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01.21.09
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After trailing for 35 minutes of the contest, the NAIA Division II
14th-ranked Huntington University Foresters showed some
grit and determination outlasting the Marian College Knights 57-55
for a hard-fought victory.
Huntington got off to a slow start offensively immediately falling
behind the Knights 8-3 through the first five minutes of play. The
Foresters were within three at 12-9 when Marian put together a 17-7
run to take its largest lead of the game at 29-16 with 7:26 to go in
the half. Huntington then switched defenses and went with a zone to
try to slow the Knights down. The adjustment worked as the
Foresters were able to close the gap and headed to the break down
just four at 36-32.
When the two teams emerged from the locker room, it was Marian who
once again gained control of the momentum and used it to push the
advantage back to nine four minutes into the period. The Foresters
again switched things up on the defensive end and had it pay off.
HU held the Knights scoreless for four minutes and evened things up
at 45-45 with 11:33 to play. A Jessica Carr trey put Marian back in
front with 9:45 on the clock, but Huntington knotted the score at 49
and then took its first lead of the contest at 51-49 on two charity
tosses by Sarah Miller at the 4:53 mark.
Down the stretch, both teams had an answer each time the other
scored. Kristin Houck drained two free throws to tie the game at
51. The Foresters battled on the boards with four consecutive
offensive rebounds that finally led to a Lauren Davenport jumper in
the paint to put Huntington back in the lead at 53-51. Megan
Egenolf evened it up with a driving layup at Marian’s end at the
1:28 mark. Davenport and Egenolf traded baskets again to make it
55-55 with 31.9 seconds remaining. The Foresters milked the clock
and Miller put up a three with five seconds to play. The shot was
off the mark, but Courtney Beerbower was fouled on the rebound with
3.8 on the clock. Beerbower, who had missed three of her last four
free throws, stepped to the line and hit nothing but net twice. The
Knight’s failed to get a shot off before the final buzzer giving
Huntington the 57-55 victory.
Beerbower was the lone Forester to reach double figures as she
matched her season high with 20 points. Egenolf paced Marian with
19 points and Carr finished with 12 points and a game-high 16
rebounds. The Knights won the battle of the boards 48-34, but
Huntington had just seven turnovers in the game while forcing the
Knights into 18 miscues.
Box Score |
