2007-2008
GAME RECAPS
(Click on results to obtain box scores)
MARCH 4 :
INDIANA SOUTH BEND 88, USF 86
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- University of St. Francis men's basketball coach Pat Sullivan could remember each of his team's tough losses this season as if they happened just yesterday.
College of the Ozarks, Ashford, Illinois-Springfield, Saint Xavier ... and on and on and on.
On Tuesday, in opening-round action of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament, the Saints added Indiana University South Bend to that log, dropping an 88-86 decision.
"A lot of tough ... a lot of tough losses," said Sullivan, who completed his 32nd year with the setback. "This was just a microcosm of the season.
"We had the effort, but just couldn't get over the hump."
The Saints (10-19) looked as though they might finally get over it midway through the second half. Trailing by four points at the break, 42-38, in a first half that saw neither team lead by more than the four-point margin, the Saints started to hit on all cylinders four minutes into the second half.
Starting with a Tristan Therkield (Richards H.S./Oak Lawn, IL) three-point play, the Saints converted on nine of their next ten offensive possessions to build their biggest lead, 10 points (63-53), for the first of three times at the 11:21 mark.
Senior forward Chris Hobson (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL) nearly single-handedly created the advantage with nine straight points as part of an overall 21-9 run by USF.
"Hobson had the great second half," Sullivan said, after watching his senior score 19 of his game-high 25 points after halftime. "We fought hard to get the lead in the second half with Chris leading the way."
USF maintained that lead over the next two minutes before IUSB's Ben Werner made like Hobson starting at the 7:11 mark. His seven points in a 14-2 run turned a 69-61 deficit into a 75-71 lead for the Titans with 3:50 remaining.
St. Francis worked that deficit down to one, 80-79, following another Hobson layup and had three chances the next time down the court to regain the lead. The Saints, however, missed a jumper and a layup before turning the ball over.
Dewey Brown then converted a three-point play at the other end and the Saints could never get closer than a basket in the closing 1:22.
Brown was one of four Titans (17-14) to score in double figures with three players netting no less than 20 points. Tyler Leighton led the way with 24 points followed by Werner with 22 and Terry Hill with 20.
Besides Hobson, senior guard Barry Murdock (Joliet Township H.S./Joliet, IL) contributed 16 points for the Saints.
"You again look back to so many plays tonight when you lose by two points," Sullivan said. "But we battled until the buzzer. If we weren't giving the effort, I would have been disappointed, but that wasn't the case tonight.
"It wasn't the case all year. We refused to give in during a difficult season."
JOLIET --- The wins at home have been few and far between for University of St. Francis this season, but the six senior members of the Fighting Saints squad will go out as winners after registering an 88-73 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference victory in their regular season finale at the Rec Center Saturday night.
USF (10-18, 3-7) took out its season-long frustrations at home on Illinois Institute of Technology registering its second-most points at the Rec Center this year with no less than 12 Saints scoring, including all six senior cast members --- Barry Murdock (Joliet Township H.S./Joliet, IL), Jason Opoka (Lane Tech H.S./Chicago, IL), Adam Kielbasa (Brother Rice H.S./Chicago, IL), Dan McCarthy (Joliet Catholic Academy/Shorewood, IL), Chris Hobson (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL) and Reggie Davis (Bloom H.S./Chicago, IL).
The 15-point victory snapped a six-game losing streak at the Rec Center and left the Saints at 2-10 at home.
“It has been a frustrating season,” said USF head coach Pat Sullivan. “We haven’t known from game to game where our points were going to come from, but our guys have kept going out there and fighting.”
The Saints knew where there points were coming from on Saturday, establishing an inside presence from the very beginning. Rob Rabenau (Lincoln-Way Central H.S./New Lenox, IL) delivered 16 of his career-high 27 points in the first 20 minutes and finished the night converting 12 of his 18 shots from the field.
“Rob did the scoring that we needed inside,” said Sullivan.
