No. 8 SF Wins Two at Catholic Classic
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
#8 Saint Francis (3-0) | 12 | 17 | 25 | 28 | 82 |
|
Indiana Northwest (1-3) | 13 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 38 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
#8 Saint Francis (4-0) | 15 | 16 | 9 | 11 | 51 |
|
Saint Xavier (IL) (2-2) | 28 | 4 | 11 | 5 | 48 |
CHICAGO, Ill. - The No. 8 University of Saint Francis (Ind.) women's basketball team traveled to Chicago to compete in the 2025 Catholic Classic hosted by Saint Xavier University on November 7-8.
#8 SAINT FRANCIS 82, INDIANA NORTHWEST 38
In their first game of the classic, Saint Francis faced Indiana University Northwest on Friday night. The Cougars used a strong second half to secure an 82-38 victory over the RedHawks.
The two teams battled in the first quarter of Friday night's matchup, with Indiana Northwest taking a narrow 13-12 lead heading into the second quarter. The Cougars responded in the second quarter, scoring 17 points to take a 29-25 lead at halftime.
In the second half, Indiana Northwest was limited to just 13 points combined in the third and fourth quarters, while Saint Francis exploded for 53 points, securing a decisive 82-38 victory.
The Cougars finished with a 50% (34-68) field goal percentage, while outrebounding the RedHawks 44-27 and scoring 29 points off turnovers. Cali Gregory led SF with 21 points and seven rebounds. Renna Schwieterman added 10 points, three steals and a block. Taylor Fordyce chipped in eight points and seven rebounds, while Isabella Gizzi and Allison Scheu also contributed eight points and eight combined rebounds.
#8 SAINT FRANCIS 51, SAINT XAVIER 48
Saint Francis battled the host Saint Xavier on Saturday night, with the SF Cougars edging SXU by a final score of 51-48 for Saint Francis's fourth straight win.
After Saint Francis and Saint Xavier traded points to start Saturday night's game, SXU managed to take control, building an 11-point lead with just over a minute remaining in the first quarter. The quarter ended with SXU ahead 28-15. Saint Francis outscored SXU 26-4 in the second quarter, closing the gap and making it a one-point game by halftime, with the score at 32-31 in favor of SXU.
The third quarter was a back-and-forth battle, and with the score tied at 40-40, SXU hit a three-point shot with 16 seconds left on the clock, ending the quarter with a three-point lead. Saint Francis outscored their opponent 11-5 in the fourth quarter, with a layup from Fordyce and a jump shot by Gregory sealing the 51-48 victory for the SF Cougars.
Saint Francis shot 39.6% (21-53) and outscored Saint Xavier in the paint 34-16, while outrebounding SXU 34-27. Fordyce finished with a team-high 20 points while dishing out a pair of assists and blocking a shot. Gizzi recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds while coming away with three steals. Gregory added nine points and five rebounds, while Scheu finished with five points and three steals.
Up next, the Cougars (4-0) will travel to Indiana University East on Wednesday, November 12 for a 6:00 p.m. tipoff.
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, 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 two individual and four team NAIA national championships. More than 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.
