This one was for Scott Murphy.

And it was a dandy.

Murphy — the late Marian boys’ basketball coach who passed away this past summer — was ever present, at least in spirit. And the way the Colts played left its own lasting impression. No one had to say it; Murphy’s players felt it.

Panther Valley was nowhere to be found in a 49-35 loss, on a night when both sides honored Murphy’s memory. His wife, Wendy, and son, Mason, were presented with a game ball, and proceeds from a shirt sale added to the emotional tribute.

The difference in this opener for both sides was simple: hustle.

Panther Valley veteran coach Pat Crampsie didn’t hold back afterward.

“They had the dog tonight,” he said.

Indeed — up and down the court, in nearly every category.

“Thirty-five points, that’s pretty good defense,” Marian’s new head coach Paul Brutto said with a smile. Brutto, no stranger to Marian or to defensive-minded teams, quickly added, “…13 in the first half.”

There were hardly any opening-night jitters. Instead, Marian looked like a well-oiled machine.

The Colts avoided wild shots, showed patience, and waited out Panther Valley’s nerves. They found open passers, attacked the glass, and it showed in the final tally.

“We rebounded pretty well at times,” Brutto said. “We got some second and third shots, and (Greg) Tirpak had some pretty good ones.”

Tirpak, the three-sport standout, finished with 10 points. Jacob De La Cruz led Marian with 11, while Rocco Griguoli also scored 10. Justin De La Cruz added nine as the balanced Colts placed four players near or in double figures.

“We can share,” Brutto said with a grin.

Still, he pointed to a key moment late in the game, when Panther Valley tried to climb back. The Panthers pulled within 44-31 with six minutes left thanks to a 10-4 spurt fueled by 6-9 Jarell Thomas, Benjamin Baneravage and Brody Breiner.

“We were struggling in the (third and fourth) quarters,” Brutto admitted. “Our shot selection in the second half wasn’t very good, and their pressure bothered us. Yaniel (Nunez) stole the ball and made a layup, then Jake (Tom) scored — those were big points.”

Those plays helped restore Marian’s cushion, and the Colts rattled off five straight to put the Panthers away.

Before that final push, Marian’s first half was a tour de force. The Colts defended as well as any team could on opening night, passed efficiently, and forced Panther Valley to shift defenses repeatedly. Marian made few mistakes and built a 15-8 lead behind seven points from Jacob De La Cruz and five from Griguoli. The Colts ballooned the margin to 29-18 by halftime.

“They rebounded pretty good,” Brutto said, noting how the strong glass work set up a 36-16 advantage early in the third quarter. Justin De La Cruz opened the period with a triple, and baskets from Griguoli and Tirpak pushed the lead to what looked like a knockout blow.

Panther Valley finished the third quarter stronger with scores from Breiner, Chase McArdle and Thomas, but the Colts never broke.

Even when the Panthers surged early in the fourth, the climb was too steep. Nunez and Tom delivered back-to-back defensive plays that ended any hope of a comeback.

“They outhustled us — that’s the first thing I said (to the players),” Crampsie said. “Lack of execution we can live with … but they played harder … that’s the part that’s hard to swallow.”

A tough start for one team; a memorable one for another.

On this night, Marian had a mission — a salute to its late coach, and a convincing win.

QUOTABLE ... “Every time they got a rebound, it seemed they got a 3, but that’s what happens when you are a dog on the boards.” — Panther Valley coach Pat Crampsie

QUOTABLE II ... “Our shot selection — we were shooting the ball a little bit quicker, and that’s what happens.” — Marian coach Paul Brutto

GOOD NIGHT ... Marian’s positives outweighed the negatives. The Colts committed just four turnovers in the first half, though they had 12 after halftime. Panther Valley was the opposite, turning it over nine times in the first half and just twice in the second.

BY THE NUMBERS ... Marian shot 19-for-49 from the field; Panther Valley was 14-for-51.

MARIAN

Ja. De La Cruz 4-1-5-11, Tirpak 4-0-0-10, Griguoli 4-2-5-10, Ju. De La Cruz 3-1-2-9, Nunez 3-0-0-7, Tom 1-0-0-2, Shigo 0-0-0-0, Cannon 0-0-0-0, Acosta 0-0-0-0, Paulino 0-0-0-0, Rodino 0-0-0-0, Petschauer 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 19-4-14-49.

PANTHER VALLEY

Thomas 3-1-1-7, Wehr 2-0-0-6, McArdle 2-1-2-6, Baneravage 2-1-2-5, Breiner 2-0-0-4, Moyer 1-1-1-3, Mitchell 1-0-0-2, Williams 1-0-0-2, Revel 0-0-0-0, Crampsie 0-0-0-0, Smith 0-0-0-0, Maynard 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 14-4-6-35.

Marian  5 14 11 9 — 49

Panther Valley  8 5 8 14 — 35

Three-pointers: Marian — Ja. De La Cruz, Tirpak 2, Ju. De La Cruz, Nunez. PV — Wehr 2, McArdle, Baneravage.

Records: Marian (1-0); Panther Valley (0-1)