Almodovar and Burke Lead USF to 90-83 Victory in Crossroads League Opener
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Taylor (IN) (4-2, 0-1) | 41 | 42 | 83 |
|
Saint Francis (Ind.) (8-1, 1-0) | 36 | 54 | 90 |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) men's basketball team defeated the visiting Taylor University Trojans by a final score of 90-83 in their conference opener on Wednesday, November 20.
Taylor jumped out to a 14-4 lead at the 15:30 mark of the first half of action. The Cougars battled back, tying the score at 30-30 thanks to a steal and dunk from Robert Fry II with 5:12 left to play in the first half. At halftime, Taylor regained the lead and held on for a 41-36 advantage.
The two teams battled back and forth in the second half. Luke Almodovar drained a three-point shot with 6:48 on the clock to put the Cougars up 71-65. Another three-pointer from Zane Burke extended USF's lead to 81-75 with just over three minutes left to play in the game. The Cougars would hold off the Trojans for the 90-83 victory.
Saint Francis shot 48.4% (30-62) from the field and narrowly outrebounded Taylor 30-28. Almodovar led the Cougars with a career-high 37 points, shooting 11-21 from the floor and 4-9 from three-point range. The sophomore guard also had two steals on the night against the Trojans. Burke added 22 points and five rebounds during Wednesday night's matchup. Branden Northern led in assists with four, while Joe Reidy finished with a team-high six rebounds.
Up next, USF men's basketball (8-1, 1-0) will continue Crossroads League action at Goshen College on November 23.
Cougar fans can stay updated on all events and recaps with USF Athletics by visiting saintfranciscougars.com.
