No. 7 Cougars Down (RV) Trojans to Advance to CL Semifinals
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
(RV) Taylor (17-12) | 14 | 6 | 16 | 14 | 50 |
|
#7 Saint Francis (Ind.) (26-3) | 12 | 22 | 18 | 25 | 77 |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The No. 7 University of Saint Francis (Ind.) women's basketball team defeated (RV) Taylor University 77-50 in the Crossroads League Tournament Quarterfinals on Tuesday, February 24.
Taylor took an early lead, edging Saint Francis 14-12 at the end of the first quarter. The Cougars responded in the second, using a 15-3 run to take a 27-17 lead midway through the period. Saint Francis held Taylor to just six second-quarter points as the Cougars carried a 34-20 advantage into halftime.
The Cougars extended their lead in the third, outscoring the Trojans 18-16 to push the margin to 52-36. Saint Francis built its largest lead of the night at 73-44 with 3:33 remaining in the fourth before securing the 77-50 victory and advancing to Friday's Crossroads League Tournament Semifinals.
Saint Francis shot 45.9% (28-61) from the field and 48% (12-25) from three-point range while converting all nine free-throw attempts. Cali Gregory led the Cougars with 17 points on 5-7 shooting from beyond the arc and added a team-high eight rebounds. Julia Mantyla and Samiyah Stout each contributed 12 points, with Stout also recording four assists and four steals. Taylor Fordyce finished with 11 points and three steals.
The Cougars (26-3) will host No. 6 seed Bethel University in the semifinals on Friday, February 27, inside the Hutzell Athletic Center.
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.
