INDIANAPOLIS - After dropping its first four games of the season, the Marian University women's basketball team completed a season turnaround as the Knights won their fourth straight game, 70-69, over Grace College at the Physical Education Center on Wednesday night in their home opener.

The senior duo of Theresa Fairbrother (Danville, Ind./Danville) and Kristin Houck (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) led the Knights as both tallied a game-high 19 points on a combined 14-for-29 shooting. Senior Molly Lauck (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove) fell one rebound shy of tying the school record for rebounds as she hauled down a game-high 18 boards (3 offensive, 15 defensive) in leading the Knights to the 70-69 win. The Knights are now 4-4 on the season and 2-0 in Mid-Central College Conference play, while the Lancers fell to 3-8 overall and 0-2 in conference action.

The Blue and Gold opened the game with a 6-0 lead over the first 3:56 before Grace cut the gap back to two, 10-8, with 12:41 to go in the first half. The Knights went on a 13-2 run over the next 3:32 to take a 13-point lead, 23-10, with 9:09 remaining in the stanza. However, a Jayla Starks jumper capped an 8-1 run to cut the lead back to six, 24-18, before the Knights answered. Fairbrother hit a three-pointer with 3:15 to go in the half that capped a 9-0 Marian run and opened a 15-point lead, 33-18.

The teams went back-and-forth before Grace scored the final six points of the first frame, including a buzzer-beating banked three-pointer to cut the Knights' lead to 36-28 at the half.

The Knights outscored the Lancers 20-8 in the paint in the first half and that was the difference. They also shot 52 percent (14-of-27) to Grace's 42 percent (10-of-24).

The second half started much the same way as Grace hit the first bucket of the half, but a fast-break layup by senior Megan Egenolf (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) capped a quick 6-0 run to push the lead back to 12 at 42-30 with 18:49 remaining in the game. A Grace bucket ended the run, but the Knights immediately went on a 9-0 run to take a 19-point lead, 51-32, with 14:30 remaining.

The Lancers answered with a 9-0 run of their own to cut the advantage back to 10, 51-41, with 12:04 to go. A pair of free throws by sophomore Emily Smithson (Selma, Ind./Wapahani) pushed the lead back to 12, 53-41, with 11:03 remaining. Grace would not go away as the Lancers continued to chip away at the lead when, with 3:41 remaining, they had cut the lead to two, 61-59, with 3:41 to go. What looked like a run-of-the-mill blowout became a tight ballgame.

The Blue and Gold increased the lead to six, 67-61, with 2:38 to go, but the Lancers out-scored the Knights 7-2 over the next 1:32 to get to within one at 69-68 with 1:06 to go.

Both teams missed shots as the time ticked away before Grace's Demetria Eley was fouled with 22 seconds remaining. She hit one-of-two freebies to knot the score, 69-69. Head coach Todd Bacon played for the final shot and Egenolf drove to the bucket with two seconds remaining only to get fouled on the baseline and earn a trip to the line. She knocked down the first, but missed the second. The Lancers boarded the ball and called a quick timeout.

With two seconds to go, the Lancers inbounded the basketball under the Marian basket to mid-court where, in similar fashion to the first half, a hail mary half-court shot was launched. The buzzer sounded as the ball fell a foot short of the rim and the Knights were able to escape with their second one-point victory in as many conference games this season, 70-69.

MU shot just 37 percent (11-of-30) from the field in the second half, but went 12-of-19 from the free throw line to seal the victory.

The Knights heads to the No. 23-ranked University of Saint Francis (Ind.) on Saturday in an MCC matchup. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. at the Hutzell Athletic Center in Fort Wayne, Ind. The Cougars are 4-3 on the season and 1-1 in MCC play.