MISHAWAKA, Ind. - The No. 6 University of Saint Francis (Ind.) women's basketball team earned a hard-fought 65–64 overtime victory over Bethel University on Wednesday, February 4.

Bethel opened the game with a 6–2 run in the first quarter, but the Cougars quickly settled in, scoring 12 points over the final seven minutes to take a 14–11 advantage heading into the second. The Pilots battled back in the second quarter, tying the game at 26–26 with just over a minute remaining before halftime. A late free throw allowed Saint Francis to carry a 27–26 lead into the break.

The back-and-forth battle continued in the second half. Saint Francis edged Bethel 16–15 in the third quarter to extend its lead to 43–41. The fourth quarter featured multiple lead changes, with the Pilots pulling ahead 56–54 following a three-pointer and a free throw with 19 seconds remaining. Saint Francis responded with a layup to tie the game at 56–56 and held Bethel scoreless in the final seconds to force overtime.

The Cougars and Pilots fought hard in overtime, but two free throws from Isabella Gizzi and a strong defensive stand sealed the 65–64 win for the Cougars. With the victory, Saint Francis improved to 21–1 overall and 11–2 in Crossroads League play.

Saint Francis shot 38.3% (23-60) from the field and capitalized on Bethel turnovers, scoring 23 points off Pilot miscues. Cali Gregory led the Cougars with 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Taylor Fordyce added 11 points, five rebounds, and four assists, while Allison Scheu finished with 13 points and three rebounds off the bench. Gizzi and Julia Mantyla each scored nine points, with Gizzi also collecting six rebounds and four assists and Mantyla adding three steals.

Up next, the Cougars (21-1, 11-2 CL) will host Goshen College for a 1:00 p.m. tipoff inside the Hutzell Athletic Center on Saturday, February 7. Saint Francis beat Goshen by a final score of 73-28 in their first meeting of the season back in early January. 

Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs. The academic structure at Saint Francis offers seven pathways: Humanities, Faith and Liberal Arts; Allied Health; Creative Arts and Digital Media; Education, Human Services and Community Care; Leadership and Business; Nursing; and  Sciences and Medical Studies. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis delivers workforce development healthcare programs in Fort Wayne, Crown Point, Gas City, Indianapolis, Lafayette and online. Saint Francis Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. A National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Five-Star Champion of Character institution, Saint Francis has 21 athletic programs boasting three individual and four team NAIA national championships. More than 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.