MEN’S BASKETBALL

The #13 Knights of Marian University returned a favor Saturday afternoon by handing the Forester men’s basketball team an 80-60 loss. It avenges HU’s 73-71 win over the then-ranked No. 10 Knights on January 11.

With this loss, Huntington drops to 15-8 overall, 6-7 in league play. MU improves to 17-4 which includes an 11-4 CL record.

It was a tale of two halves for Alford and crew. The Foresters were on target more often than not in the opening 20 minutes to finish 15-for-24 from the floor for 62.5 percent with their only flaw committing seven turnovers. The hosts led by as many as ten, 31-21, in the first half before taking a 37-34 advantage into recess.

While Huntington limited their miscues to just two in the final frame; unfortunately, they could not get their shots to fall after intermission. The Foresters managed just five field goals in the last 20 minutes to log an uncharacteristic 14.8 shooting percentage. It didn’t take long for Marian to take full advantage of HU’s shooting woes.

Just over 90 seconds into the second period, the guests jumped on top 38-37 to never trail again. By the 15:08 mark, the lead was ten at 49-39. By game’s end, the Knights had doubled that to cruise to the W.

Zach Goodline topped Huntington with 18 points. Hank Pulver finished with a double double of 13 points and a career-best 12 rebounds. Spencer Ballinger added nine points while Mitchell Wilson and Peyton West each tossed in eight.

Cameron Wolter, the league’s fourth leading scorer, paced the Knights with 24 points and eight rebounds. Christian Harvey posted 13 points and five assists. Christian Stewart and Tyrie Johnson pitched in 11 and ten points respectively.

The Foresters have three games this week to close out the regular season. HU has a two-game homestand with Saint Francis on Monday and Goshen on Wednesday before traveling to Grace on Saturday.