Mon., Feb. 22, 2010

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The University of Saint Francis men’s basketball team slid to No. 15 in the 10th and final NAIA Men’s Division II Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 released late Monday afternoon.

USF, now 22-8 after dropping three straight games to end the regular season, will play host to Goshen College on Wed., Feb. 24, at Hutzell Athletic Center in the first round of the 2009-10 MCC Tournament. Goshen, winners of four straight games to end the regular season, were No. 32 in the poll and put an 18-12 record on the line. The Maple Leafs feature the MCC’s leading scorer in Errick McCollum III, who is averaging 25.8 points per game (No. 6 in NAIA). He has scored 773 points, No. 2 in NAIA. He has scored 43, 33 and 42 points against USF in the last three meetings. This will be the third meeting this season between the two institutions. USF won 81-74 at USF on Jan. 7 and 96-81 on Feb. 6. This will be the first time GC and USF have ever met three times in a season.

After losing at Huntington 103-87 and to then No. 12 Bethel 95-68 at HAC on Saturday, the Cougars fell out of the Top 10 after a five week stay.

“Two of those losses were on the road,” USF coach Jeff Rekeweg points out. “We need to return to playing more aggressive on defense, forcing some turnover and scoring some transition baskets.”

USF in NAIA Top 25 Poll – 2009-10

P-Preseason poll *-final 2008-09 record

Poll

No. Date Rank Previous week Record Total Points

P. 10-26-09 23T RV Feb. 2009 17-14* 98

1. 11-30-09 22 23 6-2 129

2. 12- 7-09 21 22 7-3 128

3. 12-14-09 20 21 7-3 162

4. 1-11-10 10 20 15-4 294

5. 1-18-10 8 10 17-4 314

6. 1-25-10 6 8 19-4 362

7. 2-1-10 8 6 20-5 313

8. 2-8-10 7 8 21-5 352

9. 2-15-10 10 7 22-6 330

10. 2-22-10 15 10 22-8 229

-- GO USF --