But when Illinois Tech (5-25, 0-10) collapsed things around Rabenau inside, McCarthy was just as hot outside. McCarthy (13 points) hit a pair of three-pointers in each half to keep the Scarlet Hawks just far enough away.
IIT never got closer than nine points after McCarthy’s four-point play put the hosts up 29-18 with 6:13 remaining in the first half.
“Mac was very big for us tonight,” pointed out Sullivan. “Rob was so good inside and we needed someone outside to complement him.
“Dan did the job, especially when Illinois Tech kept inching back. He was huge.”
Hobson was just as big with a pair of impressive dunks as part of an 18-point, 7-assist night.
The victory means a fourth-place finish for the Saints in the league along with Indiana University South Bend. Both teams finished 3-7 in league play leaving a coin flip to determine who hosts the other on Tuesday night in the first round of the CCAC Tournament.
FEBRUARY 26:
OLIVET NAZARENE 77, USF 75
BOURBONNAIS -- If only the University of St. Francis' shooting percentage could match its effort percentage, the Saints might just be unbeaten.
USF came up short again on the scoreboard Tuesday night, falling 77-75, but not for lack of effort and energy against Olivet Nazarene in one of the most unbelievable comebacks in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference men's basketball history.
The Saints (9-18, 2-7) put themselves in the hole during the opening 20 minutes, something they could not do with the basketball. St. Francis made just 8 of its 29 first-half shots -- 27.6 percent -- in trailing by a 36-24 margin at halftime.
Olivet, which was coming off an 88-77 upset victory over NAIA Division I No. 6-ranked Robert Morris College, was nearly 20 percent better at 46.4 percent.
Things weren't getting any better to start the second half when the Tigers extended their lead to 20 points at 52-32 with 13:09 to play.
That is when the Saints turned things up a notch the first time. Playing without their top two inside men -- Ian Jones (knee injury) and Lincoln-Way Central product Rob Rabenau (he fouled out at 17:20) -- the Saints went on an 11-0 burst in just 3:00 to pull to within 52-43.
Olivet (15-13, 7-2) burst that bubble, going back up by 19 points at 65-46 with 7:21 to play only to have the Saints blow the bubble back up.
The 19-point deficit became 10 in just a two-minute span with 10 eventually becoming 1 twice in the closing 30 seconds.
The first time -- 74-73 -- came on Jeff Miller's third of three 3-pointers in the closing 2:40 and fourth in the second half.
Entering the half, USF was 0-of-9 from three-point range, but Miller (16 points) connected four times in five tries in the closing 20 minutes as part of an 8-of-11 second-half mark from that range.
Miller then hit a layup, following a pair of Olivet free throws, with :17 to play, but USF's Barry Murdock was assessed a foul on the play after the shot. The Tigers added another free throw before the Saints had one last chance for a tie only to have a 12-foot jumper by Chris Hobson (18 points) come up short.
"I have seen really talented teams throw in the towel when their seasons haven't gone the way they wanted," USF coach Pat Sullivan said. "This team despite the record has not given in the whole year and it bodes well for the tournament."
FEBRUARY 23 :
SAINT XAVIER 67, USF 52
JOLIET, Ill. — No. 21 Saint Xavier used a 13-3 run at the end of the first half to open up a tight game and then held off a cold-shooting USF team in the second half to hand the Saints a 67-52 loss at the Recreation Center Saturday night.
SXU started the second half just as it ended the first, quickly extending its lead to 20 points at 46-26 with 17:36 to go in the game.
But USF had no intentions of letting its rival run away and hide.
The Saints went on an 18-4 run over the next seven minutes to chop the margin to just six points at 50-44.
Saint Xavier then finally regained its shooting touch and turned the tables with an 11-1 run of its own to push the lead back to a comfortable 61-45 spread with just 2:35 left to play.
USF shot just 34.5 percent from the floor for the game and made only 4-of-21 three-point tries. The Saints also struggled at the free throw line, sinking just 8-of-15 charity tosses.
