MEN’S BASKETBALL

The #RV Huntington men’s basketball team led from wire to wire Saturday afternoon at Platt Arena, but nothing came easy in a 71–63 win over a pesky Marian squad that refused to go away.

Huntington controlled the game from the opening tip yet found itself repeatedly challenged, as every Forester surge was met with a Knights response.

HU wasted no time setting the tone, racing out to a 14–2 advantage behind a balanced and aggressive start. All five starters scored within the opening three-and-a-half minutes, with Keylane Lasisi igniting the run by opening the game with a dunk, scoring on the block, and knocking down a three to pile up seven points in the first five minutes.

It was the kind of start that often signals a runaway – just not against a Pat Knight–coached Marian team. The Knights steadied themselves and trimmed the deficit to four late in the first half before Huntington answered once more. Kaden Johnson scored on back-to-back possessions around a Jackson Paul triple as part of a 7–0 run to close the half, sending the Foresters into the break with a 40–29 advantage.

The second half opened much like the first, with Huntington pushing the margin to as many as 15 on multiple occasions which proved the largest lead of the afternoon. Yet Marian continued to hang around, eventually pulling within three at 54–51 by the midway point of the frame.

From there, aside from a brief 60-second stretch beginning at the 7:12 mark, the remainder of the contest stayed within one or two possessions. The Knights made HU earn every stop and every basket down the stretch. Jackson Paul and Johnson finally put the game away at the free-throw line, combining to go a perfect 4-for-4 in the final 30 seconds to seal the win.

Miles Good was the steady force Huntington leaned on all afternoon, pouring in 24 points, 12 in each half, while knocking down four of the Foresters’ nine three-pointers. His scoring included a rare four-point play in the first half that helped maintain momentum during Marian’s push.

Johnson delivered a dominant all-around performance with 18 points, 15 rebounds and five assists, while Lasisi added 11 points and 10 rebounds on an efficient 5-for-6 shooting. Paul chipped in seven points, four assists and the late free throws that closed the door.

As a team, Huntington shot 43.1 percent from the field and 80 percent at the free-throw line, while holding Marian to 42.6 percent shooting overall.

Marian was led by Elhadj Diallo, who came off the bench to score a game-high 23 points on 8-for-10 shooting, including five three-pointers. Josiah Gustin added 15 points, while Aaron Humphrey Jr. contributed nine points and 10 rebounds for the Knights.

The win lifts Huntington to 14–5 overall and 5-4 in Crossroads League play, good for fifth in the league standings at the midpoint of conference action. Marian drops to 4–15 overall and 2–7 in league play, tied for eighth with Saint Francis.

The Foresters return to action next Saturday when they host Spring Arbor at 3:00 p.m. in Platt Arena, looking to avenge a 72–65 loss to the Cougars back in November.