No. 6 Saint Francis Advances to Crossroads League Championship with 74-53 Win over Bethel
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bethel (Ind.) (20-10) | 15 | 11 | 16 | 11 | 53 |
|
Saint Francis (Ind.) (27-3) | 22 | 12 | 19 | 21 | 74 |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The No. 6 University of Saint Francis (Ind.) Cougars punched their ticket to the Crossroads League Tournament Championship game with a 74-53 victory over visiting Bethel University inside the Hutzell Athletic Center on Friday, February 27.
Bethel jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the opening minutes, but Saint Francis quickly responded by closing out the first quarter on a 20-5 run to take a 22-15 advantage. Saint Francis added 12 more points in the second quarter for a 34-26 lead af hafltime.
In the third quarter, the Cougars found their rhythm, shooting 57.1% from three-point range and expanding their lead to 53-42 heading into the fourth quarter. The Cougars pushed their lead to 18, with the score at 64-46 with 6:52 left on the clock. Saint Francis cruised to the 21-point win to secure a spot in the championship game.
Saint Francis shot 50.9% (29-57) from the field and 40% (10-25) from beyond the arc. Cali Gregory led the way with a team-high 25 points, knocking down six three-pointers while adding four rebounds, three steals, and a block. Renna Schwieterman followed with 22 points and four rebounds, while Isabella Gizzi contributed 10 points and seven rebounds. Taylor Fordyce added six assists and seven rebounds.
The Cougars (27-3) will face No. 1 seed Marian University in the Crossroads League Tournament Championship on Monday, March 2. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. in Indianapolis.
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.