Senior Chris Hobson (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL) led USF with 17 points. Junior center Rob Rabenau (Lincoln-Way Central H.S./New Lenox, IL) reached double figures with 11 points. Senior forward Barry Murdock (Joliet Township H.S./Joliet, IL) recorded his second double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Junior point guard Jeremy Kreiger (Joliet Township H.S./Joliet, IL) topped the Saints with four assists.
USF fell to 9-17 on the season and 2-6 in CCAC play. Saint Xavier improved to 22-6 overall and 6-2 in the league.
FEBRUARY 16:
ROBERT MORRIS 88, USF 62
JOLIET --- The last time Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference foes Robert Morris College and University of St. Francis hooked up (Jan. 26), the Saints had the NAIA No. 6-ranked team tied 32-all at halftime before the Eagles unleashed a 52-point barrage in the second half of an 84-59 victory.
On Saturday, Robert Morris got to the 32-point mark a lot quicker than the Saints - 32-7 to start - en route to its 11th straight win and its 21st in the last 22 games, 88-62.
“Early on, we just missed a lot of makeable-after-makeable shots to give them their huge lead,” said USF head coach Pat Sullivan.
USF (9-16, 2-5) opened the contest misfiring on eight of its first 10 shots, while Robert Morris hit at a 70 percent clip (14-of-20) in jumping out to its initial 25-point lead. Twelve turnovers in that 12:17 span for the Saints did not help matters.
“We both had 14 turnovers at the break, but we created many of our own more than they did theirs,” added Sullivan. “We just gave a wonderful team a big cushion.”
A big cushion that diminished rather quickly to start the second half.
Trailing by as many as 27 points in the first 20 minutes, USF got the deficit down to 18 points by halftime (42-24) and then 12 in the first four minutes of the second half.
“We knew that if we were going to fight back, we would have to do it piecemeal,” said Sullivan. “We got some of it back before halftime and wanted to get it down to 10 after eight minutes in the second half.”
Senior forward Chris Hobson (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL) tried to work quicker than that, scoring 7 of his 11 points in the opening four minutes of the second half, pulling the Saints within the 12-point margin twice at 45-33 and 47-35.
That was enough for Robert Morris (22-2, 7-0) and Terry Dunlap, which unleashed a 20-4 run over the next six minutes to pull away. The 6-1 junior point guard accounted for 10 of his game-high 22 points during the burst, putting the Eagles up 67-39, with 9:13 to play.
“We just couldn’t get it under 12 and after that their one-on-one talent just took over, Dunlap especially,” said Sullivan. “He’s good with the ball and extremely quick. He’s hard to stop.”
Illinois-Chicago transfer Othyus Jeffers was equally hard to stop, including on the boards. He finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds.
Lincoln-Way Central graduate Rob Rabenau (New Lenox, IL) led St. Francis with 13 points. Ian Jones (Reavis H.S./Burbank, IL) contributed 10.
FEBRUARY 13:
INDIANA SOUTH BEND 85, USF 71
JOLIET, Ill. — University of St. Francis hit eight of its first 10 shots from the field Wednesday night and led by as many as five points in the first six minutes of its game with Indiana University South Bend at the Recreation Center.
After that, though, little went right for the Fighting Saints.
The visiting Titans, who shot 53 percent for the game, took the lead at 20-19 with 8:27 left in the opening half and never trailed again on their way to a convincing 85-71 win over USF in a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference contest.
IUSB (14-11, 1-4) pushed its lead to 38-29 at the half. After USF scored the first four points of the second half to close the gap to just five points, the Titans put the game away with runs of 11-3 and 17-2 to extend their lead to 68-44 with 12:28 to go. The Saints could get no closer than the final 14-point margin the rest of the way.
