FORT WAYNE, Ind. – On Friday afternoon the University of Saint Francis Lady Cougars (1-0) kicked off the 2022-23 regular season when they traveled to Goshen, Indiana to compete in the Ruth Gunden Memorial Classic with their first game against the Trinity International University Trojans (0-1) and backed by a 24-0 blanking in the third quarter prevailed 78-22.

After just missing the Sweet 16 last year, the Lady Cougars were out on a mission to return to postseason play. Right out of the gate, they set the tone for the game.

Shots early on by junior forward Cassidy Crawford and junior guard Reganne Pate got the scoring started, and the Lady Cougars continued to build upon their lead from there. Saint Francis went on to score 17 points in the first quarter while their defense could do no wrong.

The Trojans were held to just two points in the first frame, and it was a made layup in the first three minutes. Heading into the second quarter the script remained relatively similar as scoring was scarce through the early minutes but then the Lady Cougars picked it back up again.

Saint Francis extended their lead over Trinity International by 24 points midway through the frame and kept pressing.

The first half came to an end with the Lady Cougars leading the Trojans 34-6 despite Saint Francis going jut 3-for-17 from beyond the three-point line, while holding the Trojans 0-for-11 from beyond the arc.

Heading into the second half the Lady Cougars picked up right where they left off scoring 12 unanswered points to make it a 40-point game (46-6). Three-pointers by Reganne Pate and sophomore forward Lexi Shelton extended it to 52-6 later in the frame.

Astonishingly enough, the Cougars blanked the Trojans 24-0 in the third quarter to hold a 58-6 lead heading into the final frame.

As the fourth quarter got started the Trojans were finally able to manage some consistent offense as they started the frame scoring five unanswered points, and then both teams began going back-and-forth again.

During the fourth quarter the Lady Cougars managed to keep a 50-point lead and rode their way to an opening day victory.

In addition to Friday's game, Cassidy Crawford recorded her 1,000th career point becoming the 25th player in program history to achieve such a feat.

"I thought we played together on both ends on the floor," Head Coach Jeremy Henney said after his first game at the helm of the Lady Cougars. "I was impressed with our team's energy when we came out of the locker room for the third quarter. We were able to hold our opponent scoreless in the third quarter, and on the offensive end we shared the ball and played for each other."

Throughout the game, the Lady Cougars shot 42 percent from the floor, 38 percent from beyond the three-point line, and 61 percent from the free throw line. Cassidy Crawford led the Lady Cougars in scoring with 21 points while Reganne Pate and sophomore guard Emily Parrett each combined for 33 points among themselves.

The Lady Cougars resume play on Saturday morning when they wrap up their participation in the Ruth Gunden Memorial Classic with a game against the William Jessup Warriors beginning at 10:00 am.

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