SPRING ARBOR, Mich. - In a tightly contested top-25 matchup, the No. 6 University of Saint Francis (Ind.) women's basketball team closed out the first half of Crossroads League play with a 53-50 victory over No. 21 Spring Arbor University on Saturday, January 17.

The two teams traded momentum throughout the opening half, with Saint Francis carrying a narrow 28-25 advantage into halftime.

Saint Francis maintained its edge in the third quarter, outscoring Spring Arbor 15-14 to take a four-point lead into the final period. The game came down to the final seconds of the fourth quarter, as SF took a 52-50 advantage with 11 seconds remaining. Spring Arbor was forced to foul, and Samiyah Stout knocked down a free throw to push the SF Cougars' lead to three. Spring Arbor's last-second three-point attempt missed the mark, sealing Saint Francis' ninth straight win and moving the SF Cougars to 8-1 in Crossroads League play. 

As a team, Saint Francis shot 43.2% (16-37) from the field and 50.0% (9-18) from beyond the arc. Cali Gregory led all scorers with 20 points, going 4-5 from three-point range while also pulling down nine rebounds.Julia Mantyla and Renna Schwieterman each added nine points, with Schwieterman also contributing nine rebounds, three assists, and a block. Isabella Gizzi chipped in eight points and two assists.

Saint Francis women's basketball (18-1, 8-1 CL) returns to action on Saturday, January 24, hosting Mount Vernon Nazarene University in a Crossroads League matchup at Hutzell Athletic Center. The SF Cougars earned an 86-50 victory in the teams' first meeting earlier this season.

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.