USF (9-15, 2-4) struggled offensively, with only senior Chris Hobson (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL) having a big night with 22 points. Hobson hit 9-of-12 shots, including 4-of-5 from three-point range, and added three steals on the defensive end. Junior forward Rob Rabenau (Lincoln-Way Central H.S./New Lenox, IL) finished with 13 points and senior guard Jason Opoka (Lane Tech H.S./Chicago, IL) added 11.
Senior forward Reggie Davis (Bloom Township/Chicago, IL) played the final six minutes for the Saints and led the team in rebounding with seven boards.
USF shot 46 percent for the game but couldn’t find a way to stop the streaking Titans at the defensive end. Guard Tyler Leighton led all scorers with 23 points, including five three-pointers. Backcourt mate Qdar Owens added 22 points and center Ben Werner, who did not play for IUSB when the Saints defeated the Titans 70-69 in South Bend on Jan. 23 in the CCAC opener, finished the game with 19 points and a game-high eight rebounds.
The road doesn’t get any easier for the Saints as USF plays host to CCAC-leading and No. 6-ranked Robert Morris on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Rec Center.
FEBRUARY 9 :
USF 67, ILLINOIS TECH 61
CHICAGO -- For any coach, there is always one place they would prefer not to play.
For University of St. Francis men’s basketball coach Pat Sullivan, that place would be Keating Hall on the campus of the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Sullivan’s fears, however, were relieved on Saturday afternoon courtesy of a quick start and a hot hand from Joliet Catholic Academy product Dan McCarthy leading to a 67-61 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference victory.
USF (9-14, 2-3) jumped out to a 17-3 lead before the under-manned Scarlet Hawks knew what hit them in the game’s first five minutes and then stretched that advantage to 17 points, 42-25, at the break.
Ian Jones (Reavis H.S./Burbank, IL) with 15 points and 6 rebounds, Rob Rabenau (Lincoln-Way Central H.S./New Lenox, IL) with 12 points and Jason Opoka (Lane Tech H.S./Chicago, IL) with 12 points did the early damage combining for USF’s first 17 points with Opoka hitting from outside (3-for-3) and Jones and Rabenau taking care of business inside (5-for-5).
Illinois Tech (5-19, 0-4) slowly inched its way back to start the second half, pulling to within 13 points, 48-35, before McCarthy (9 points) hit back-to-back three-pointers as part of a 3-for-5 shooting mark from three-point range to extend USF’s advantage to its widest margin, 54-35.
Those two baskets proved valuable in the end when the Saints went into a funk at the free throw line down the stretch misfiring on 7 of their final 10 attempts. That allowed IIT to pull to within 8 points, 58-50, with 7 minutes remaining and as close as five points, 66-61, in the closing minute.
“We had the great start today, but I also thought our second team in the second half did a great job,” said Sullivan. “And, if I had to give a game ball out it would go to Dan McCarthy. He hit the big threes in the second half and took a couple of charges.
“It’s especially pleasing, too, knowing he has waited and waited for a chance. You appreciate everything he has done for the sake of the team.”
FEBRUARY 2 :
OLIVET NAXARENE 62, USF 49
JOLIET -- The second half spelled doom for the University of St. Francis men's basketball team on Saturday.
Trailing just 29-25 at halftime, the Saints eventually dropped a 62-49 decision to Olivet Nazarene University in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference play.
USF (8-14, 1-3) shot poorly in the second half. The Saints made just 1 of their first 12 shots in the second half. In the half, St. Francis made 7-of-29 (24.1 percent).
"In the second half, we had nothing going for us on offense," USF coach Pat Sullivan said. "Now as coaches, we have to figure out how to help our kids on offense.
"But it is important to take away the positives from this game. And tonight, we really guarded Olivet well. I'm proud of our kids. What a great effort they gave from start to finish."
For the game, St. Francis made 16-of-50 (32 percent). The Tigers (11-12, 3-1) shot 23-of-50 (46 percent).
Paving the way for the Saints was senior guard Chris Hobson (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL). The 6-foot-3 Hobson finished with 12 points.
