INDIANAPOLIS - Despite a strong rally in the third quarter, the fifth-ranked Marian women's basketball team was unable to overcome its slow start on Saturday afternoon against seventh-ranked Saint Francis, as the Knights were defeated for the first time this season in a 56-46 Crossroads League bout. Marian slides to 16-1 on the season and 6-1 in league play following the loss.

The Knights got out to a slow start Saturday afternoon, as they were unable to connect on open looks from the field. Marian shot a meager 2-16 from the field in quarter one, while Saint Francis seemingly could not miss on the opposite end, making seven more shot attempts than Marian. A 10-0 run from the Cougars pushed the road team into a first-quarter double-figure lead, which they would carry into the second period. A pair of free throws late in the quarter from Abbey McNally helped the Knights trim their deficit in the final seconds, as the scoreboard showed a 20-9 margin after one period.

The offense continued its struggles going into the second quarter, going without a score for the first 2:25 of play until a three-point field goal from Madisyn Bailey opened the lid on the rim. Despite the make, Saint Francis continued to haunt Marian on the offensive end, while the Cougars made two of their first three shots in the quarter to extend the lead to 14 points. Olivia Faust connected on the team's second made field goal in the quarter after the media timeout, sparking a comeback attempt as a pair of stops on the defensive end led to a 6-0 run in a 65-second span.

A three-pointer from the Cougars would end the run, but Marian played stout defense after the make, holding Saint Francis scoreless over the final 2:35 of the half, going into the locker room trailing 35-20.

Saint Francis continued to carry its hold on the game after halftime, limiting Marian to three points through five minutes. Conversely, Marian did the same, holding the Cougars to just six points as the next minute elapsed, trailing 41-26 at the media timeout. A putback score from Abbey McNally cut the lead to 13 after the timeout, and the defense continued to haunt Saint Francis, as Marian's pressure held the Cougars scoreless for the final 5:45 of the third quarter.

McNally and Zoe Wheeler provided life as the offense finally showed its form in the waning minutes, helping Marian go on an 11-0 run in the final 4:25 of the third, cutting the margin to seven points in a 41-34 game after three periods.

Marian kept the intense pressure on the Cougars going into the fourth quarter, expanding its elongated 14-3 run to over seven minutes of play. Even with Marian holding the Cougars without a basket for multiple stretches of 60 seconds or longer in the final quarter, the effort exerted on the offensive end in quarter three drained the shots in the fourth quarter, with the Knights going scoreless for the first half of the final stanza. 

A Kiley McNally steal and fast break with 5:15 to play in the game finally awoke the offense and provided Marian's first points in the final quarter, but it would not result in consecutive scores as the Knights came up empty after a second McNally steal. Saint Francis responded as the clock ticked under three minutes by making a pair of three-point field goals sandwiched around a Taylor Double three, pushing the lead back to 14 points. An Eva Fisher field goal as the clock rolled under one minute to play helped the Knights whittle the lead to 10 points, but it would be too late to claw back into the game, as the Cougars iced the game at the foul line to seal its upset over Marian in a 56-46 final score.

Marian finished the game shooting 16-63 from the field, while converting just five of 32 three-point shots. Abbey McNally had an 11-point, 14-rebound double-double in the loss, while Olivia Faust scored a team-high 12 points off the bench. 

Marian finishes its homestand next Wednesday, hosting rival Indiana Wesleyan at 5:30 p.m.

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