INDIANAPOLIS - Backed by a career-high 31 points from Aidan Franks and a 25-point onslaught from Dylan Moles, the Marian men's basketball team snapped a three-game losing streak with their 78-71 victory over (RV) Indiana Wesleyan. Marian's win is their second consecutive in the series matchup against their rivals from Marion, as the Knights lift to 9-10 on the year and 3-6 in league play.
Marian couldn't ask for a better start on Saturday, making three of their first five shots from the field as Gavin Foe and Josiah Gustin helped mount a quick 7-0 sprint over the opening three minutes of play. The Wildcats would a flow on their offensive end after falling behind three scores, but the hot-shooting of Aidan Franks kept Marian in control of the lead. The redshirt-freshman, coming off a 24-point outing on Wednesday night, picked up right where he left off by draining a three to cap the early run, and followed with another seven points as he quickly was in double figures in the scoring column
Franks' strong start helped the Knights build an 18-12 lead midway through the first half, scoring an additional five points to force Indiana Wesleyan to use their second timeout in the first half. The second-year guard quickly amassed 17 points as Marian led 23-14 with 8:39 to play before the break, however it wasn't enough to keep the Wildcats down as the visitors overcame their deficit with 2:57 to play. A 16-6 run over the five-plus minutes of play allowed Indiana Wesleyan to take their first lead of the game, as they led for all but two possessions over the remainder of the half.
Marian would regain momentum quickly before the first period expired, as a jumper from Aidan Franks with 43 seconds to go cut the Wildcats' lead to one, while on the defensive end a Dylan Moles steal led to a fastbreak layup for the Wapahani product, giving Marian a 35-34 edge. Josiah Gustin finished the final minute fireworks with an emphatic block at the buzzer, sending Marian to the break with a 35-34 lead.
The late momentum for Marian carried into the first three minutes of the second half as Moles and Franks added to their scoring totals to give their team a five-point lead, but the Wildcats would claw back into the game. An 11-0 run over the second stretch of three minutes in the period gave Indiana Wesleyan a 44-39 lead, capturing their largest hold on top in the game.
Trailing with 13:16 to play in the game, the Knights turned to their hot-hand Franks, who got a driving layup to end Marian's cold spell, while a pair of Dylan Moles free throws two possessions later made it a one-point game. Luke Carroll would give Marian the lead once more as he too connected twice at the foul line, and two trips later Noah Lovan gave the Knights the lead for good with a steal and fastbreak layup.
The freshman's basket put Marian on the right side of the ledger for the remainder of the half, as Moles went to work to keep his team in the lead, sealing the lead with a three-point make at the 8:53 mark. Indiana Wesleyan would only come within two points of Marian over the final nine minutes of play, and trailed by as many as 12 as Franks, Moles, and Gustin added to the Knight lead. Moles iced the game away in the waning moments with five made free throws, helping Marian calmly collect their second consecutive win over Indiana Wesleyan by a 78-71 final score.
Franks shined in the final box score, putting away a career-high 31 points on a 14-for-23 shooting performance. The redshirt-sophomore logged a career-high 38 minutes in the win, knocking down three of six from beyond the arc. Dylan Moles returned to the lineup after missing Wednesday's game and scored his second-highest total of the season, finishing with 25 points, going 9-10 at the free throw line. Noah Lovan finished with eight points and a season-high nine assists, while Josiah Gustin had nine rebounds and two blocks to go with six points.
Marian will enter the second half of Crossroads League action in seventh place in league standings, and will return to action a week from Saturday, hosting Grace College at 3:00 p.m. on January 25.
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