JOLIET, Ill. -- A .638 shooting mark from the field (37-of-58) and .550 percentage from behind the arc (11-of-20) boosted the University of St. Francis men's basketball team to a 92-75 victory over Goshen College (Ind.) on Monday afternoon on Day One of the USF New Year's Classic.  Four Saints produced at least ten points en route to the team's ninth win of the season.  With the victory, St. Francis improves to 9-2 overall, while Goshen drops to 4-9.

St. Francis' 37 field goals, 11 three-pointers and 21 assists were all season-high marks, leading the Saints to having 11 players reach the scoring column on the day.  Topping the list was Aitor Anabitarte, who shot 7-of-9 from the field and 2-of-2 from both beyond the arc and at the free-throw line for a combined 18 points.  Merrick Small and Rahmel Davis recorded 14 points each, while Nick Niego sank four treys on his way to posting a career-best 16 points for USF.

After leading by an eight-point margin after the first half (41-33), USF used a 65.5 percent shooting effort (19-of-29) in the second half, including seven three-pointers, to outscore the Maple Leafs 51-42 after the break and pull away for the 17-point win.

The first ten minutes of the second half saw each team trade baskets until a 13-4 scoring burst beginning and ending with Niego three-pointers resulted in a 23-point USF advantage (77-54) with seven minutes left to play.  The Saints would sustain a 20-plus point lead to the finish - reaching as high as 24 - before a successful Goshen three-pointer on its last possession solidified the 92-75 final score.

As a team, the Saints out-boarded Goshen 37-28.  Small led all players with eight rebounds, while Davis was second in line with six.  

Among other Saint scorers, Greyson Harrington sank a three-pointer on his first shot in his collegiate debut and Lorenzo Aquino netted two points in his first action this season.

Up Next
The Saints will take the court again Tuesday afternoon at 1 pm when they tip-off against McPherson College (Kan.) in Day 2 of the USF New Year's Classic.

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