No. 6 SF Falls Short Against (RV) IWU
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
(RV) Indiana Wesleyan (13-9, 7-5) | 18 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 60 |
|
#6 Saint Francis (Ind.) (20-2, 10-2) | 16 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 58 |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The No. 6 University of Saint Francis (Ind.) women's basketball team dropped a hard-fought Crossroads League contest to visiting Indiana Wesleyan University, falling 60–58 on Saturday, January 31.
Saint Francis opened the game strong, building an 11–6 lead at the 6:31 mark of the first quarter. Indiana Wesleyan answered with a run to tie the game up, but the Cougars edged ahead by two at the end of the first quarter. The back-and-forth battle continued in the second, with both teams scoring 13 points as IWU carried a narrow 31–29 lead going into halftime.
The Cougars reclaimed momentum in the third quarter, retaking the lead and heading into the final frame ahead 44–42. The fourth quarter featured six ties as neither team could pull away. Indiana Wesleyan made a layup with 57 seconds remaining to take a two-point advantage. As time ran out in Saturday's game, the Wildcats were able to hold off Saint Francis to secure the 60–58 win. With the victory, IWU improved to 7–5 in Crossroads League play, while the Cougars moved to 10–2 in conference action.
Saint Francis shot 46.2% (24-52) from the field and forced 16 Indiana Wesleyan turnovers. Cali Gregory led all scorers with 23 points. Renna Schwieterman added 12 points, a team-high seven rebounds and four assists. Julia Mantyla contributed seven points, while Isabella Gizzi and Taylor Fordyce finished with six points apiece. Fordyce also recorded four assists and four steals.
Up next, SF women's basketball (20-2, 10-2 CL) will travel to Mishawaka for a midweek game against Bethel University on February 4. When the Cougars and Pilots met earlier this season, Saint Francis won by a final score of 62-46.
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, Gas City, Indianapolis, 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 three individual and four team NAIA national championships. More than 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.
