Henderson, Tenn. — The Marian University Men's Basketball team played in its first regular season game under first-year head coach Steve Drabyn on Saturday, taking defending NAIA national champion and second-ranked Freed-Hardeman to the final buzzer.
TEAM STATISTICS
- Marian was 25-for-52 (48 percent) from the field, while Freed-Hardeman went 26-of-65 (40 percent) from the floor
- The Lions made eight of its 30 (27 percent) three-point attempts; the Knights were 5-for-21 (24 percent) from deep
- FHU went 16-for-25 (64 percent) from the charity stripe, while MU was 20-of-33 (61 percent) at the foul line
- Marian out-rebounded Freed-Hardeman 44-33; the Knights turned nine offensive rebounds into seven second-chance points
- FHU had 15 assists to 10 turnovers, while MU had 10 assists to 20 turnovers; the Lions led 18-9 in points off turnovers
- The Knights recorded six of seven blocks in the opener
- Marian led 38-34 in points in the paint, but FHU led in fastbreak points (15-10) and bench points (27-8)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Peyton Byrd recorded a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds in his Marian debut, making eight of his 11 shots
- Kody Clancy scored 21 points with two steals in his first game as a Knight
- Jack Edelen added 18 points in his first game in blue and gold with a team-best five assists
- Josiah Gustin grabbed a team-leading 11 rebounds
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF
- Back-to-back Edelen three-pointers turned a tie game into a six-point Marian lead before the first media timeout
- A 9-0 Marian run allowed the Knights' lead to grow to 22-9 near the 12-minute mark
- The Lions answered with a 19-3 run to take the lead
- Marian led before a FHU triple in the final seconds of the opening half gave the hosts the 37-35 lead at the break
SECOND HALF
- Byrd went on a personal 8-0 early in the second half to give the lead back to the Knights
- Byrd's run would go on, as he scored the Knights' first 10 points of the second half
- FHU opened up a six-point lead, but a Byrd three-pointer and a Gustin dunk got the Knights right back within a single possession
- Byrd's layup near the five-minute mark broke a 63-all tie
- Tied at 74 under the final minute, Byrd made the second end of a trip to the foul line to take the lead
- FHU was fouled and made both free throws to lead, 76-75, with 23 seconds to go
- Clancy's jumper at the top of the key rimmed out; FHU missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and Marian's half-court heave missed
UP NEXT
- Marian plays in its home opener on Tuesday, Nov. 3, hosting IU Southeast at 6:30 p.m.
