Gavin Foe pulled in a game-high 11 rebounds to go with six points. 

As a team, Marian finished the game shooting 48 percent from the field, hovering over 50 percent from the floor for much of the contest. The Knights converted 10 of 13 free throws in the victory. 


MUKnights.com: Your online source for Marian Athletics, tickets, multimedia, Knight merchandise, photos and more.