Knights Clinch Share of CL Championship in 69-53 Win at Indiana Wesleyan

MARION, Ind. - Backed by their stingy defense and Taylor Double's season-high 18 points, the Marian women's basketball team polished off a season sweep of Indiana Wesleyan on Wednesday night, downing the Wildcats 69-53 to secure their 25th victory of the season. Marian's win clinched a share of the Crossroads League Season Championship, as the Knights improved to 15-2 in the league and 25-2 on the year. 

Things couldn't have started better for the Knights on Wednesday night, as Marian quickly asserted itself in the game by opening the contest on an 8-0 run. Kiley McNally scored the first points of the night, while a steal from Taylor Double helped her get in a groove offensively, with the junior netting two early baskets. Indiana Wesleyan would use a timeout to settle after committing a pair of early turnovers, and responded by attacking the Knights with a 9-2 run. Madisyn Bailey kept Marian in front and ended the run with a driving layup, but the Wildcats closed the first quarter strong, outscoring Marian by a 6-2 count in the last two minutes, giving the home team a 15-14 edge after one period.

Indiana Wesleyan carried momentum from their strong first quarter finish into the next, as they made things difficult for Marian early in the second stanza. A pair of three-pointers kept the Wildcats on top, but a dosage of Kenna Kirby jumpers remedied the Knights' attack, as five points from the senior lifted the offense. A string of consecutive stops and an Abbey McNally post score led to Marian getting back in control, with Kirby's third field goal of the quarter at the 4:41 mark seeing the Knights regain a 25-24 lead. A three-point play from Madisyn Bailey cushioned the lead and sprang the Knights into a 31-27 halftime lead. 

Marian ended the first half strong, clamping down on defense as they held the Wildcats scoreless for the final 2:23 of the second quarter.

As it has throughout the season, Marian's elite defense carried over into the second half, as Indiana Wesleyan mustered just two points in the first four minutes of the third quarter, while Marian found offense from Taylor Double and Kenna Kirby to extend the lead to six points. Double and Kirby remained the catalysts for Marian's offensive assault, as the two guards combined to score 15 of the Knights' 21 third-quarter points, pushing the advantage into double digits. A rare three-point field goal from Abbey McNally extended the edge to 13 points with 2:32 to play in the third, as the senior's second made shot from downtown this season secured a double-figure lead going into the fourth with Marian on top 52-42.

Indiana Wesleyan would make a challenge late in the game as the contest shifted to the fourth, as a surge from Ayla Krygier helped the home team stay in the game. Five of Krygier's game-high 29 points whittled Marian's lead to six, but the game quickly shifted back to a three-possession affair as Eva Fisher snuck behind the Wildcat defense on a backdoor layup. Abbey McNally would extend the lead to nine as the clock ticked under five minutes and put the Knights on top 59-50, all but closing the curtain on the game.

Kiley McNally would sink the final field goal of the game for Marian with 2:24 remaining to reclaim a double-digit lead, as the Knights' defense that provided a scoreless streak of 3:26 in the final four minutes, along with six makes at the foul line sealed a 69-53 road victory.

With the win, the Knights secured a regular season sweep of Indiana Wesleyan for the first time since the 2023-24 season. Marian also clinched a share of the Crossroads League Regular Season Championship with its win, the first since the team's outright championship in the aforementioned 2023-24 campaign.

On the night, Taylor Double scored a season-high 18 points, while Abbey McNally had 15 points to go along with eight rebounds and two blocked shots. Kenna Kirby led the bench with a 15-point outburst, her most points scored since January 7. Madisyn Bailey once again stuffed the stat sheet with five points, five rebounds, and seven assists, while Kiley McNally had eight rebounds and three assists on the evening. 

As a team, Marian forced 25 Indiana Wesleyan turnovers and held the Wildcats under 42 percent scoring from the field. 

With the share of the Crossroads League Championship clinched, Marian will look to defend home court and claim the outright league title on Saturday, with the Knights hosting Huntington on their senior day. Tip-off is for 1:00 p.m., while the senior day festivities will take place in between contests in conjunction with the men's program.

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