St. Francis knocks off Marmion behind big game from Mark Balaskovits

AURORA – St. Francis senior Mark Balaskovits got very little playing time on a senior dominated team during the 2023-2024 campaign.

With hard work in the offseason, Balaskovits has become a major contributor for the Spartans this year.

Scoring 16 points, including three free throws in the final minute, the senior’s effort propelled the visitors to a 55-49 win over host Marmion on Friday night.

“I did a lot of lifting and work in the offseason and wanted to play my senior year,” Balaskovits said. “This is a hard place to play. It is a good win. Marmion is a tough team and a physical team. Coach (Erin Dwyer) works us hard and we were ready to play.”

Dwyer has been impressed with Balaskovits’s improvement.

“We were a senior dominated team last season and Mark got some playing time,” Dwyer said. “He is a tough kid and a spark plug for us. He is tough to guard. He can score outside and take the ball to the basket and score. He makes his free throws.”

The Spartans (11-13, 3-3), playing without starting point guard Nico Quaranta, who was sick, seemed to be in control in the game after a 3-pointer by Tanner Hozian gave St. Francis a 36-22 advantage with 2:08 left in the third quarter.

The Cadets, who struggled scoring inside all night, got driving layups from Joe Kramer and Sam Dahlman to slice the Spartans’ lead to 36-26 after three quarters.

Marmion (13-11, 5-3) kept methodically whittling away in the fourth quarter and got within 43-40 on a 3-pointer by David Malley with 3:22 left, but couldn’t get any closer.

St. Francis made nine free throws down the stretch to seal the win. Balaskovits made three and Hozian, Nate Silagi and Ben Whorlow collected two each.

Whorlow scored 13 points with 12 rebounds and Hozian tallied 10 with a pair of treys.

“This is a good win for us,” Dwyer said. “Marmion is a tough team and this is a very tough place to play. The crowd was certainly a factor.”

Marmion, which was 5 of 23 from 3-point range for the first three quarters for 22%, rallied with the 3-point shot in the fourth quarter.

The hosts made 8 of 12 from beyond the arc during the final eight minutes for 66%. For the game, the Cadets made 13 of 35 for 37%.

Malley made five 3s and scored 17 points. Kramer hit three 3-pointers all in the fourth quarter and scored 13, and Ali Tharwani scored 11 with three 3s.

“We didn’t shoot the 3 very well during the first three quarters but we got back in the game in the fourth quarter with the 3,” Marmion coach Joe Piekarz said. “The kids never quit. We battled back. We turned up the pressure and physicality in the second half. We were 100% more physical in the second half. St. Francis is a very physical team and I think we matched their physicality and the way the game was called in the second half.”