JOLIET, Ill. -- Sparked by two 13-point outbursts from its starting unit midway through each half, the University of St. Francis men's basketball team collected its third win of the season (3-0) and third in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference play (3-0) with its 78-67 home victory over Judson University on Tuesday night.

Three of USF's five starters delivered all 26 points over the two 13-point scoring spans with a combined five three-pointers and two layups, offset with five free throws, to turn two deficits into leads with 5:05 and 9:29 remaining in each half, respectively.

Coleton Hansen started the first half burst with a long range dagger, with Damarcies Moore providing a strong layup and free throw on the next possession.  After a steal from Joffrey Nunnally gave the Saints the ball back, Delshawn Simms capped off the spurt with back-to-back three-pointers to give St. Francis the one-point lead (24-23) after trailing by 12 points at the 8:00 minute mark.

Hansen's field goal was the first of six for the Saints in the half's final eight minutes, aiding the hosts in taking a 30-27 lead into the halftime break.  He delivered a similar opening to a momentum-shifting stretch in the second half.  During that run, Hansen started the scoring with a free throw to bring Ryan Marks' club to within one point (44-43) with 13:49 remaining in the game.  Nunnally quickly followed with a successful three-point play before sinking his fourth and fifth treys of the night to give the Saints their first double-digit lead (56-46).  St. Francis would maintain a comfortable lead the remainder of the way, extending the scoring margin to as high as 14, before settling for an 11-point advantage (78-67) at the end of the contest.

Nunnally authored game-high scoring honors with 22 points, while Hansen chipped in 19 markers, 16 of which came in the second half.  Merrick Small produced a solid all-around game, leading both teams in rebounds (13) and assists (three), while chipping in 13 points for his first double-double of the season.

Judson's (2-7, 0-3 CCAC) Fernando Perez Jr. and EJ Reese lead all visiting scorers after totaling 14 points each on a combined 11-of-25 shooting from the field.

From the field, USF hit 41.4 percent of its shots (24-of-58), while Judson knocked down one more field goal on two more attempts (25-of-60) for a 41.7 percent reading.  While the Eagles also won the second chance scoring battle, 15-9, both teams managed to coax similar numbers in turnovers and steals, resulting in defensive parity throughout the contest.  The biggest differences in the game were found within the success rates from beyond the arc and at the free-throw line, with USF posting a 40.0 percent mark (10-of-25) in the former category, while the Eagles only hit 5-of-14 treys for a 35.7 percent reading.  From the stripe, USF bested the visitors 20-12, which, when combined, and offset by a 17-12 advantage for the Eagles in points off turnovers, resulted in the 11-point edge the Saints needed to claim the victory.

Up Next
St. Francis will take the court again on Saturday, Nov. 29 as the Saints prepare to host their annual USF Thanksgiving Classic.  Cumberland University (Tenn.), Marian University (Ind.) and Saint Xavier University will all compete in the event with St. Francis facing off first against Marian on Saturday evening.  Tip-off is scheduled for 6 pm in the Pat Sullivan Center.

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