COLUMBUS, Ind. - The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) men's basketball team opened the season with a 104-61 victory at Indiana University Columbus on Tuesday, October 29. 

The Cougars and Crimson Pride opened Tuesday's game with a back-and-forth battle. A made free-throw by USF tied the score at 10-10 with under 14 minutes left to play in the first half. The back-and-forth action continued until the 5:51 mark when Saint Francis pulled ahead 36-26. From there, the Cougars outscored IU Columbus 21-7 to take the 57-33 lead at halftime. 

USF maintained control of the game in the second half, with the Cougar's defense holding IU Columbus under 30 points while forcing 11 turnovers. Saint Francis saw their largest lead of the night, 43 points, thanks to a layup from Matthew Roettger with 1:21 left to play in Tuesday's game. The Cougars would hold off the Crimson Pride for the season-opening 104-61 victory.

The Cougars finished the night shooting 53.6% from the floor as a team. Freshman Karson Rogers led USF with a double-double, scoring 19 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. Fellow freshman D'Amare Hood followed with 18 points, shooting 7-10 from the field. Three other Cougars scored in double-digits on Tuesday night, including Isaiah Malone and Luke Almodovar with 13 points each and Zane Burke with 12 points. Branden Northern had a team-high five assists, while Joe Reidy had two blocks.

Up next, USF men's basketball (1-0) will face Lawrence Tech University and Madonna University in the Bernie Holowicki Classic hosted by Madonna on November 1-2. 

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