Sophomore Anthony Furlin scored a game- and career- high 34 points in a 90-84 overtime defeat.

Sophomore Brandon Malone notched his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

INDIANAPOLIS - Despite career afternoons from sophomores Anthony Furlin and Brandon Malone, the Marian College men's basketball team fell just short in a 90-84 overtime loss to Saint Francis at the Physical Education Center.

 

The Knights fell to 10-11 overall and 1-10 in the Mid-Central College Conference.

 

In what proved to be an extremely competitive game throughout, the Knights found themselves trailing, 76-73, with 22 seconds remaining in regulation. Sophomore Anthony Furlin found himself open on the left wing and buried a three-pointer with seven seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.

 

After taking a one-point lead, 77-76, just 52 seconds into the extra session, the Knights fell behind on a pair of free throws, 78-77. They could not recover and failed to hit that big shot in the added frame to fall, 90-84.

 

In the first half, the teams traded blows over the first three minutes of the game before Saint Francis was able to open a six-point lead, 13-7, with 14:36 remaining in the first half. A 7-2 Knights' run closed the lead to one, 15-14, with 12:18 to go. Saint Francis could not pull away from the Knights over the next seven minutes as the Knights only allowed the Cougars' to get as high as six, 24-18, with 5:05 to go.

 

The Knights would cut the lead to two, 29-27, and head into the locker room within striking distance even though they shot just 32 percent (8-for-25) in the first half.

 

A 7-0 Cougar run to open the second half put USF up nine, 36-27, with 18:18 to go. Eventually, the Cougars would push their lead to 10, 48-38, with 14:03 remaining. The Knights battled back and cut the lead to two, 54-52, with 11:25 remaining even though both teams could not find a rhythm with whistles abounding.

 

USF pushed the lead back to seven, 63-56, with 9:05 to go, but the Knights went on an 6-0 run to cut the lead to two, 63-61, with 6:56 to go. Eventually the Knights would overtake the Cougars with 3:27 remaining on a short jumper by Furlin to make the score, 69-68.

 

The teams traded blows until the final 22 seconds when Furlin dropped the three to send the game into the extra session.

 

The game featured 64 personal fouls and 88 free throws between the teams combined. The Knights shot 56 percent (15-for-27) in the second half, but just 20 percent (1-for-5) in overtime. The Cougars were 32-for-42 (76 percent) from the free throw line while the Knights were 30-for-46 (65 percent).

 

Sophomore Anthony Furlin (Fishers, Indiana/Hamilton Southeastern) led the Knights with a game- and career-high 34 points. He is the first Knight to score 30+ points since Adam Ruhl scored 31 in an 84-80 win over Goshen on January 28, 2006.

 

Sophomore Brandon Malone (Indianapolis/North Central) had a career afternoon after he notched his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore Jordan Tucker (Kirklin, Indiana/Clinton Central) scored 19 points and had three rebounds while freshman Jameson Wheeler (Plainfield, Indiana/Plainfield) had a team-high four assists.

 

The Knights hit the road on Tuesday night when they head to Odle Arena to take on Taylor University. The Trojans defeated the Knights, 62-60, on a last second jumper earlier this month at the Physical Education Center. Tip is slated for 7 p.m.