Saint Francis Defeats Saint Xavier and MidAmerica Nazarene at Franciscan Classic
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Saint Xavier (IL) (0-2) | 15 | 13 | 11 | 16 | 55 |
|
Saint Francis (Ind.) (4-0) | 21 | 20 | 21 | 24 | 86 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
(RV) MidAmerica Nazarene (2-3) | 13 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 53 |
|
Saint Francis (Ind.) (6-0) | 12 | 14 | 20 | 14 | 60 |
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) women's basketball team improved to 5-0 on the season after earning two wins at the Franciscan Classic hosted by Marian University on November 8-9.
USF beat Saint Xavier University by a final score of 86-55 on Friday. On Saturday, the Cougars then earned a 60-53 win over MidAmerica Nazarene University, who is receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25 Preseason Poll.
#22 SAINT FRANCIS 86, SAINT XAVIER 55
USF went on a 10-3 run to an early lead with 6:07 left to play in the first quarter. Saint Francis would go on to outscore Saint Xavier 21-15 for the six-point lead going into the second quarter. USF extended their lead to 41-28 at halftime.
Saint Francis held Saint Xavier to just 11 points in the third quarter while scoring 21 points en route to a 62-39 lead. A bucket from Rachel Harshman gave the Cougars their biggest lead of the night, 32 points, with 1:52 left to play in Friday night's game. USF would go on to win by a final score of 86-55.
As a team, the Cougars shot 51.5% (34-66) from the field, outscoring Saint Xavier 52-12 in the paint. USF also converted Saint Xavier's 13 turnovers into 17 points and outrebounded SXU 46-28. Cassidy Crawford led USF with 19 points, seven rebounds and a block. Three other Cougars scored in double digits against SXU, including Cali Gregory with 15 points, Chloe McKnight with 12 points and Isabella Gizzi with 10. Gregory also finished the night with seven assists, while Julia Mantyla, Samiyah Stout and Taylor Fordyce each had two steals apiece.
#22 SAINT FRANCIS 60, MIDAMERICA NAZARENE 53
After MNU took an 8-2 lead at the seven-minute mark of the first quarter, USF responded to cut the Pioneers' lead to two. MidAmerica Nazarene would narrowly outscore Saint Francis 13-12 at the end of the first quarter. The Cougars and Pioneers battled back and forth in the second quarter, with neither team able to pull ahead by more than four points. MNU would hang on for a 29-26 lead at halftime.
The back-and-forth battle continued into the third quarter. With the score knotted at 38-38 with less than three minutes to play in the third, USF pulled ahead for a 46-41 lead going into the final quarter of the game. The two teams tied the score up four more times in the fourth quarter before Saint Francis took a two-point lead with 4:19 left to play thanks to a layup from Crawford. USF went a 7-0 run to close the game as the Cougars secured their fifth win in a row.
The Cougars finished Saturday afternoon shooting 49% (24-49) from the field, controlling the paint by outscoring their opponent 38-14. USF also took advantage of the Pioneers' 17 turnovers, converting them into 20 points. Crawford and Fordyce finished with 13 points each against the Pioneers. McKnight added 11 points, while Ally Madden tallied a team-high four steals.
Up next, USF women's basketball (5-0) will host Indiana University East on November 13. Game time is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
Cougar fans can stay updated on all events and recaps with USF Athletics by visiting saintfranciscougars.com.
