TIGERBALL STRUGGLES TO SLOW DOWN No. 19 MARIAN

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Olivet Nazarene University's (ONU) women's basketball team faced a challenging road game on Wednesday night, falling to the undefeated Marian University 91-70. Despite strong efforts from key players, the Tigers couldn't match Marian's consistent offense, dropping their record to 1-4.

The Tigers faced a tough Marian defense and found themselves down early. Marian shot 58% from the field and 67% from three in the first quarter. Khendel Rolison got the Tigers on the board with a clutch three-pointer, her only made basket of the quarter. Rolison ended the first quarter 1-6 from the field and 1-3 from three. Preslee Michael also made some key plays, scoring five points and grabbing four rebounds. However, the Tigers couldn't overcome Marian's strong start and ended the quarter trailing 30-15. 

ONU refused to let the game get away from them. Jayden Flagg and Bett O'Neal provided a much-needed offensive boost, each hitting three-pointers. Flagg ended the first half with eight points, going 3-5 from the field and 2-4 from three. O'Neal had six points by the end of the half, going 2-5 from the field and 2-4 from three. Lilly Dockemeyer came off the bench to give the Tigers solid minutes, scoring three points. The Tigers went into the half trailing 51-36.

The Tigers continued to fight in the third quarter. Olivia Dirkse and Flagg stayed hot from three-point range, combining for a triplet of threes. Dirkse ended the third quarter with six points, going 2-5 from the field and 2-5 from beyond the arc. Flagg had another strong quarter, scoring five points and going 1-2 from the field, 1-2 from three, and 2-2 from the free throw line. Marian continued their strong shooting, going 9-14 from the field and 3-5 from three. Despite their efforts, the Tigers couldn't close the gap and entered the final quarter trailing 72-54

The fourth quarter saw Marian's shooting cool off significantly, as they hit just 41.2% from the field and failed to connect on any three-point attempts. However, their strong start to the game provided enough cushion to withstand ONU's final push. Dockemeyer came off the bench to spark the Tigers with five points, including shooting 2-2 from the charity stripe. Despite a solid effort from ONU, Marian's bench depth and defense held strong, securing a 91-70 victory.

Looking Ahead

ONU will look to regroup as they head to Indiana University East for a road game on November 16th at 1:00 p.m. CST. The Tigers are eager to bounce back and secure a win to shift momentum in their favor.