Lovan, Franks Notch Career-Bests as Marian Upsets No. 17 Huntington 78-76

INDIANAPOLIS - Showing fight and resilience all afternoon, the Marian basketball team erased a six-point deficit in the final four minutes on Saturday against No. 17 Huntington, upending the Foresters 78-76 to record their first top-25 win on the season. Marian's victory to open the second half of their schedule lifts their record to 8-7 overall and 2-3 in the Crossroads League.

Marian came out swinging early against the 17th ranked Foresters, battling back and forth in the first five minutes of the game as Noah Lovan paced the Knight offense. Lovan scored seven early points despite picking up a pair of quick fouls, giving Marian an 11-8 lead at the first media stoppage of the afternoon. Huntington jabbed back after falling behind by three, going on a quick 6-0 run to reclaim a 14-11 advantage. Marian hung in the fight and got offense from Aidan Franks, who scored seven early points to keep the game a one-possession contest.

The Knights went back on top as the clock rolled under 10 minutes to play in the first half, getting a transition three-point make from Lovan to gain a 22-21 lead. The score would rock back and forth over the next handful of minutes, with neither team gaining control until Huntington found momentum via a 6-0 run. The Forester sprint gave them a 31-26 lead with 4:49 to play in the period, entering the media timeout in front by five. Standing tall, Franks and Dylan Moles kept Marian in the game with back to back scores, while strong defense led by blocked shots from Reis Butcher and Josiah Gustin helped energize the roster.

Franks buried a trey with 1:24 to play in the half to give Marian a three-point edge, while a long-range three from Butcher extended the team score to 40. Huntington would capitalize on a late Marian foul and sink a pair at the line, making the score 40-38 at the break. 

Neither team gained separation from the other as play resumed in the second half, as both teams went shot for shot to open the half. Marian was able to build a four-point lead after the back and forth run, as Lovan and Franks commanded a quick 4-0 run to cement a lead. The run would keep Marian on the right side of the ledger, as they held their share of the lead until 11:13 remained in the game, when Maximus Gizzi connected from downtown. Huntington would call a timeout after the three from the former Knight, leading by a narrow 61-60 margin.

Second chance efforts kept Marian in the fight throughout the game Saturday, and after a Gavin Foe offensive rebound, Lovan pushed the Knights back in front with a paint jumper. The lead changed hands four times between the ninth minute and fourteenth minute of the half, with the young backcourt of Lovan and Franks keeping Marian in the game. Franks tied the contest at 67-67 with 6:36 to play in the game as he split a pair of free throws, allowing Huntington to take full possession of the lead.

The Foresters embarked on a 7-1 run in a quick two minute window, claiming a two possession edge of 74-68. Marian used a the final media timeout to regroup after the run, and went right at Huntington as Hayden Nahra and Dylan Moles combined for a quick four points to make the game a one score difference. After a missed three by Moles with three minutes remaining, the sophomore and his teammates played tight defense on Huntington, forcing a shot clock violation that led to a made layup on the next possession by the Greenfield product. 

Moles' basket tied the game at 74-74 with 1:58 to play, but Huntington would have an answer on their next possession as Romain Bruwier scored a go-ahead layup. Looking to tie to the score, the offense ran through Lovan, who drew contact on a layup attempt. The freshman drained both shots at the stripe to tie the game at 76-76, and after forcing a contested three-pointer, Lovan again went to the line, this time doing so after getting fouled following an offensive rebound. Lovan calmly sank both shots at the line, and following a timeout, Marian's defense made their final stand, forcing Huntington to get off a desperation attempt at the buzzer that fell short, sealing a 78-76 victory.

The top-20 win over Huntington is the first of the season for Marian, and the first under head coach Pat Knight. As a team the Knights shot 56 percent from the field in the win, which included a 7-for-12 run from downtown, and also made 15 of 18 free throw attempts. Both Noah Lovan and Aidan Franks scored career-bests, as Lovan tied his career-high with 30 points in the game, while Franks scored a new-high of 26 points. Dylan Moles scored 10 points and dished out eight assists, and Josiah Gustin cleaned up the glass, grabbing eight rebounds with four blocked shots. Reis Butcher would block a pair of shots as he led the bench with five points, while Gavin Foe had two steals to go with three assists and four boards. 

Marian will aim to ride the momentum from their win into Wednesday night, as they travel north to Mishawaka to take on No. 10 Bethel University. Tip is slated for 7:30 p.m.

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