CHICAGO, Ill. --- Madonna University – among others receiving votes in the latest NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll – used a 53 percent shooting mark in the opening half and a 45-30 rebounding advantage to saddle the University of St. Francis men's basketball team with its sixth setback in seven games with a 76-63 victory this Monday (Dec. 30) afternoon at the Roosevelt University New Year's Classic.
A 19-4 scoring run over a seven-minute span midway through the opening half proved to be too much to overcome for the Saints (5-8) as Madonna turned an 18-12 lead into its biggest advantage of the day, 37-16, with 5:39 to play. The Crusaders (11-5) hit 8-of-13 shots from the field during that stretch as part of an overall 17-of-32 first-half reading (53.1 percent), while the Saints could convert just one time in nine attempts during that span to go along with a pair of free throws.
For the first 20 minutes overall, USF shot just over 30 percent at 30.8, going 12-for-39.
The Saints, however, would not go down easily, getting to within five points, 62-57, with 5:50 remaining, aided by their own 15-6 run. But USF could get no closer as Madonna closed out the contest tallying 14 of the final 20 points for the 13-point margin of victory.
Madonna cooled off in the second half, hitting on only 11 of its 30 attempts from the field, while the Saints posted the same number of field goals as the opening half (12) in 11 less attempts for a .429 reading. Nonetheless, it still left USF at an overall .358 mark (24-of-67) for the game. Madonna finished the day at .452 (28-of-62).
Besides winning the rebounding battle, as well, Madonna also outscored the Saints 40-28 in the paint.
USF's Lewis Holey (JR/Sydney, Australia) tied Madonna's Joshua Reynolds for game-high scoring honors with 17 points each. Holey also registered a team-high eight rebounds.
Other double-figure scorers for the Saints included Cole Micek (SR/Los Angeles, Calif.) (11 points) and Mitch Kwasigroch (SR/Manhattan, Ill.) (10).
Madonna put up four players with at least ten points, including starters Henry Speight (15) and Dwight Burton (14). For the game, the Crusaders' starting contingent outscored USF's starters, 57-38.
Up Next
The task gets no easier for the Saints on Tuesday afternoon (2 p.m.) when they return to Roosevelt's Goodman Center to face No.9 ranked and undefeated Bethel University (Ind.) (14-0).
