(KNIGHTS RELEASE)
INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 18 Marian men's basketball team won its second game of the week Saturday afternoon as the Knights defeated Taylor 82-78. Marian moves to 11-4 on the season and 7-4 in Crossroads League play with the Saturday victory.
Christian Stewart dropped the first bucket of the game for the Knights. The 2-point basket put Stewart over the 1000 career point threshold and had him join the other 36 Knights in the 1000-point club.
The first half got off to a busy start seeing each team shoot at a high percentage to begin Taylor sunk each of its first seven shots from the floor as Marian's offense clicked as well, matching the points on the other end.
Despite the Trojans' shooting, the Knights owned their offensive boards allowing for second-chance opportunities early. Marian also nabbed four early steals leading to nine points off turnovers with more than 11 minutes still to play in the half giving the Knights a slight early advantage.
Marian led by as many as nine on multiple occasions in the opening half but never able to cross the double-digit threshold. Taylor got within a point of the Knights late in the half following a 6-0 spurt, but a Malek Edmonds and-one bucket ended the run and put Marian ahead by multiple possessions.
A late 9-2 run capped off by a buzzer beating 3-pointer put the Trojans ahead 42-41 heading into the break.
Cameron Wolter led the Knights in first half scoring, dropping 16 points while shooting 7-7 from the floor. Wolter also pulled down a team leading four rebounds. Stewart finished the half with seven points and two steals.
Marian shot an impressive 64.7% (16-25) from the field and 3-6 from 3-point range in the opening half. Taylor also shot at a high rate of 69.6% from the field and 6-8 from beyond the arch. The Knights were able to force nine turnovers on six total steals. The high percentage of shooting from both sides saw limited rebounds with Marian leading the category 10-6.
The second half started off with more high-precision shooting from Taylor expanding the lead to a narrow six points early. This early second half lead did not discourage the Knights as they kept firing back answers keeping the deficit minimal.
Just over the halfway mark, Marian regained the lead for the first time of the second half on a Tyrie Johnson elbow jumper. From there, a back-and-forth game ensued.
After trailing by four, the Knights regained the lead off a Hayden Langkabel jumper. The Langkabel basket kicked off a 14-0 run with 4:49 to go. The run was ended with just 37 seconds to go in the game with the Knights still ahead by seven.
The Trojans did not give up despite the limited time. Taylor dribbled quickly down the court and scored an and-one bucket to get within five points as time dwindled to just 18 seconds. To seal the game, the Knights were able to maneuver through defenders and dribble off some clock before being fouled.
The Trojans sunk a 2-point jumper as the clock expired but it was not enough as the Knights came away with the 82-78 victory. The win clinches the season sweep over Taylor and gives Marian its 11th win of the season.
Wolter led the Knights Saturday dropping 22 points and pulled down nine rebounds while also nabbing two steals for the defensive effort. Stewart finished the day with 18 points and dished out a team-high four assists.
Edmonds scored 11 points to reach a season-high while also grabbing five rebounds. Christian Harvey rounded out the Knights' scoring effort finishing with 10 points and four assists.
Marian shot a collective 57.4% from the field which included a 46.2% from three. The Knights forced 17 turnovers off 12 steals and capitalized off of them for 22 points. In a game with limited rebounding, Marian outrebounded Taylor 26-22.
After the win Saturday, the Knights look on to Monday night as they take on East-West for a 5 p.m. non-conference showdown at John Grimes Court.
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