INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian University men's basketball team put together one of its most impressive performances as the Knights used timely offense and a stifling defense to knock off Brescia University, 68-57, in the championship game of the Marian University Holiday Invitational at the Physical Education Center on Saturday.

Junior Anthony Furlin (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) earned Most Outstanding Player and All-Tournament honors after he tallied a game-high 23 points and led four Knights in double figures to improve to 6-5 on the season. He averaged 25.5 points per game in the tournament.

After the Knights opened up a 7-2 lead with 14:40 to go in the first half, the Bearcats went on a 9-0 run over the next three minutes to take an 11-7 lead. Furlin sparked a 9-1 Knights run to regain the lead, 16-12, with 9:02 remaining in the half, and they did not look back as they were able to push the lead to as high as 10, 31-21, as the horn sounded to end the first 20 minutes.

The Knights utilized a 6-0 advantage in fast break points and a 16-8 edge in points in the paint. They also out-rebounded the Bearcats by a 23-19 margin, including a 7-4 edge on the offensive end. The Knights defense tightened on Brescia as they held the Bearcats to just 29 percent (8-for-28) from the field.

Freshman Mac Fiely (Greenville, Ohio/Greenville) sparked a 9-2 run to open the second half with a three-pointer as the Knights opened a 17-point lead at 40-23 with 16:28 to go. A 12-2 Brescia run cut the lead to seven at 42-35 with 10:57 remaining, but the Knights out-scored Brescia, 20-16, over the next 8:32 to maintain their lead, 62-51, with 2:25 to go.

A late 6-0 Brescia run cut the lead to five, 62-57, with 51 seconds remaining, but the Knights went six-for-six from the free throw line down the stretch to close the game with an 11-point win, 68-57.

While the Knights were out-rebounded by a slim 40-38 margin, the game came down to an eight-point differential in fast break points as the Knights held a 12-4 advantage on the break. The Bearcats out-scored the Knights 22-6 in the paint and 22-17 in points off turnovers, but the Knights had done enough to earn the tournament title.

Fiely also earned All-Tournament honors after he finished with 13 points and grabbed a team-high five rebounds. Junior Jordan Tucker (Kirklin, Ind./Clinton Central) hit for 13 points and grabbed five rebounds, while sophomore Alex Sylvester (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian) scored 11 points, grabbed four boards, and dished out a game-high five assists.

MU takes a little over a week off for Christmas before the Knights head to the Charles B. Zimmerman Memorial Classic hosted by Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. The tournament begins on December 29 and concludes on December 30.

The Knights take on Ohio Dominican University at 4:30 on Tuesday before Wittenberg takes on Olivet College at 7 p.m. Wednesday's consolation game tips off at 2:15 p.m. before Tuesday's winners take the court at 7 p.m. in the championship game.