INDIANAPOLIS - For the fifth consecutive year, the Marian women's basketball team has made it out of their pod in the NAIA National Tournament First and Second Round, as the Knights downed Milligan 76-66, defending their home court one final time with a wire-to-wire victory. Marian's win stamps their 11th consecutive trip to the NAIA Tournament Final Site, as the Knights head to Sioux City with a record of 26-7.
After their slow start on Friday night, Marian came out of the gate quickly in their NAIA Second Round matchup against the Buffaloes, scoring the first six points of the game. Olivia Faust recovered from shooting woes the night prior and scored four the aforementioned six points, sparking the Knights attack. Abbey McNally scored her second basket of the game at the 5:34 mark of the game to convert the team's fifth field goal, but the quick attack came to a halt after that, as Marian endured a drought of four minutes with open looks at the rim falling short. Milligan suffered a similar drought as the game eventually held static in a 10-4 contest, with the scoring beginning once more in the final 90 seconds of the period.
Olivia Faust broke Marian's scoreless spell with 1:26 to go in the opening stanza, while an Abbey McNally three-point play pushed the lead to double figures for the first time at a 15-4 count. The late scores snapped a 4:08 drought, and in the sequence Marian's defense held the Buffaloes to a 1-6 stretch. As the quarter came to its finish, Milligan snapped their 4:25 famine, getting a three from Jaycie Jenkins at the buzzer to finish the period's scoring at 15-7 in favor of Marian.
Marian's late surge carried over into the second quarter as they picked up four of the first six points, but another lengthy drought would soon overtake the Knights' offense. Kenna Kirby scored with 7:59 to play in the half to give Marian a 19-9 hold, but slowly a collection of missed shots allowed Milligan back into the game. The Buffaloes went on a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to four points, holding Marian to a scoreless stretch of nearly five minutes. Kirby snapped the drought to right the ship with a basket at the 3:10 mark, bringing the Knights back to form. Another three-point play from McNally punctuated the home team's scoring in the period, entering the break with a 26-21 lead.
Both teams shot under 30 percent from the field in the opening half, however the restart in the second half showed no indication of a shooting slump, with both teams hitting at a near-40 percent rate or better in the second half. Marian's shooting recovery began with a score on their first possession from Kirby, and continued with points in the paint from McNally and Taylor Double. Milligan kept the score close through Marian's strong attack, with the score holding at 36-32 by the media stoppage.
The lead would swell to seven points for Marian by the 4:02 mark in the quarter, and after a pair of McNally free throws, the Knights' defense took over as their press forced two quick turnovers and spawned a 6-0 run. Marian reclaimed a double figure lead with the run, pushing their hold on the game to as many as 14 points with their suffocating defense. Milligan would make a late run before closing the quarter, with the period ending with the Knights on top 53-46.
Milligan continued to pressure Marian and make things difficult as the game moved into the fourth quarter, answering a quick score by McNally with six unanswered points. Kirby stopped the bleeding with a split trip at the charity stripe, and helped regain control of the game as a the third-year player pushed the Knights back in front by seven with over five minutes to play. The Buffaloes would keep within striking distance in the waning moments, never letting the hosts run away with the lead, but a three from Olivia Faust at the 2:22 mark and driving layup from Madisyn Bailey with 1:14 to go turned out the lights on any comeback effort.
The Knights converted 5-of-8 free throws in the last minute of the game, icing away their NAIA Tournament Second Round win to advance in the tournament, capping the 76-66 win.
For the 12th consecutive game, Abbey McNally recorded a double-double, as the junior led the team in scoring with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Kirby finished the game with 16 points, and Faust rebounded with a 13 point game. Faust also finished with seven rebounds, and Kirby had a team-high five assists.
Marian's victory punches a ticket to the final site in Sioux City, Iowa, where the Knights will take on the University of the Cumberlands in a rematch from their November contest. Marian lost the first meeting of the season against the Patriots 103-99 in triple overtime.
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