UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill. -- In a repeat of last season's conference tournament championship matchup between the two squads, the University of St. Francis men's basketball team repeated its results and successfully defended its title from one year ago with an 81-73 victory over Governors State University on Monday night.  With the win, the Fighting Saints also became the first league squad to solve the No. 1-seeded Jaguars at home during the 2025-26 season and snapped GSU's perfect 12-0 record against conference opponents at the GSU Athletics & Recreation Center in leading to the No. 2-seeded Fighting Saints claiming the program's fifth Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament championship - and third in the past eight years - since the team's inception in 1972.

The victory was also the 23rd of the season for the Saints, a mark that has been accomplished just nine times in the program's 54-year history.

From the field, USF (23-7) hit 53.8 percent of its shots (28-of-52), while Governors State (22-9) had one more field goal and 13 more attempts (29-for-65) for a 44.6 percent reading.  While the Jaguars won the rebounding battle, 36-33, and out edged the Saints with a 14-9 advantage in second chance points, St. Francis was able to turn seven GSU turnovers into 13 points while giving the hosts 10 points in the same category, 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 37.5 percent mark (6-of-16) in the former category, while the Jaguars only hit 4-of-13 tries for a 30.8 percent reading.  From the stripe, USF bested the Jaguars 19-11, which, when combined, resulted in the eight-point edge the Saints needed to claim the tournament title.

Four of five St. Francis starters totaled at least ten points in the contest topped by Merrick Small's 21 to go along with eight rebounds and five assists.  Damarcies Moore (15 points, 12 rebounds) registered his third double-double of the postseason, while Joffrey Nunnally (13 points) and Dakoda Joachim (10 points) rounded out the double-digit scorers.

Javonte McKenzie led Governors State with 22 points.

After USF leapt out to a quick 8-0 lead during the opening four minutes of the contest, the Jaguars quickly shifted the momentum back in its favor when a subsequent 9-0 run of its own allowed the hosts to gain its first lead of the night (9-8) by the 13:33 mark.  That lead change would be one of 17 lead changes/tied scores throughout the duration of the game for both teams.

From that point on, the contest would stay within a one-possession scoring margin until the Saints jumped ahead by five points (37-32) after Delshawn Simms connected for a deep three-pointer with just under two minutes remaining in the half.  The three-pointer would end a string of five straight mid-range jumpers for the Saints, who utilized that type of shot to net 20 of their 38 points of the period.  The Saints later extended their lead to as high as seven points in the closing minute before Governors State accounted for the last six points before the intermission cutting its deficit to one point (39-38) before the break.

GSU's offense started the final 20 minutes how it ended the first half, with the hosts accounting for 13 of the stanza's first 20 points during a five-minute span to open a 51-46 lead over the Saints.  USF missed all five of its three-point attempts during that stretch and also committed three turnovers, while the Jaguars produced all 13 of their points via its inside presence with one free throw.

Even though the Saints would come within one point on four occasions over the next six minutes of play, the Jaguars would hold the lead in their favor until a breakaway dunk from Justen Morgan followed by a three-pointer from Simms gave USF the advantage back (63-60) with 8:28 remaining in the game.  The hosts responded by sinking four of its next four shots from the field that resulted in a 9-2 scoring spurt to go back up by four points (69-65), but would then suffer an offensive dry spell over the game's final four minutes, missing nine of their last 10 attempts of the game which allowed the Saints to maintain the separation through free throws to eventually seal the eight-point win.  USF would connect for three field goals in five tries during the same four-minute span, while scoring the remainder of its points from charity-stripe offerings (10-of-11).

Up Next
The Saints are off until March 13 when they compete in the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round. Where and who they will play will be announced as part of the NAIA's Bracket Reveal this coming Thursday at 6 pm on the NAIA YouTube page.

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