UPLAND, Ind. - The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) men's basketball team completed the series sweep over Taylor University after defeating the Trojans by a final score of 82-68 on Saturday, January 25. 

The two teams began Saturday afternoon's game by trading baskets, with Taylor gaining a one-point lead by the first media timeout. The Trojans then extended their lead to 23-17, but USF responded with a 6-0 run to tie the score at 23 with 6:54 left in the first half. A three-pointer from Luke Almodovar gave the Cougars a 31-29 lead with 4:08 remaining, igniting a 14-3 run to close out the half. The Cougars headed into the locker room with a 42-32 lead.

Saint Francis took their largest lead of the night, going up 53-34 with 16:47 remaining in the game after the Cougars made their first six shots of the second half. The Trojans attempted to rally, cutting USF's lead to 10 points. However, the Cougars extended their advantage to 16 points with just 4:41 left in the game. After a 30-second timeout called by the Trojans at the 1:50 mark, the Cougars made their final three shots, securing the 86-68 victory to improve to 7-3 in Crossroads League play.

As a team, the Cougars shot 60.4% (32-53) from the field and 42.9% (9-21) from three-point range. USF also outscored the Trojans 38-18 in the paint while pulling down 30 rebounds compared to the Trojans' 24. Sophomore Isaiah Malone led with 20 points, eight rebounds, five blocks and three steals. Four other Cougars scored in double digits on Saturday, including Almodovar with 18, Zane Burke with 16, Branden Northern with 13, and Joe Reidy with 10 points. Northern also had a team-high five assists while coming away with three steals. 

Up next, Saint Francis men's basketball (14-6, 7-3) will return to the Hutzell Athletic Center as they host Goshen College on January 29. 

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