Cougars Advance to Crossroads League Semifinals With 75-58 Win Over Bethel
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bethel (IN) (13-16) | 15 | 9 | 19 | 15 | 58 |
|
#9 Saint Francis (Ind.) (26-3) | 23 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 75 |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The No. 9 University of Saint Francis (Ind.) women's basketball team earned a convincing 75-58 win over the visiting Bethel University Pilots in the Crossroads League Women's Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals on Wednesday, February 26.
The Cougars entered the postseason as the No. 2 seed, while the Pilots were the No. 7 seed in the Crossroads League.
Saint Francis set the tone early in Wednesday night's matchup, going on an 8-0 run to start the game. The Cougars held Bethel to just three points for most of the first quarter. It wasn't until the 2:59 mark that the Pilots managed to score consecutively, narrowing USF's lead to 19-12. The Cougars responded, finishing the first quarter with a 25-23 lead. In the second quarter, Saint Francis continued to dominate, limiting Bethel to a shooting percentage of 28.6% and holding them to just nine points while scoring 18 themselves for the 41-24 lead at halftime.
The Cougars maintained control of the game in the second half, extending their lead to twenty points with a layup from Taylor Fordyce that brought the score to 60-40 with 1:14 remaining in the third quarter. At the end of the third period, the score stood at 60-43. In the fourth quarter, a layup from Julia Mantyla at the 7:23 mark gave the Cougars their largest lead of the night, with the score at 71-47. Saint Francis held off Bethel to secure a 75-58 victory, improving their record to 26-3 for the season and advancing to the Crossroads League Tournament Semifinals.
As a team, USF shot 47.5% (29-61) from the floor and outscored Bethel in the paint 40-22. Mantyla led both teams with 17 points. Ally Madden added 14 points and five rebounds, while Cali Gregory finished with 13 points, five assists and three steals. Chloe McKnight also scored in double digits with 10 points. Cassidy Crawford led in rebounds with 11 and assists with eight.
Up next, Saint Francis women's basketball (26-3) will host No. 12 Marian University Knights for the Crossroads League Tournament Semifinals on Saturday, March 1 starting at 1:00 p.m. Marian, who is ranked No. 12 in the NAIA Top 25, lost to USF twice during the regular season with final scores of 63-47 and 73-72 (OT).
Cougar fans can stay updated on all events and recaps with USF Athletics by visiting saintfranciscougars.com.
