FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The (RV) University of Saint Francis men's basketball team fell short against the No. 7 Bethel University Pilots by a final score of 75-70 inside the Hutzell Athletic Center on Wednesday, February 5. 

After a back-and-forth battle to start Wednesday night's game, two free throws put USF ahead 17-9 with 11:44 remaining in the first half. A dunk by sophomore guard Luke Almodovar extended Saint Francis's lead to 13 points with 8:27 left to play in the first half. Bethel responded after a 30-second timeout, narrowing USF's lead to just five points. Another dunk for the Cougars, this time from Isaiah Malone, brought the score to 33-28 in favor of Saint Francis. However, a three-point shot by the Pilots reduced the deficit to 33-31 at halftime.

The Pilots quickly gained a one-point lead to start the second half, but a dunk by Malone, assisted by Branden Northern, put USF back on top with a score of 37-36. The two teams traded baskets, resulting in three ties within a matter of seconds. The back-and-forth battle continued, with the Cougars making two free throws to regain a one-point lead. Bethel then responded, extending the gap to a two-possession game with 3:35 remaining in the second half. The Cougars narrowed the deficit to just two points with only 17 seconds left on the clock, but Bethel countered with three free throws to extend their lead to five points as time expired, securing a 75-70 victory on Wednesday night.

The Cougars shot 49.1% (26-53) from the floor against the Pilots. Almodovar made 13 of 20 shot attempts en route to a game-high 29 points. Malone finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season. The sophomore forward also had three blocks on Wednesday night. Northern added 10 points and three steals. 

Up next, USF men's basketball (15-8, 8-5) will take on Indiana Wesleyan University, who is also receiving votes in the NAIA poll, on Saturday, February 8. The Cougars and Wildcats met previously on January 4, where USF earned an 80-77 win over IWU. 

Cougar fans can stay updated on all events and recaps with USF Athletics by visiting saintfranciscougars.com.