STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. - For the second time in program history, Marian men's bowling will compete for an NAIA National Championship, as the Knights went 3-0 on Friday in the tournament bracket to reach the championship match. Marian's championship appearance is their second in three seasons. 

The Knights opened their day in round two of the national tournament, competing against second-seed Indiana Tech. Marian got out to a strong start, winning their first two games by 220-172 and 222-175 scores, taking a 2-0 lead on the Warriors. Marian would quickly fall behind though, losing three unanswered games to fall on the brink of facing the consolation ladder. In game six, Marian responded with a 245-170 victory, forcing a winner-take-all game seven. In the seventh game, Marian dominated the Warriors, winning 266-177, taking the 4-3 win to advance to round four.

In the fourth round, Marian competed against Concordia, who was seeded sixth and entered the matchup coming off an upset of their conference rival Lawrence Tech. The Knights and Cardinals traded the first two games of the matchup, before Marian's team heated up in game three. Marian won the third game 257-151, setting up their finishing run as they scored a win in games four and five to take the set against the Cardinals. Marian put up a high-score of 267 in the fourth game of the series.

Marian's win advanced them to the winner's bracket championship, where the Knights bowled against SCAD-Savannah. The Knights opened the set against the top-seeded team with a 210-192 win, but fell in game two 236-145. With the series tied 1-1, Marian's team dialed in, bowling three consecutive games over 240 pins while the Bees failed to produce a score better than 200, winning the match 4-1 to advance to the NAIA Championship match. 

The victory pushes Marian to the NAIA Championship match for the second time in program history, having previously reached the title game in 2023. Marian will either rematch with Concordia or SCAD-Savannah in the championship, as the Cardinals and Bees will meet in the elimination championship. The championship match will be played at 2:00 p.m., with Marian having two opportunities to win the championship.

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