Saint Francis Advances to NAIA Quarterfinals With 67-60 Win Over Hastings

SIOUX CITY, Iowa - The No. 2 seed University of Saint Francis (Ind.) women's basketball team used a strong second-half surge to defeat No. 11 seed Hastings College 67-60 on Thursday, March 19, advancing to the NAIA National Championship Quarterfinals, marking the program's 12th appearance since its first quarterfinal in 1997. 

The two teams battled throughout Thursday night's game, which featured nine lead changes. The Cougars held the Broncos under double digits in the first quarter, taking an 11-9 lead. Hastings responded with a strong second quarter, knocking down five of eight three-point attempts and shooting 50.0% from the field to score 21 points and take a 30-25 advantage into halftime.

After the Broncos extended their lead to 10 at the 6:53 mark of the third quarter, Saint Francis rallied to cut the deficit to two, trailing 47-45 heading into the fourth. The Cougars opened the final quarter with an 11-4 run to reclaim the lead at 56-51 with 5:46 remaining. Saint Francis outscored Hastings 22-13 in the fourth to secure the 67-60 victory and advance in the postseason. With the loss, Hastings finishes the season 24-8.

As a team, the Cougars shot 42.3% (22-52) from the field and 36.4% (8-22) from three-point range. Cali Gregory led Saint Francis with 25 points and four assists. Taylor Fordyce added 17 points, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Julia Mantyla contributed 12 points and four rebounds, while Isabella Gizzi finished with five points and five boards.

Up next, the Cougars (30-4) will face No. 1 seed Dordt in the NAIA National Championship Quarterfinals on Saturday, March 21. Tipoff is set for 3:00 p.m. at the Tyson Events Center.