No. 5 Marian Scores Top-25 Victory Over No. 13 Rio Grande

Rio Grande, Ohio - The Marian women's basketball team extended its undefeated start to the 2025-26 season on Saturday afternoon, as the Knights earned a top-25 victory with their 69-58 road victory over No. 13 Rio Grande. Marian's win moves the team's record to 11-0 overall on the year.

Marian fell behind 5-0 in the opening minutes on Saturday, but calmly weathered the early storm from Rio Grande, as Kenna Kriby and Madisyn Bailey ignited the offense. Abbey McNally gave the Knights their first lead with a driving layup, answering a Red Storm score to capture an 8-7 edge. Bailey followed with a layup of her own, as the sophomore point guard and McNally would combine for the final nine Marian points in the opening stanza to capture a 15-10 lead. The Knights held Rio Grande scoreless for the final five minutes of the opening period to control the lead.

Rio Grande snapped their drought early in the second quarter, dropping seven unanswered points to challenge the Knights and reclaim the lead. The 17-15 edge held by the Red Storm didn't last long, as Bailey quickly answered the final score in the 7-0 run with a layup, while defense turned to offense as an Abbey McNally steal led to a Zoe Wheeler layup.

Wheeler gave Marian a 19-17 lead and continued the spark in an 11-0 run that lasted nearly four minutes. Marian managed to push the lead to nine with the run, as a Taylor Double three-pointer highlighted the scoring, with the defense continuing to force stops. The Knights gradually pushed the edge to 13 points, and would go into halftime leading by the same margin, as Emily Grim hit a falling putback shot in the waning seconds of the half, giving Marian a 36-23 lead at halftime.

Abbey McNally extended the team's lead to 15 coming out of halftime with a quick putback, but it would be Rio Grande who would win the third quarter, as they exploded on an 11-0 run following the senior's make. Marian's offense played stagnantly in the third as the Red Storm whittled the margin to four, but Kiley McNally was finally able to get her team back in gear with 5:16 remaining in the quarter, finding an open two inside the paint. Rio continued to challenge despite Marian starting to get the offense going, as the lead would shrink to a single basket, but a late push in the final minute from Kiley McNally and Taylor Double secured the Knights' edge heading into the fourth.

Clinging to a 51-45 lead entering the fourth quarter, Marian maintained its lead by running the offense through Abbey McNally, entrusting the program's All-American to shoulder the load. Between the McNally sisters and Olivia Faust, the Knights controlled the pace and pushed the two-possession lead to three with 5:43 to play in the game. As the clock gradually wound below five minutes, a score from Taylor Double recouped a double-figure advantage and gave the Knights all the momentum. Abbey McNally and Kenna Kirby followed the score with back-to-back baskets of their own, as the defense turned stops into points on four consecutive trips and pushed the lead to 14 points. 

The commanding stretch in the final five minutes sealed Marian's lead, as Abbey McNally would score the final points of the game in the waning 75 seconds to seal the 69-58 road victory.

Abbey McNally had a well-rounded game for the Knights in the win, leading the team with 18 points and nine rebounds, scoring 10 of the 18 in the fourth quarter. McNally also had two steals and one blocked shot in the win. Taylor Double scored 12 points and recorded three steals, and Madisyn Bailey dropped 11 and dished six assists to go with four rebounds. Off the bench, Emily Grim and Kiley McNally each scored eight points, leading the reserves who totaled 24 of the team's 69 points. 

The Knights will travel to Arizona for their next two games, playing against No. 15 Rocky Mountain College and Arizona Christian. The contests take place on December 19 and 20 in Glendale, Arizona.

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