Saint Francis Drops Home Matchup vs. No. 5 Indiana Wesleyan
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
#5 Indiana Wesleyan (19-3, 9-3) | 34 | 53 | 87 |
|
Saint Francis (Ind.) (8-13, 3-9) | 29 | 44 | 73 |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) battled tough for 40 minutes but came up short against No. 5 Indiana Wesleyan Saturday, January 31, falling to the Wildaats by a final score of 87–73.
After trailing by just five at halftime, the Cougars fought throughout the second half but couldn't slow down the Wildcats' strong offensive performance. Saint Francis got solid production from its bench with 32 points and created opportunities off turnovers, but Indiana Wesleyan's efficiency—shooting 58% from the field and dominating points in the paint—proved to be the difference.
The Cougars shot 42.9% (27-63) from the floor and 45.0% (9-20) from three-point range. Eugene Young Jr. led with 19 points, including five three-pointers. Karson Rogers added 18 points and nine rebounds, while Marr Avance finished with 14 points and four assists. Jevon Lewis came away with five steals while scoring eight points.
The Cougars will look to bounce back quickly as Saint Francis travels to No. 10 Bethel University on Wednesday for another Crossroads League matchup. The Pilots defeated the Cougars 82-66 in their first matchup of the season back in December.
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, Gas City, Indianapolis, 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 three individual and four team NAIA national championships. More than 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.
