No. 12 Marian Downs No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan in 92-84 Overtime Classic

Marion, Ind. - The Marian women's basketball team ended the regular season with an upset of No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon, as the Knights executed a 92-84 overtime win. Marian's win improves their regular season mark to 22-6 overall, heading into the postseason with a 15-3 record in the Crossroads League. 

The nets were on fire early Saturday afternoon, as the Knights and Wildcats combined for 39 points in the opening quarter. Each team scored at will, with Marian getting several points early in transition as they were able to break through the Indiana Wesleyan press. Olivia Faust and Abbey McNally paced the scoring for the Knights in the quarter as they built a 21-18 lead after 10 minutes of play, matching the efforts of Taylor Folkema and Izzy Reed.

After the rocking start to the game, scoring tapered in the second quarter, with the Wildcats winning the quarter 15-12. Indiana Wesleyan opened the quarter on a 7-0 run, continuing to hit from outside as a Maddie Lawrence three put the Knights behind by four points. Marian halted their skid with an open trifecta from Kenna Kirby, as she and Olivia Faust did their best to keep the Knights in the battle. The Wildcats grew their lead to five before the quarter's end, but a run sparked by the pair of redshirt-sophomore guards saw the game claw back to a deadlock by the half's end. Faust got the final score of the first half, and sent the team's back to the lockeroom in a 33-33 stalemate at intermission.

Points continued to add to the board in the second half, as the low-scoring second quarter proved to be an anomaly as the two sides out-did their first quarter efforts with 46 combined points in the third. Indiana Wesleyan held the edge throughout the quarter as Reed, Folkema, and Lawrence carried the home team as they mounted their lead to five points after three minutes. Marian punched back scoring inside and out from McNally and Faust, while a three-pointer from Kennedy Fuelling highlighted an 8-0 run to put Marian's hands on the wheel. The surge left Marian on top 48-45, but after a timeout Indiana Wesleyan found a response, going on a run of their own to reclaim the lead. The Wildcats led 56-50 with 2:09 to play in the third quarter after a pair of shots at the foul line from Folkema, helping the home team carry a lead into the fourth quarter. A layup from Faust in the final 30 seconds of the quarter made the score 58-54 entering the fourth stanza.

Despite Marian's fight at the end of the third quarter, Indiana Wesleyan remained confident and in control as the fourth quarter started, quickly pushing their lead to eight points as Folkema capped an early run. The Wildcats' start to the quarter gave them a 64-56 lead, and led into a defensive standstill both sides went quiet for a two minutes of play. Marian broke the drought with a free throw at the six minute mark, getting on the board with an Abbey McNally foul shot. The trip to the line started a Marian run, as Kenna Kirby took over the game with a series of offensive execution. 

Kirby drained back-to-back three pointers to bring Marian within one, and with 4:26 to play the third-year player gave the Knights the lead once more as she got a steal and score in transition, converting a three-point play to regain the lead. The 10-0 run gave Marian a 66-64 lead, and with 3:19 to play the run extended to 13 unanswered points as Faust buried a shot from the top of the key. While Marian had captured the momentum, Indiana Wesleyan remained in the game, as senior Maddie Lawrence scored six straight for the home team to bring the score back within one. Marian remained the in lead as McNally scored with 37 seconds to play to make the score 73-70, but Lawrence immediately answered with a three to tie the game. The Knights would lead twice in the final 30 seconds as Madiysn Bailey and Taylor Double gave the Knights upper-hand, but each time the Wildcats answered with Lawrence and Folkema. Double hit a go-ahead basket with 3.7 seconds to play, however it would not stick as the game-winning score as Taylor Folkema collected an air-ball and scored a putback as time expired, sending the game to overtime tied at 77.

In the extra session, McNally scored the first points for either side on Marian's second possession, scoring a put-back on the third shot of the trip. To Marian's chagrin, Indiana Wesleyan countered with consecutive scores to take a lead. Abbey McNally eventually tied the game with as the clock rolled under two minutes to play, but as soon as it was tied, the Wildcats answered with a Maddie Lawrence three. Indiana Wesleyan led 84-81 after the three, but the Knights again showed fight, earning two free throws for Taylor Double to start the final push. With 34.9 seconds to play, Abbey McNally collected an offensive rebound and immediately went back up, drawing contact as she scored the three-point play to take the lead. On top 86-84, the Marian defense made the final highlight play, as Kiley McNally stripped the ball from Lawrence on the ensuing possession, giving Marian control of the game. Double, Faust, and Kirby iced the win for Marian with trips to the foul line in the final 30 seconds, closing out Marian's 92-84 overtime win.

Marian held Indiana Wesleyan scoreless for the final 89 seconds of the game as they recorded their first top-five win of the season. The Knights were out-shot from the field 57-53 percent, but the Knights made up for the lack of field goal percentage with trips at the foul line, earning eight additional trips to the stripe that accounted for seven points. 

Abbey McNally extended her double-double streak to seven consecutive games, scoring 24 points to go with 10 rebounds. McNally also had two steals in the win, as she now has 17 total double-doubles this season. Olivia Faust scored a career-high 21 points in the win, while Kenna Kirby scored 20 points. The other two members of Marian's starting lineup, Madiysn Bailey and Taylor Double, each scored 11 points in the win, and Bailey had a game-high seven assists. For Indiana Wesleyan, Maddie Lawrence scored a game-high 27 points while her teammate Taylor Folkema scored 26 points. 

Marian will be back in action on Wednesday, February 26th as they host the Crossroads League Quarterfinals. The Knights finished as the No. 3 seed in the Crossroads League, and will take on Mount Vernon Nazarene, the No. 6 seed. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.