INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian men’s basketball team suffered their first loss of the young 2021-22 season, as No. 8 Indiana Wesleyan won the first meeting of the season between the two teams 74-55. Marian is now 4-1 on the year, beginning Crossroads League play 0-1.
The Crossroads opener against two of the league’s top teams started with a physical low-scoring battle, as both sides netted seven points by the media timeout. Malek Edmonds and Christian Stewart made up the Knights first seven points, but the Wildcats caught fire before the media timeout. After the stoppage, Indiana Wesleyan found their stroke from deep, with Spencer Piercefield hitting two threes as part of an 11-2 run in a 2:30 stretch. The cold streak continued for Marian, as Indiana Wesleyan pushed their lead to 14-points as the clock ticked under nine minutes.
Trailing 26-12, Marian slowly chipped back within a 10-point deficit as Jacob Wiley scored six straight, bringing his team within eight. Wiley’s offensive presence kept the Knights in the game and prevented Indiana Wesleyan from running away with the lead, as his 11 first-half points held the difference at eight as the two sides entered the locker rooms. The Wildcats led 37-29 at the half, shooting 46.9 percent from the field while Marian was held to just 35.5 percent shooting.
The Knights stayed within three possesions of the Wildcats through the first two minutes as Tyrie Johnson and Edmonds each made a basket, but Seth Maxwell three put an end to Marian’s momentum. The trey from the center pushed the visitor’s lead to 12, and it soon grew to 17 points. The Knights would keep the score between 13 and 17 points for a four-minute stretch, but a bucket from Maxwell at the 10-minute mark dampened a strong stretch of Marian’s defense.
Indiana Wesleyan pushed their lead to 20 points after a pair of Tim Adetukasi baskets, giving IWU their largest lead of the game with 7:37 remaining. Marian was unable to get within 17 points for the remainder of the game, eventually ending the game in a 74-55 defeat.
As a team, the Knights shot just 33 percent from the field, while Indiana Wesleyan shot 45 percent. Wiley led the Knights in scoring with 17 points, and Edmonds scored 15 points in the loss. Christian Harvey had five of Marian’s nine assists in the loss.
Marian will play their first road game of the Crossroads League season on Tuesday night as they play the second game of a doubleheader at Grace. The tip is scheduled for 8 p.m.
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