MOUNT VERNON, Ohio – The Saint Francis Lady Cougars (8-8; 4-2 Crossroads) started their 2023 calendar year with a loss on the road against Mount Vernon Nazarene with a final of 65-69.

The Lady Cougars jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first, but allowed MVNU to an 8-0 run which shifted the momentum completely for the remainder of the game.

USF started the second quarter strong with a Reganne Pate three-pointer, but faltered to turnovers and missed opportunities in the paint the remainder of the game. The Cougs shot 54% from the field and were 8 for 12 (67%) at the foul line. Saint Francis's largest lead was by 4 points in the 1st quarter with 08:48 remaining. The Lady Cougars out-rebounded Mount Vernon (35-28), but could not hold onto the victory.

Game changers for the Cougars included Ally Madden's double-double with 20 points, 1 block, and 10 rebounds. Key contributors were Cassidy Crawford (20 points) and Emily Parrett (14 points); they also contributed a combined 7 assists and 10 rebounds. Chloe McKnight and Reganne Pate also contributed 11 points to the scoreline. The Cougars are now 8-8 overall and 4-2 in conference.

The Lady Cougars will be back in action January 7th where they'll host Taylor University. Tip-off is set for 1PM in Fort Wayne, Ind. Saint Francis is 1-2 in their last three match-ups with the Taylor Trojans.

Cougar fans, stay updated with all events and recaps with USF Athletics by visiting saintfranciscougars.com or by downloading the Saint Francis Cougars app