No. 11 Saint Francis Falls Short against No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
#2 Indiana Wesleyan (15-0, 5-0) | 17 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 59 |
|
#11 Saint Francis (Ind.) (14-1, 4-1) | 11 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 54 |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - No. 11 University of Saint Francis fell short against the No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats by a final score of 59-54 on Saturday, January 4.
After IWU jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in the first quarter, USF answered with a 6-0 run to take the one-point lead with 5:08 on the clock. Indiana Wesleyan was able to retake the lead for a 17-11 advantage going into the second period. The Cougars and Wildcats battled back and forth, with Saint Francis rallying to tie the score up at 21-21 at the 5:26 mark of the second quarter. IWU was able to pull ahead again, leading 35-25 at halftime.
The Cougars shot 55.6% in the third quarter, allowing Saint Francis to chip away at the Wildcats' lead. With just 2:24 remaining in the fourth quarter, Cassidy Crawford made a layup, assisted by Cali Gregory, bringing USF within one point, with the score at 53-52. Despite a hard-fought finish, the Cougars fell short, losing 59-54.
As a team, USF shot 45% (18-40) from the field and 31.8% (7-22) from three-point range. Chloe McKnight led the Cougars with 19 points while pulling down five rebounds. Gregory followed with 14 points and a team-high five assists and two steals. Crawford added 13 points and four rebounds, while Isabella Gizzi pulled down five rebounds and came away with two blocks.
Up next, USF women's basketball (14-1, 4-1) will host Mount Vernon Nazarene on Wednesday, January 8 starting at 5:00 p.m.
Cougar fans can stay updated on all events and recaps with USF Athletics by visiting saintfranciscougars.com.
