INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian men's basketball team ended their regular season in style on Saturday, as the Knights came from behind in the second half with a rally to knock off No. 6 Indiana Wesleyan by a final score of 94-89. Marian's win over the Wildcats is their first since February of 2020, snapping a seven-game losing streak. Marian enters the postseason winners of eight consecutive games, holding a 22-6 overall record and 12-6 mark in the Crossroads League.
Indiana Wesleyan held the upper-hand over Marian for much of the first half, starting on a high note as the visitors took charge early and built a 13-12 lead through five minutes of play. The Knights were able to grab the lead twice in the first five minutes as Brody Whitaker, Maximus Gizzi, and Gus Etchison each played their hand in getting buckets, but after the first media timeouts Indiana Wesleyan was able to pull away. A three-point play converted by Caedmon Bontrager had the visitors on top 22-14 with 11:54 to play in the first half, giving the Wildcats their first taste of a three-possession lead.
Marian would hang with the Wildcats as the half progressed, cutting the gap to five points on multiple possessions. The Wildcats built their largest lead of the game with a nine-point edge as the scoreboard showed a 30-21 score with 9:45 to play, but scores by Jackson Ames and Ben Henderson quickly washed away the advantage. The Knights were able to slash their deficit to four points with 6:24 to play in the half as Henderson scored a fastbreak layup, but back-to-back scores by Indiana Wesleyan saw the margin grow back to eight. An open trey by Josh Bryan with 2:29 to go in the half brought Marian within four as they built momentum entering the break, while a three from Whitaker fell moments later to cap the first half scoring.
The Knights would go into the locker room at the half trailing 46-42, with both teams going scoreless over the period's final 1:44.
After the intermission Indiana Wesleyan found a way to build their lead back to eight points in the first two minutes, but a dunk by Ames turned the tide for Marian, as the Knights built energy off the slam. Bryan and Etchison kept Marian within two scores as the half rolled under 15 minutes to play, while a pair of Nolan Foster scores ignited a 8-0 run to tie the game. Foster scored the first six points in the run as two free throws tied the game at 59 each, while a Josh Bryan score catapulted Marian into the lead with 12:29 remaining.
The score rocked back and forth between a draw and a two-point Marian advantage for nearly two minutes, but a three-point play off of a dunk by Ames ended the streak, as the junior center put his team in front for good. The old-school three started a 7-0 clip for Marian and put them on top 72-65, with the team feeding off the crowd to hold the lead. Indiana Wesleyan would attempt a comeback scoring five unanswered to get within a single score, but Marian held their own as they carried a lead under five minutes to play.
After the final media timeout of the game, a pair of Etchison free throws increased Marian's lead to three, and strong defense followed as Marian forced contested shots. The Knights defensive efforts paid off on the offensive end with scores by Whitaker and Ames protecting the lead, and with 49 seconds remaining the junior Whitaker hit the game-sealing shot, draining a downtown shot to give Marian an 87-81 lead. The Wildcats were forced to foul after coming up empty on their ensuing trip, as Marian iced the game at the line making seven of eight foul shots in the final 32 seconds to seal the 94-89 upset win.
The Knights had four players in double figures in the win and two with eight or more points, as they shot 52 percent from the field and 85 percent from the foul line. Etchison led the team in scoring with 26 points, adding three assists and rebounds in the win. Whitaker scored 19 points and led Marian in rebounding with seven, and Ames added 16 points and two steals. Bryan led Marian's bench in scoring with 10 points, and the combination of Henderson and Foster resulted in 18 points.
Marian will host Bethel in the Crossroads League Tournament Quarterfinals, taking on the Pilots on Wednesday, February 28 at 7:00 p.m.
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