Saint Francis Rallies to Upset No. 19 Huntington on the Road

HUNTINGTON, Ind. - The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) Cougars (11-15, 6-11 CL) battled back in a gritty upset win over the No. 19 Huntington University Foresters (20-7, 11-6 CL) on Wednesday night, pulling out a 62-61 victory at Platt Arena.

After trailing 45-30 at halftime, the Cougars flipped the script with a dominant defensive second half, holding Huntington to just 16 points over the final 20 minutes. The Foresters held a narrow three-point lead at the 1:39 mark of the second half. Jordan Furney knocked down a jumper to pull Saint Francis within one at 61-60. With three seconds left on the clock, Karson Rogers secured an offensive rebound and converted a putback to give the Cougars a 62-61 lead. Saint Francis outscored the Foresters 32-16 in the second half to complete the comeback.

Saint Francis shot 40.7% (24-59) from the field. The Cougars outscored the Foresters in the paint 44-26 while outrebounding HU 43-36. Rogers and Marr Avance finished with 17 points apiece. Rogers also pulled down 16 rebounds for a double-double. Joe Reidy added eight points and nine rebounds off the bench, while Braeden Messenger contributed seven points and two steals. 

Up next, Saint Francis closes out the regular season against Spring Arbor University during Senior Day inside the Hutzell Athletic Center on Saturday, February 21. 

Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs. The academic structure at Saint Francis offers seven pathways: Humanities, Faith and Liberal Arts; Allied Health; Creative Arts and Digital Media; Education, Human Services and Community Care; Leadership and Business; Nursing; and  Sciences and Medical Studies. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis delivers workforce development healthcare programs in Fort Wayne, Crown Point, Gas City, Indianapolis, Lafayette and online. Saint Francis Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. A National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Five-Star Champion of Character institution, Saint Francis has 21 athletic programs boasting three individual and four team NAIA national championships. More than 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.