JOLIET, Ill. --- Mitch Kwasigroch (SR/Manhattan, Ill.) nailed five three-pointers, including the go-ahead trey with just under three minutes to play, as part of a career-high 24-point night to lead the NAIA No.19 ranked University of St. Francis men's basketball team to a season-opening 78-74 victory over Indiana University Northwest Wednesday (Nov. 6) night at the Pat Sullivan Center. It was also the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference opener for both clubs with the Redhawks making their debut in the league.
 

Indiana Northwest (1-1, 0-1 CCAC) held the upper hand for much of the contest, including all but three minutes, 51 seconds of the opening half when the Redhawks built their biggest lead of the night, 16-5, at the start. The Saints eventually clawed back to take one brief 40-second lead, 34-33 with 3:25 to play, before settling for a one-point deficit (40-39) at the break.
 

From there, neither team led by more than six points the rest of the night in a contest that featured ten ties and nine lead changes, and the Saints leading for less than ten minutes on the night opposite 24:56 for the guests.
 

In the second half, the Saints opened with a Kwasigroch three-pointer and held the upper hand for the majority of the first five minutes before Indiana Northwest rattled off 11 of 13 points to turn a 49-46 deficit into a 57-51 lead with 11:23 to play.
 

Enter Kwasigroch again scoring six of his team's 13 points during a 13-4 spurt with his second trey of the half forcing the sixth tie of the night at 61-all followed by Cole Micek (SR/Los Angeles, Calif.)'s go-ahead three-pointer 45 seconds later at 6:49.
 

Another tie – the last – would ensue at 69-all courtesy of a Kwasigroch layup before his fifth and final trey of the night put the Saints up for good at 2:53. Indiana Northwest would make it a 72-70 game on a free throw 1:04 later, but that would be the closest the Redhawks would get the rest of the night.
 

Sixteen of Kwasigroch's 24 points came in the second half, including the three treys without a miss. For the night, he went 5-of-8 from long distance and 8-of-13 overall from the field, to go along with five rebounds and three assists.
 

Three other Saints also scored in double figures, including Jorden Thornton (SR/Hoffman Estates, Ill.), who accounted for 16 of USF's 21 points off the bench. Lewis Holey (JR/Sydney, Australia) collected 11 points, eight rebounds, four steals and one assist with Micek contributing ten points, including a perfect 7-for-7 at the free throw line.
 

USF also forced 20 turnovers, while committing only 11 itself leading to a 24-15 scoring advantage off mistakes.
 

Indiana Northwest produced four double-figure scorers, as well, with Rashad Richardson and Jason Peace – who came off the bench – leading the way with 14 points apiece.
 

Up next for the Saints, they hit the road for the first time on Monday (Nov. 11) when they face Aquinas College at 6 pm.