Marian University (Indiana) scored seven straight points during the final three minutes to pull away for an 82-76 victory over the Georgia Gwinnett College men's basketball team in the opening game of the Athletes in Action Christmas Classic on Tuesday evening in Xenia, Ohio.

Aaron Humphrey Jr. scored five consecutive points to give the Knights (3-9) a 79-73 lead with 38 seconds remaining in the game. The string started with two free throws and was followed by a three-point play.
That came after senior Drew Kramer hit a 3-point field goal with 2:30 left to bring the Grizzlies (10-4) within a point, at 74-73.

Later, Josiah Gustin knocked down two more free throws with 20 seconds left to give the Indiana team an 81-73 lead.

In the first half, Marian scored 13 straight points to take a 27-20 advantage after Gustin made a jump shot at the 6:31 mark. A 3-point field goal by the Knights' Dylan Moles gave the team a 35-27 lead with under two minutes remaining in the period.

Two free throws from senior Manny Montgomery were followed by a 3-pointer from junior Brasen James that trimmed the deficit to 35-32 at halftime.

The fierce battle between the teams continued in the second half. Three free throws from Kramer squared the contest at 51-51 with 11:44 remaining, and the Grizzlies took a 55-53 lead following two free throws by freshman Patrick Johnson at the midway point of the second half.

Marian pulled away by going on a 10-0 offensive run over the next three minutes, capped by a jump shot from Humphrey Jr. that gave the Knights a 63-55 lead.

Junior Devontre Chaney scored a game-high 24 points and connected on 4-of-5 shots from behind the 3-point field goal arc. Johnson and Kramer each chipped in 14 points for the Grizzlies.

Humphrey Jr. led four Marian players in double figures with 20 points. Moles added 17 points, while Ron Rutland III and Gustin scored 13 and 11 points, respectively.
 
Coach's Corner
"The winner was the tougher team that wanted it more tonight. It's a challenging thing to make someone want something more, but that's the task we have at hand. It doesn't get any easier with tomorrow's game. We have a 1-4 record in neutral-site games, which is where a majority of games in the national tournament will be played. So, that's something else that we have to look inward at ourselves and see if we're willing and able to change," said Head Coach Chase Teichmann.
 
Turning Point
Marian scored seven straight points in the final 2:30 to break away for an 81-73 advantage. Aaron Humphrey Jr. made two free throws before converting a three-point play that pushed the Knights' lead to 79-73 with 38 seconds remaining in the game.
 
Inside The Numbers

• GGC made 51 percent of its field goals, compared to Marian shooting 47.6 percent in the contest
• The Knights turned GGC's 10 turnovers into 14 points
• Junior Devontre Chaney scored a game-high 24 points
• Marian outrebounded the Grizzlies by a 33-29 margin

News & Notes

• GGC falls to 10-4 this season; Marian improves to 3-9
• The Grizzlies are ranked No. 25 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll
• Georgia Gwinnett College is 1-4 in neutral-site games this winter
• Three players were double-figure scorers for the team

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to conclude play in the Athletes in Action Christmas Classic against the University of Rio Grande (Ohio) on Wednesday, December 17, in Xenia, Ohio, starting at 5 p.m.