FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The No. 14 Cougars of the University of Saint Francis (Ind.) women's basketball team defeated the visiting Bethel University Pilots by a final score of 70-55 on Wednesday, February 5. 

The Cougars made two of three shots from beyond the arc, taking a 10-6 lead at 4:44 in the first quarter. After the Pilots cut USF's lead to three points with just a minute remaining in the first quarter, Saint Francis responded with another three-pointer, ending the first with an 18-12 lead. Bethel scored first in the second quarter, narrowing their deficit to three points. A free throw from USF later extended their lead to 27-21 with 2:33 left in the first half. Bethel answered with a shot from long range, bringing the score to 27-24 in favor of Saint Francis at halftime.

The Pilots narrowed the Cougars' lead to just one point with a layup at the start of the third quarter. However, Saint Francis responded with a 13-0 run, extending their lead to 45-29 with 3:53 left on the clock. USF increased their lead to 51-36 with another three-pointer with just over 30 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Senior Ally Madden added a layup that pushed the Cougars' lead to their largest of the night at the 2:18 mark of the fourth quarter. USF managed to hold off the Pilots and secured a 70-55 victory on Wednesday night, improving their overall record to 20-3 for the season.

USF shot 44% (22-50) from the field and 41.7% (10-24) from beyond the three-point arc. The Cougars also scored 19 points off the Pilots' 13 turnovers. Five Cougars scored in double digits on Wednesday night, led by Cassidy Crawford with 16 points. Crawford also dished out five assists and came away with two steals and two blocks. Chloe McKnight added 13 points and five rebounds, while Cali Gregory finished with 12 points. Isabella Gizzi and Madden each totaled 11 points against the Pilots. 

Up next, USF women's basketball (20-3, 10-3) will travel to No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan on Saturday, February 8 for a Crossroads League matchup against the undefeated Wildcats. In their first matchup of the season, IWU escaped with a 59-54 win over the Cougars back on January 4. 

Cougar fans can stay updated on all events and recaps with USF Athletics by visiting saintfranciscougars.com.