INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) Cougars went into the matchup Saturday afternoon aiming to gain momentum as the end of season nears. The Cougars needed this win to solidify a spot for the NAIA National Tournament and Crossroads Tournament. USF took on the Marian University Knights at the Physical Education Center in a Crossroads League matchup. Overall, the Cougars are now 13-13 and 6-10 in the conference. They were on the losing end in the contest with a final score of 84-75 against a 20-win team in Marian.

USF started the game on a strong note keeping it a tight matchup throughout the half. The first half remained in favor of Marian as they kept their momentum going into the second half, 38-36. Marian and USF remained close until the 7-minute mark when they went on a 10-0 run. USF sophomore guard, Branden Northern, led the scoring for USF scoring 25 points, 3 assists, and 5 rebounds. The Cougars also had a spark off the bench with Dorian Sanders scoring 15 points in 19 total minutes. USF struggled to take care of the ball having 20 turnovers in the game. Marian had 5 guys get into double digits with Maximus Gizzi leading the Knights with 17 points playing 35 minutes. Ben Henderson scored 13 points, while Brody Whitaker contributed 12 points and 5 assists.

The Cougars are back in action this weekend for Crossroads League play this Wednesday, February 21st. USF will battle the Grace College Lancers at 7:30 PM as they look to knock off a talented Lancer basketball team.

Cougar fans stay updated with all events and recaps with USF Athletics by visiting saintfranciscougars.com or by downloading the Saint Francis Cougars app.

                         -USF Athletics/Grant Ott-Large