Marian (Ind.) Fends off Defending National Champions to Claim 2025 NAIA Men's Bowling National Championship
Marian University (Ind.) claimed its first men’s bowling Red Banner in school history Saturday night in Michigan, earning the 2025 NAIA Men’s Bowling National Championship by knocking off defending national champion SCAD Savannah (Ga.) 4-0 in the final series of the tournament at 5 Star Lanes.
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – Marian University (Ind.) claimed its first men’s bowling Red Banner in school history Saturday night in Michigan, earning the 2025 NAIA Men’s Bowling National Championship by knocking off defending national champion SCAD Savannah (Ga.) 4-0 in the if necessary series of the tournament at 5 Star Lanes.
SCAD Savannah forced the final match by winning the last three games of the first championship match, but Marian was too much in the final four games.
Marian came out strong in the championship round, claiming victories in the first two games with scores of 226-225 and 255-171. SCAD Savannah responded in the third game, winning 245-197 to close the gap to one game. However, the Knights regained control by taking game four 253-178, leaving them just one win away from the national title.
But the Bees weren’t ready to go down without a fight. They rallied in the fifth game, securing a 223-193 win to stay alive and force a must-win game six. SCAD continued its momentum in game six, edging out Marian 224-203 to set up a thrilling game seven. If Marian won, the Knights would be crowned champions; if SCAD prevailed, the series would continue in another best-of-seven format to determine the national champion. SCAD Savannah triumphed in the seventh game, winning 182-179 and pushing the series to another round, where it would be winner-take-all.
The championship match continued with Marian taking the first two games 181-176 and 234-163. In game three, Marian won 207-183, putting the Knights just one win away from securing the title. The final blow came in a highly contested fourth game, where Marian sealed their first-ever championship with a 252-193 victory.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM & MVP
The NAIA National Championship All-Tournament Team was announced, featuring Alex Evans of Milligan (Tenn.), Connor Rogus of Concordia (Mich.), Gael Egana of SCAD Savannah, Nolan Blessing of Marian, and Dylan Mollo of Marian. Dylan Mollo also earned the Tournament MVP title for his outstanding performance throughout the event.