USF Wins Crossroads League Men's Basketball Tournament Championship

FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- As if it needed confirmation, Crossroads League Player of the Year Austin Fox cleared his mind, refocused, and swished the game-winning free throw giving the University of Saint Francis its first Crossroads League Tournament championship with an 81-80 decision over defending champion Indiana Wesleyan University on Tuesday night.

Fox drilled the second free throw attempt after missing the first with 1.7 seconds to play on a night USF missed 12 free throws. After making the second free throw, Fox finished the Wildcats when he intercepted the inbounds pass near mid-court setting off a celebration for USF fans and players on the floor in the first CLT Championship Game ever played at Hutzell Athletic Center. It was also the first conference tournament championship game in Fort Wayne for a Summit City college or university.

"I knew I just had to have a short memory and make the free throw," a tired, but very happy Fox observed after the fifth one-point decision in 23 Crossroads League and Mid-Central College Conference tournament championship games.

"Great feeling, better than I imagined," Fox said as countless USF fans offered their thanks and congratulations. The Muncie Central graduate sank the second free throw allowing USF to call time out and set up its defense.

Fox drove hard to the basket gliding across the lane from left-to-right and Josh Mawhorr was whistled for the foul.

USF won its 12th consecutive game adding the CLT title to it CL regular-season championship to finish the season 29-4. Winners of 24 of their last 25 games, the Cougars may be ranked No. 1 in the final NAIA DII Coaches' Top 25 that will be released Wednesday. No. 1 USF (IL) lost on Saturday in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals 99-87 at home to Robert Morris (IL). USF will then learn its first-round opponent in the NAIA DII National Championship, which starts at College of the Ozarks, Point Lookout, Mo., on March 9.

IWU guard Bob Peters had tied the game at 80 hitting an off-balance 3-pointer from near the top of the key with 17 seconds left. It was the eighth tie of the game.

Fox had connected on two critical free throws to give USF an 80-77 lead with 35 seconds to play.

While Fox made the most important point in the Cougars' first one-point win of the season to finish with 11 points, Kegan Comer fired in 32 points, 18 in the first half, to lead all scorers with a career high. Bryce Lienhoop added 16 points for the Cougars, who won a USF record 14th consecutive game at home this season.

"To beat a team three times in one season is extremely tough," Comer said with a special on extremely. "We knew if we came out and played Saint Francis basketball, good things would happen. A lot of things fell in our favor. Once I saw Austin go up for that inbounds, he wasn't going to let the ball slip out of his hands. I'm most excited about our team getting the win. It felt finally getting my shot back and helping us pull out the win with a career high. My teammates kept bringing me up and I felt pretty good when those first couple shots fell."

Once again USF Head Coach Chad LaCross noted the unselfishness and the genuine joy they get out of watching each other succeed.

"The play of Kegan Comer to play the way he did in a big game like this, that was huge," LaCross said. "We just needed one free throw from Austin, so making the second allowed us to get a timeout and put Perry (Poindexter) on the inbounds pass. Perry did a great job of defending the pass and when I turned and saw Austin, I knew we had it."

Peters, last week's CL Player of the Week, led IWU (28-5) with 22 points. Jonny Marlin added 13 and Lane Mahurin 12

NAIA No. 2 USF won for the third time this season against No. 5 IWU, which entered the game averaging 95.5 points a game in wins over Huntington and No. 13 Bethel to advance to the championship game.

This is USF's second conference tournament championship. USF won at IWU 76-63 on March 1, 2011. This is USF's second conference tournament championship under the guidance of Chad LaCross.

USF took a 39-35 halftime lead on an Evan Henry 3-pointer after fans were treated to five ties and seven lead changes.

The Cougars, who swept a three-game series against IWU for the first time in the series since it started with two games in 1969-70, used a 11-2 run to seemingly break the game open taking a 53-42 lead when Henry buried a 3-pointer at 13:46.

In just a little over two minutes, the Wildcats stormed back with a 13-0 bounce back for a 55-53 lead when Jacob Johnson knocked down a 3-pointer at 11:29.

"They turned it over a few times, got some really good looks, and when they're doing that (IWU) is tough to beat," LaCross said. "We got regrouped on defense and made some stops after we called timeout."

Lienhoop powered in a shot and was fouled in USF's first possession after the timeout and he added an And-1 free throw for a 56-55 USF lead.

"Big play, big points to get us back on track," LaCross said.

USF opened up leads of 63-57, 65-59 and 69-64, but the resiliant Wildcats clawed back to tie the game at 69 on a Peters jumper with 5:15 to play with the noise at HAC rising to a deafening crescendo. Lienhoop again scored inside putting USF ahead 71-69 and again the Cougars opened up five-point leads at 74-69 and 76-71. Peters scored and was fouled, but with the score 76-73, he missed the free throw. He tracked down his missed free throw and was fouled by Comer. With 1:40 to play, he made both free throws cutting the USF advantage to one, 76-75.

Comer delivered the INC Kelley Chevrolet 'Drive of the Night' slashing to the iron for the score and a 78-75 lead with 1:26 to play, but he missed the free throw after drawing the foul.

Johnson missed his first shot, got his own rebound and score with 58 seconds left pulling IWU within a point at 78-77. Fox answered with two free throws at 35 seconds for an 80-77 USF lead and setting up the drama in the final seconds with a finish that left IWU and USF fans alike drained.

"Down the stretch, their key plays were offensive rebounds," LaCross reviewed. "But we continued to find ways to make plays. I felt like Bryce was huge. Offensively Kegan made some big plays, Austin down the stretch and then making one free throw for the game."

"Even better," Lienhoop said with a grin watching his teammates cut down some souvenier net. Up a point, Lienhoop said, "We just talked about going all out, getting as high as he could and guarding the inbound and everybody else playing safety. You have to give them credit for hitting big shots. But we had to keep our heads and grind another one out. I felt confident with Fox on the line at the end."