Marian boys hoops looks to make return to state final

MISHAWAKA, Ind. (WNDU) - The Marian boys basketball team will be back in action Friday night as the Knights host Plymouth for a chance at their fifth straight win to open the new season.

At practice on Thursday, the Knights told 16 Sports that last year’s loss in the state championship game is not forgotten.

The core is still there, with seniors like Deaglan Sullivan, Jackson Price, and Dar’e’on Thornton. The group is looking to head back to Indianapolis and come home with some different hardware this time around.

“Playing in the state finals almost feels like a drug,” says Head coach Robb Berger. “I mean, it’s something you want to keep doing over and over again, knowing that it’s very hard to do once, let alone again. Once the games started, I think we were ready to get back in the gym and play some games.”

“It was a big accomplishment for our team, and I feel like this year we’re just focusing on trying to make it back there and win state this time,” Thornton says. “I feel like it’s just a big motivation to make it back there, but also it’s hard because of the big target on our back from the other teams.”

“We’re not going to let it linger in our minds too long,” Sullivan says. “It happened, it’s sad, but we’ve got a goal to get back to state again this year, so that’s just our attitude.”

Tipoff against Plymouth at Marian High School is set for 7:30 p.m.

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