GARY, Ind. --- Rahmel Davis hit the 20-point plateau for the third time in four games, but the University of St. Francis men's basketball team could never recover from a slow start in dropping a 73-62 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference decision to Indiana University Northwest on Saturday afternoon at the Savannah Center.

Indiana Northwest (10-9, 7-4 CCAC) scored 28 of the game's first 39 points, including 15 of 17 during one stretch midway through the opening half, to gain its biggest lead of the afternoon at 17 points with 5:44 to play in Period 1.  From there, the Fighting Saints (5-12, 4-8) attempted to climb the ladder to get back into the contest.

USF would get the deficit back down to single digits (41-32) just over six minutes into the second half on a pair of EJ Charles free throws.  A Shir Moraidi layup with 9:24 to play put the Saints within 47-41 before Indiana Northwest inched its lead back up to ten points.

Moraidi would then deliver the second of his two three-pointers on the afternoon with 2:10 remaining to again make it a six-point game (65-59), but St. Francis would net just three points the rest of the way in dropping the 11-point contest.

USF hit just 10 of its 29 shots in the opening half for a .369 reading, while Indiana Northwest was 16-for-35 (.457).  The Saints did outscore the RedHawks 39-37 after the break aided by three more field goals and one more three-pointer.  Indiana Northwest, however, went 12-for-13 from the line in the closing 20 minutes to keep the Saints from getting within striking distance.

The hosts were also aided by a 16-7 scoring advantage in points off turnovers, despite USF committing only ten miscues.  Indiana Northwest had just seven turnovers.

Davis led all scorers with his 20 points to go along with three assists.  Moraidi was the only other Saint to score in double figures, finishing with 14 points. 

Indiana Northwest produced four double-figure scorers and six players netted at least eight points.  Dannie Smith led the way in both scoring (16 points) and rebounding (9 boards) for the RedHawks.

Notes: Davis has scored 20-or-more points in four of his last six games … Moraidi went back-to-back with his pair of 14-point contests … The Saints made it three games in a row of shooting at least 80 percent at the free-throw line (9-of-11, 81.8 pct.) … USF is at home on Wednesday to face Indiana University South Bend in a CCAC contest.  Tipoff is 7 pm.        

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