No. 4 Marian Takes CL Lead With 66-58 Win at No. 7 Saint Francis

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Fueled by a 22-point second quarter and a relentless defensive effort in the third quarter, the Marian women's basketball team avenged its early-season loss to the seventh-ranked University of Saint Francis on Saturday afternoon, taking down the Cougars 66-58 to take an outright lead in the Crossroads League. The Knights' victory gives them sole possession of first place in the league standings with two games to play in the regular season, improving the Marian record to 24-2 on the season and 14-2 in league play. 

Marian couldn't have asked for a better start on Saturday afternoon, as Abbey McNally and Madisyn Bailey helped pace a quick 4-0 lead. The early scores were coupled with stout defense that held the Cougars scoreless for the first 4:29 of gameplay, which aided the offense as a Taylor Double trifecta added to the Knights' opening 8-0 run. Saint Francis would respond with a strong run to close quarter one, as Julia Mantyla and Cali Gregory heated up from downtown.

The pair of Cougars scored all 22 points for Saint Francis in the first quarter, with Mantyla making the first of four three-point shots in the opening period to end the Knights' starting run. Kiley McNally and her sister would keep the Knights on top for a spell with a pair of layups, but the triples quickly caught up, as four deep shots were converted in the final four minutes, helping Saint Francis end the quarter on a 14-0 run. 

Trailing 22-14 to open the second quarter, Marian calmly stayed to its gameplan, and worked the ball through Madisyn Bailey, as the point guard scored a pair of shots inside the paint to cut the deficit to four. Marian's defense regained its form and forced a pair of early misses, while also using two Saint Francis turnovers to claw back within two scores. As the quarter wore on, Marian ran the offense through Olivia Faust, who scored nine points in the stanza to push the Knights back on top. A three-pointer from Zoe Wheeler aided the late-half surge with a right-wing three, and four unanswered points from Faust sealed the comeback, as the Knights led 36-34 at the break.

After halftime, Marian set to work on the offensive end, riding their momentum into the third quarter as the team scored six unanswered points to begin the half, forcing a Cougar timeout. The offense led by Abbey and Kiley McNally forced a quick timeout from the Cougars and pushed the Knights to an eight-point lead. The Knights' 42-34 lead would grow to a nine-point cushion as the quarter progressed, with Marian forcing contested Saint Francis looks in addition to creating three turnovers. Over the final three minutes of the period, Taylor Double sank two open three-pointers, riding the Knights to a 51-42 lead entering the fourth quarter.

An Olivia Faust jump shot early in the fourth quarter extended the advantage to 11 points, giving Marian its largest lead of the afternoon as the team began to taste the road victory. Madisyn Bailey guided the offense into the right position as Marian carried its double-figure lead, and with 5:44 to play in the game, Eva Fisher hit the first of two shots from beyond the arc, splashing a pair of triples that led to a 61-50 lead. 

The second Fisher triple was answered by a Renna Schwieterman layup, setting up a series of Marian turnovers as the Cougars' extended their pressure full-court. Saint Francis scored eight unanswered points as Marian committed three straight turnovers, turning the game into a three-point contest. Marian was able to recover after getting a defensive stop, and Taylor Double hit the dagger three, scoring from downtown to end the run and push Marian back into a six-point lead. The Knights managed to get a final stop as they forced a Cali Gregory turnover, and ended the scoring with an Eva Fisher layup, outlasting the late Saint Francis push to win 66-58. 

Abbey McNally was one of three Knights to finish the game with a team-high 12 points, as she logged her 14th double-double of the season. Madisyn Bailey had an all-around game, as the point guard scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds, continuing to stuff the stat sheet with six assists, one block, and three steals. Taylor Double made four three-pointers and scored 12 points, while Olivia Faust scored 11 points in the win. Kiley McNally had four steals and six rebounds, adding six points in the win. 

As a team, the Knights made eight three-point shots and shot 44 percent from downtown, a vast improvement over the team's 5-32 performance in the first meeting the season. Marian ended the game shooting 46 percent overall for the contest, and defensively forced 14 Saint Francis turnovers, as the Cougars shot 40 percent from the field. 

The Knights will end its three-game road stretch on Wednesday night, looking to complete a season sweep over (RV) Indiana Wesleyan as the two rivals face off at 5:30 p.m.

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