(RV) Cougars Edged Out by No. 14 Lancers
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
#14 Grace (14-4, 6-2) | 36 | 36 | 72 |
|
(RV) Saint Francis (Ind.) (12-6, 5-3) | 44 | 21 | 65 |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The (RV) Cougars of the University of Saint Francis (Ind.) fell short against the No. 14 ranked Grace College Lancers by a final score of 72-65 on Wednesday, January 15.
Saint Francis forced five turnovers within the first five and a half minutes of Wednesday night's matchup, helping them build a 14-8 lead. The Lancers rallied and cut USF's lead to just one point at the 7:37 mark. The Cougars responded with back-to-back three-pointers, pulling ahead 30-25. USF closed out the first half with an 8-2 run, taking a 44-36 lead at halftime.
In the second half, the Cougars capitalized on a slow start from the Lancers, extending their lead to 12 points with a score of 48-36 at the 18:00 mark. However, Grace's offense began to pick up, and their defense applied pressure, allowing the Lancers to narrow the gap to just one point with 5:01 remaining. After the under-five-minute media timeout, the Lancers made a three-point shot to take a 65-63 lead. Grace was able to hold off the Cougars to win the game 72-65 in the first meeting of the season between the two teams.
The Cougars shot 40.7% (24-59) from the field and 40.0% (8-20) from three-point range. Isaiah Malone led USF with 20 points and 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. Malone also had a team-high three steals. Luke Almodovar added 15 points and two blocks, followed by Branden Northern with 12 points and five rebounds.
Up next, USF men's basketball (12-6, 5-3) will travel to Spring Arbor University, who is receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25 Poll, on Saturday, January 18.
Cougar fans can stay updated on all events and recaps with USF Athletics by visiting saintfranciscougars.com.
