No. 7 Saint Francis Defeats No. 16 Spring Arbor on Senior Day, Secures No. 2 Seed in Crossroads League Tournament
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
#16 Spring Arbor (22-6, 13-5) | 10 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 44 |
|
#7 Saint Francis (Ind.) (25-3, 15-3) | 11 | 17 | 21 | 12 | 61 |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The No. 7 University of Saint Francis (Ind.) women's basketball team defeated No. 16 Spring Arbor University, 61-44, on Saturday, February 21, to secure the No. 2 seed in the Crossroads League Tournament.
Saturday also marked Senior Day at the Hutzell Athletic Center. Before tipoff, the SF Cougars honored their lone senior, Julia Mantyla, in a brief on-court ceremony.
The two teams battled through a tightly contested first quarter, with Saint Francis holding a narrow 11-10 advantage entering the second. SF extended its lead to 22-13 with 4:36 remaining in the second quarter and outscored Spring Arbor 17-11 in the period to take a 28-21 lead into halftime.
Saint Francis took control in the third quarter, limiting Spring Arbor to just nine points while pouring in 21 to stretch the lead to 49-30 heading into the fourth. A layup at the 5:51 mark of the final quarter pushed the SF Cougars' advantage to 56-33, their largest of the night. Saint Francis maintained control down the stretch to secure the 61-44 victory, closing the regular season at 25-3 overall and 15-3 in Crossroads League play.
The Cougars shot 46% (23-50) from the field and outscored SAU 36-22. Mantyla led the way with 15 points, followed by Samiyah Stout with 11. Cali Gregory and Isabella Gizzi each added 10 points, while Gizzi recorded a double-double with 11 rebounds. Renna Schwieterman contributed nine points, 10 boards, and four steals.
Up next, Saint Francis will host the No. 7 seed Taylor University Trojans, who are receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25 Poll, in the Crossroads League Tournament Quarterfinals on Tuesday, February 24.
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs. The academic structure at Saint Francis offers seven pathways: Humanities, Faith and Liberal Arts; Allied Health; Creative Arts and Digital Media; Education, Human Services and Community Care; Leadership and Business; Nursing; and Sciences and Medical Studies. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis delivers workforce development healthcare programs 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. A National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Five-Star Champion of Character institution, Saint Francis 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.
