INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian women's basketball team dominated on Tuesday night as they began their postseason run, handling business on their home court as they raced past Grace College 102-54. Marian's 48-point win is their largest in the three meetings with the Lancers this season, as the Knights advance to the Crossroads League Tournament Semifinals with a 27-2 overall record. 

As they did in their previous meetings this season, Marian wasted no time picking up the tempo on Grace, scoring in bunches as the team raced out to a 9-3 lead in the first two minutes of the game. Abbey McNally and Olivia Faust cooked the nets early, while McNally continued to pile on her scoring totals, eventually finishing the first quarter with 12 points. While the offense continued to flourish at a high tempo, so too did the defense, as Marian held the Lancers under 10 points through seven and a half minutes of game action. A pair of Kennedy Coleman baskets at the end of the first quarter put a stamp on Marian's large lead, as the Knights led 33-17 at the end of one quarter.

Seven of Marian's nine players to play in the opening quarter scored at least two points.

In the second quarter, the defense continued to make life difficult for the Lancers, as the Knights held Grace College to eight points in the period. Marian would out-score Grace 19-8 in the period with the strong play, forcing three turnovers to set up scores for Abbey and Kiley McNally. Aubrey Frank asserted herself into the box score as she logged five minutes of second quarter action, scoring five points to add to the growing Knights' advantage. Kennedy Coleman again scored the final points of a first-half quarter, dropping a layup with 57 seconds to play in the half to cap a commanding 52-25 edge.

The halftime break did little to slow down the Knights, as they raced out of the locker room and pushed their lead to 30 points in the first two minutes of the third quarter. Abbey McNally paced the offense in the quarter as she scored on each of her field goal attempts from the floor, dropping 12 points in the quarter as she put the team on her back. While McNally pulled the offense in front, the defense denied Grace of any offensive life, holding the Lancers scoreless for a stretch of three minutes, allowing just 13 points in the quarter as the team pulled in front 82-38 after three quarters.

Marian emptied its bench in the fourth quarter, running up and down the court as they continued to add to the lead. Aubrey Frank and Kennedy Coleman each scored six points in the fourth quarter, and Violet Shuluga put the Knights at the century mark, as the team coasted down the stretch in its commanding 102-54 victory.

As a team, the Knights shot 53 percent from the floor in the win, while holding the Lancers to 27 percent on their offensive end. Marian also forced 15 turnovers in the win, and picked up three blocked shots on defense.

Individually, Abbey McNally led Marian with 30 points, grabbing 12 rebounds for her 16th double-double of the year. McNally also broke Marian's career starts record on Tuesday night, breaking her tie with Ella Collier as she started her 134th game in a Marian uniform.

Aubrey Frank would go on to lead the bench in scoring with a season-high 17 points, while Kennedy Coleman scored a career-high 16 points. Coleman also had eight rebounds in the win, matching the total of Kiley McNally, who coupled her boards with 11 points. Both Kenna Kirby and Madisyn Bailey had six assists and three steals in the win, and Olivia Faust finished the night with nine points. 

The Knights will host Indiana Wesleyan on Friday night in the Crossroads League Tournament Semifinals, with tip scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in the PE Center. 

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