(RV) Men's Basketball Outlasts MVNU on the Road
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
(RV) Saint Francis (Ind.) (16-9, 9-6) | 45 | 37 | 82 |
|
Mount Vernon Nazarene (OH) (13-12, 5-10) | 48 | 30 | 78 |
MOUNT VERNON, Ohio - The (RV) University of Saint Francis (Ind.) men's basketball team got back in the win column after outlasting Mount Vernon Nazarene for an 82-78 victory on Wednesday, February 12.
USF opened Wednesday night's game with a 10-2 run, quickly establishing an early lead. However, MVNU managed to narrow the gap and took a one-point lead at the 11:16 mark of the first half. The teams engaged in a back-and-forth battle, with the lead changing hands six times for the remainder of the half. With the score at 46-43 in favor of the host team, Saint Francis scored two points from a layup by Joe Reidy, cutting MVNU's lead to just one point with 1:38 remaining on the clock. As time expired, Mount Vernon Nazarene hit a jump shot, ending the half with a 48-45 lead.
Saint Francis fought back to regain a 53-52 lead with 14:22 remaining in the second half. USF and MVNU exchanged baskets, with neither team managing to establish a lead larger than four points. A three-pointer from Luke Almodovar increased Saint Francis's lead to six points with just under ten minutes left in the game. The back-and-forth competition continued in the second half, with MVNU tying the score at the 1:27 mark. USF responded with a layup to reclaim a two-point lead with just 44 seconds remaining. Two successful free throws from Zane Burke extended USF's lead to 82-78. As time expired, MVNU attempted a three-point shot but failed to convert, allowing Saint Francis to secure an 82-78 victory and split the regular season series against MVNU.
Saint Francis shot 54.4% (31-57) from the floor and 47.4% (11-14) from deep against Mount Vernon Nazarene. Isaiah Malone made 12 of 16 shot attempts en route to a team-high 29 points. Malone also pulled down six rebounds, dished out four assists and came away with two blocks. Almodovar added 22 points after shooting 5-6 from beyond the three-point arc and pulling down seven rebounds. Reidy finished with 12 points and six rebounds, while Burke had 10 points and a block. Branden Northern dished out nine assists and had two steals on Wednesday night.
Up next, USF men's basketball (16-9, 9-6) hosts Marian University on Saturday, February 15. In their first meeting of the season, the Cougars defeated the Knights by a final score of 72-57.
Cougar fans can stay updated on all events and recaps with USF Athletics by visiting saintfranciscougars.com.
