NOTRE DAME, Ind.--- The University of St. Francis men's basketball team took a 38-31 lead into the halftime break, but could not maintain it in the second half as Holy Cross College (Ind.) used a closing 16-4 run to gain a 71-66 come-from-behind victory Wednesday night at McKenna Arena.
The setback was the third in a row for the Saints, who fell to 11-9 overall and 3-6 in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) action. Holy Cross, which received votes in the last NAIA Coaches' Poll, improved to 11-4 on the year and 6-2 in league play. Holy Cross is currently tied for second place on the CCAC table.
Carlos Tovias (SR/Corsicana, Texas) continued to excel in the starting lineup as he was one of two Saint players to score in double figures. He finished with 12 points, making five of his nine attempts from the floor, including two three-point shots. Deandre Johnson (SR/Watts, Calif.) also had a 12-point performance, making six of his nine attempts from the field. Johnson had a good game defensively, as well, as he recorded a career-high four blocks, one steal and three total rebounds. Lewis Holey (SR/Sydney, Australia) tied for game-high honors with his six rebounds, while also providing seven points. Twelve total players saw the floor for the Saints as they shot 27-54 from the field (50 percent) for the game.
The Saints got off to a hot start against the hosts going on an 11-1 scoring run in the opening five minutes of the game. That run put USF up 17-5 with 13:34 left in the opening half and the Saints maintained the lead until the final four minutes of the contest.
Holy Cross would outscore head coach Ryan Marks' team 40-28 in the second half, sparked by the final 16-4 run. That turned a 62-55 deficit with 6:05 to play into the final count. USF went 1-for-7 from the field and committed four turnovers in the closing six minutes.
Storm Cook, who led all scorers with 21 points, delivered six points during the run.
Three other Holy Cross players joined Cook in double figures. Beau Ludwick scored 14 points, including a clutch three-point shot that tied the game at 62-all with 4:28 to play. Jordan Gains and Noel Mpie were also in double-figure scoring with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
As the season winds down and the countdown to the CCAC Tournament begins, the Saints look to snap their losing streak on the road this Saturday (Feb 13) against Trinity International. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 pm at the Meyer Sports Complex in Deerfield, Illinois.
