Cougars Survive and Advance to NAIA Second Round with 81-73 Win Over Warriors
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Saint Francis (Ind.) (18-12) | 51 | 30 | 81 |
|
Lewis-Clark State (24-8) | 36 | 37 | 73 |
GEORGETOWN, Ky. - The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) men's basketball team defeated No. 7 Lewis-Clark College to advance to the NAIA Men's Basketball Championship Second Round, defeating the Warriors with a final score of 81-73 on Friday, March 14.
The two teams battled back and forth in the opening minutes of Friday night's game, with Lewis-Clark taking a 15-12 lead at the under-15-minute media timeout. A layup from Joe Reidy brought the Cougars within two points with 11:09 on the clock in the first half. Branden Northern followed with a three-pointer to give USF the one-point lead. The Warriors tied the game up at 27-27 before retaking a two-point lead. Saint Francis tied the game up again, with the sore at 29-29 at the 7:25 mark. USF retook the lead and closed out the first half with a 10-0 run for a 51-36 advantage at halftime.
In the second half, a layup from Reidy gave the Cougars their largest lead of the night at 59-40 with 16:21 remaining. However, Lewis-Clark gradually clawed their way back, narrowing USF's lead to 77-73 with just 1:33 on the clock. A dunk by Isaiah Malone and two successful free throws from Luke Almodovar brought the final score to 81-73, securing the victory for the Cougars in the First Round.
The Cougars shot 58.6% (34-58) from the field and outrebounded the Warriors 34-26. Malone led USF with 24 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. Almodovar added 19 points and six rebounds, while Reidy finished with 15 points. Northern also scored in double digits, finishing with 11 points. Zane Burke had a team-high four assists.
Up next, the Cougars (18-12) will face the host Tigers of Georgetown in the NAIA Men's Basketball Second Round on Saturday, March 15. Tipoff is slated for 5:00 p.m. and the winner will punch their ticket to Kansas City, Missouri.
Cougar fans can stay updated on all events and recaps with USF Athletics by visiting saintfranciscougars.com.
