JOLIET, Ill. --- Not even a career-high 29 points from Cole Micek (SR/Los Angeles, Calif.) could turn the tide for the University of St. Francis men's basketball team, which fell just short again in an 85-81 setback to Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference co-leader and NAIA No.19 ranked Holy Cross College on Wednesday night at the Sullivan Center.
The storyline was a near-replica to that of four days earlier when the Saints dropped an 89-83 decision to the other league co-leader in Olivet Nazarene University. USF jumped on top early, led for much of the game before going back-and-forth late and then falling just short in the end.
On Wednesday, the Saints (9-17, 7-13 CCAC) used six three-pointers in the game's first nine minutes to gain the biggest advantage of the night for either team at 24-10. Holy Cross (22-5, 17-2) cut that deficit by nearly half at the break, trailing 39-31.
The visitors started their resurgence right out of the second-half gate with an opening 9-2 run over the first three minutes to pull within one point, 41-40. It would take, however, another three minutes before Holy Cross could take its first lead of the game (46-45) since the 16:49 mark of the opening half. Six ties and another six lead changes would ensue from that point until game's end.
Neither team led by more than five points in the contest's final 17:47, but it was a late 7-0 burst in a 91-second span that eventually did USF in on this night as a 75-72 lead with 3:51 turned into a 79-75 deficit at the 2:20 mark.
The Saints would get within 79-78 with 45 seconds to play, but that would be the closest they would get the rest of the night as Holy Cross scored on each of its final three possessions with a layup and four free throws.
That was the other story of the night for Holy Cross, which made all but eight of its 30 field goal attempts (.733) and all seven of its free throws after the break resulting in a 54-42 scoring differential in the second half. That helped turn around a .414 effort from the field (12-of-29) in the first 20 minutes and led to Holy Cross shooting .576 from the field (34-of-59) for the game, while also going 12-of-13 at the free throw line.
Holy Cross also outscored USF 44-24 in the paint.
The hosts had another strong night beyond the arc, converting at a 50 percent clip with 15 treys in 30 attempts. Overall, they shot 47.4 percent from the field (27-of-57) and matched Holy Cross' 12-of-13 mark at the free throw line.
For the Saints, who led for 29 minutes of the contest to Holy Cross' 7:16 span of time, they continued their trend of dropping tight contests with all 13 league setbacks now coming by seven points or less.
Micek led all scorers on the night, while Holy Cross' Parker Sims and Jordan Gaines followed with 21 and 16 points, respectively. Larenzo Moore also produced a double-double (10 points, 13 rebounds) for the winners.
USF's other two double-figure scorers were Lewis Holey (JR/Sydney, Australia) (12 points, six boards) and Eric Ting (JR/Taoyuan, Taiwan) (11).
Up Next
The Saints close out the home portion of their 2019-20 season on Saturday (Feb. 15) when they face Trinity International University in a 3 p.m. (CT) tipoff.
