Saint Francis Finishes 1-1 at Clarke Classic
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Viterbo (0-1) | 29 | 61 | 90 |
|
Saint Francis (Ind.) (1-1) | 39 | 60 | 99 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Saint Francis (Ind.) (1-2) | 41 | 63 | 104 |
|
#8 Northwestern (4-0) | 62 | 60 | 122 |
DUBUQUE, Iowa - The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) men's basketball team traveled to Iowa to compete in the Clarke Classic, hosted by Clarke University on October 31-November 1. The Cougars earned their first win of the season on Friday night against Viterbo University before falling to No. 8 Northwestern College on Saturday to wrap up the classic.
SAINT FRANCIS 99, VITERBO 90
Saint Francis picked up its first win of the season in an offensive shootout over Viterbo to open the Clarke Classic on Friday.
After a slow start, the Cougars rallied to take a one-point lead, with the score at 14-13 at the 11:22 mark of the first half. The two teams went back and forth until Saint Francis grabbed a 35-28 lead with a minute and a half on the clock and held off the V-Hawks for a 39-29 advantage at halftime.
Viterbo tried to come back in the second half, narrowly outscoring the Cougars 61-60, but Saint Francis's defense came away with seven steals to keep the V-Hawks off balance as the Cougars held on for a 99-90 victory.
The Cougars matched the V-Hawks in points in the paint (40-40), while scoring 17 points off the V-Hawks' turnovers. As a team, Saint Francis shot 56.3% from the field, with four players scoring in double figures. Junior guard Jevon Lewis led the way with 30 points on 12-of-17 shooting, adding seven assists and five rebounds in 38 minutes. Forward Karson Rogers recorded his second double-double with 22 points and 11 boards, while Marr Avance contributed 19 points, and RJ Moore finished with 11 points.
#8 NORTHWESTERN 122, SAINT FRANCIS 104
In their second game of the Clarke Classic, the Cougars fell to the Northwestern Red Raiders, who are currently ranked No. 8 in the NAIA Preseason Poll, by a final score of 122-104.
After the Red Raiders took a 62-41 lead at halftime, the Cougars fought hard in the second half, scoring 63 points after intermission. SF matched Northwestern with 13 rebounds while recording four steals, but the Cougars were unable to slow down the Red Raiders, who secured their fourth consecutive win to start the season.
Saint Francis shot 54.5% (42-77) from the floor, with 42 points coming from the Cougars' bench. Rogers had another strong performance, scoring 28 points on 13-of-20 shooting with seven rebounds. Moore added 17 points, while Avance chipped in 15 off the bench.
Next up, Saint Francis will return home to face Indiana University South Bend on Tuesday, November 4. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. in the Hutzell Athletic Center.
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the College of Health Sciences and the College of Arts, Sciences, and Business. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point, Lafayette and online. Saint Francis Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis, recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution, has 21 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships. More than 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.