BRADENTON, Fla. -  The No. 9 University of Saint Francis (Ind.) women's flag football team competed in the inaugural NAIA Women's Flag Football Invitational hosted at IMG Academy on May 7-8. The Cougars fell to No. 1 Warner University before rallying to defeat No. 5 Hope International University on Thursday. Saint Francis concluded its inaugural season on Friday with a loss to No. 2 Ottawa University.

#1 WARNER 46, #9 SAINT FRANCIS 6

• Warner scored twice in the opening period to take an early lead before adding another score early in the second period to extend the advantage to 20-0.
• Saint Francis responded with a touchdown to cut the deficit to 20-6, but the Royals controlled the second half and secured the 46-6 victory.
• The Cougars finished with 299 total yards of offense. Jianna Reyes completed 38-of-59 passing attempts for 250 yards and one touchdown while adding 49 rushing yards on nine carries. Haylee Weatherspoon recorded nine receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown, while Wilma Gardner added six catches for 49 yards.
• Defensively, Saint Francis totaled 18 flag pulls and two interceptions. Nina Kamma-Hill and Madison Myers-Rebidas each recorded three solo tackles, while Kamma-Hill and Harmany Walker both came away with interceptions.

#9 SAINT FRANCIS 38, #5 HOPE INTERNATIONAL 32

• Saint Francis and Hope International battled through a close opening half, with the Cougars holding a 7-6 lead after the first period before the teams entered halftime tied at 13-13.
• The game remained tied entering the fourth period after both teams scored in the third quarter.
• Saint Francis outscored Hope International 18-12 in the final period to secure the 38-32 victory and advance in the national invitational.
• The Cougars recorded 397 total yards of offense. Reyes completed 24-of-37 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 112 yards and two additional scores on 13 carries. Kamma-Hill also added a rushing touchdown.
• Haylee Weatherspoon totaled four receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown, while Makenzie Fuess and Ava Cousins also had receiving touchdowns.
• Defensively, Saint Francis recorded 27 flag pulls. Da'Kyla Hall led the way with five tackles and two sacks for a loss of 16 yards. Cousins added four flag pulls and a pass breakup, while Weatherspoon recorded two tackles and a pass breakup.

#2 OTTAWA 35, #9 SAINT FRANCIS 13 

• Ottawa took control early, scoring twice in the first period for a 14-0 lead before adding two more touchdowns in the second quarter to make it 28-0 at halftime.
• Saint Francis kept Ottawa off the scoreboard in the third quarter while adding a touchdown to cut the deficit to 28-6.
• The Cougars added another score in the fourth, but Ottawa answered to secure the 35-13 victory.
• Saint Francis finished with 261 total yards of offense. Reyes completed 33-of-41 passing attempts for 229 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 36 yards on nine carries. Fuess totaled nine catches for 73 yards and a touchdown, while Walker added a receiving touchdown.
• Defensively, Saint Francis recorded 25 flag pulls. Walker and Myers-Rebidas led the Cougars with four tackles each.

Saint Francis concludes its inaugural season with a 15-6 overall record, an NAIA East Flag Football Championship title, and the program's first appearance in the NAIA Women's Flag Football Invitational.

Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs. The academic structure at Saint Francis offers seven pathways: Humanities, Faith and Liberal Arts; Allied Health; Business and Leadership: Creative Arts and Digital Media; Education, Human Services and Community Care; Nursing; and Sciences and Medical Studies. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis delivers workforce development healthcare programs in Fort Wayne, Crown Point, Gas City, Indianapolis, Lafayette and online. Saint Francis Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. A National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Five-Star Champion of Character institution, Saint Francis has 21 athletic programs boasting three individual and four team NAIA national championships. More than 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.