JOLIET, Ill. -- Joffrey Nunnally netted a career-high 18 points, but the No. 25-ranked University of St. Francis men's basketball team could never recover from a slow start in dropping a 68-60 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference decision to Indiana University South Bend on Wednesday night at the Sullivan Center.  The loss snapped a 10-game winning streak for the Saints, which began with a 76-63 win over IUSB on December 13.

Indiana South Bend (12-9, 9-4 CCAC) scored 20 of the game's first 28 points and expanded its lead to as many as 14 points in the opening half before settling for a 10-point advantage (30-20) at the halftime break.  From there, the Fighting Saints (17-3, 11-2) attempted to climb the ladder to get back into the contest, but continuous turnovers and missed second-chance opportunities plagued the USF offense.  That kept the scoring margin in double-digits through the majority of the second half.  USF would get the deficit back down to single digits (59-51) with just under five minutes left in the game on a pair of Aitor Anabitarte free throws and pulled to within four points (59-55) at the 2:33 mark.  An 8-0 IUSB run over a two-minute span, however, dashed any hope for a USF comeback in the eventual 68-60 loss.

USF hit just 8 of its 20 shots (.400) in the opening half, including a 3-of-11 reading (.273) from beyond the arc, while Indiana South Bend was 11-for-25 (.440) and 5-of-12 (.500).  The Saints did outscore the Titans 40-38 after the break, but a season-high 21 turnovers that resulted in a 17-8 scoring advantage for IUSB kept the Saints from getting within striking distance.  The Titans also won the battle in the paint, scoring 24 points to USF's 16.

Nunnally led all USF scorers with his 6-of-11 showing from the floor and a game-high four treys.  Rahmel Davis and Anabitarte were the only other Saints to score in double figures, finishing with 13 and 10 points, respectively.

Indiana South Bend produced four double-figure scorers, led by Quentez Columbus (20 points), while Nick Mullen was the only rebounder in the game to record double-digit boards (10).

The loss was the first one at home for the Saints in 11 games this season.

Up Next
USF is at home on Saturday, February 1 to face Olivet Nazarene University in a CCAC contest.  Tipoff is 3 pm.

You can also keep up with everything happening around USF Athletics on @USFSaints.