Adding 10 points apiece were Jason Opoka (Lane Tech H.S./Chicago, IL) and Jeremy Kreiger (Joliet Township H.S./Joliet, IL).
"As badly as we played offensively, it still was a five-point game with eight or nine minutes to go," Sullivan said. "And let's give them credit. They play great on-ball defense and they do an extaordinary job with their help defense.
"And Ralph Hodge is as good a coach as there is on any level of basketball. He does a tremendous job with Olivet Nazarene and he has for years."
Leading the Tigers was Phil French. The 6-8 senior center shot 8-of-10 to finish with a game-high 22 points. He contributed 6-of-7 free throws and also had a game-high 9 rebounds.
"No. 45 (French) is an All-American and he plays like an All-American," Sullivan said. "He has my vote for All-American. The kid can play."
The Saints battled to a 13-13 tie with 12:33 to play in the first half.
Olivet Nazarene would go on a 12-1 run to take the lead for good. That made it 25-15 with 4:16 remaining on a rebound basket by Tyler Wallenfang (14 points, 7 rebounds).
But a late USF surge did cut the halftime margin to 29-25. Opoka hit a pair of 3-pointers in that spurt.
St. Francis made one last gasp in the second half. With 8:26 remaining in the game, St. Francis got to within 43-38 on a 3-pointer by Hobson.
The Tigers would then go on a 8-0 surge to get the lead up to 51-38 with 6:03 left. That was capped on an inside basket by Wallenfang.
St. Francis did get to within 57-47 with 2:27 left on a Kreiger driving layup.
"We could not put the ball into the basket when we needed to, but once again, I have to commend our kids for their effort," Sullivan said. "We are getting better, especially defensively.
"We wanted this to be a possession game."
St. Francis resumes play at 3 p.m. Saturday at IIT in CCAC play.
JANUARY 30:
SAINT XAVIER 84, USF 75
CHICAGO, Ill. — For the better part of the 2007-08 season, the complete game has evaded University of St. Francis.
That was never more evident than in the last five days facing NAIA powers Robert Morris College (ranked No. 7 in NAIA I) and Saint Xavier University (No. 22).
USF (8-13, 1-2) was tied with the former, 32-all, at the half before breaking down in the second half of an 84-59 loss on Saturday.
Then, on Wednesday, the Saints had Saint Xavier on the ropes for the first 28 minutes before dropping an 84-75 decision.
Leading 57-40 with 12:42 remaining, the Saints scored just two baskets over the next nine minutes in seeing their 17-point lead vanish into thin air and Saint Xavier take over the lead, 68-61, by the time the dust had settled.
“We never did attack their defense properly in the second half, and I put the blame on us as a coaching staff,” USF head coach Pat Sullivan said of SXU’s half-court trapping game that led to its 28-4 run. “I don’t know if we put our guys in the proper alignment or if we didn’t make the point of emphasis on how to attack them, but for whatever reason we kept going backwards, away from the basket.”
Ten of USF’s 13 turnovers in the second half came during Saint Xavier’s outburst, leading to the Cougars 26-16 scoring advantage off turnovers.
“Their defense just stifled our offense and led to great shots on the other end,” continued Sullivan.
Saint Xavier (18-5, 2-1) converted 10 of its 15 shots from the field during the stretch, while USF got only 6 shots off in the nine-minute span.
Offense was no problem for the Saints in the first half, where they jumped out to 14-2 and 29-15 leads before settling for a 43-34 advantage at the break.
USF shot 57 percent for the half (16 of 28) and, for the second straight game, was led by Lincoln-Way Central High School graduate Rob Rabenau. He scored 12 first-half points on 5-of-7 shooting.
Rabenau (23 points) then opened and closed a 14-6 run by the Saints to start the second half with a pair of baskets, providing USF with the 17-point advantage, its biggest of the night.
“We played brilliantly in the first half and even defensively in the second half. There wasn’t anything that we weren’t prepared for,” said Sullivan. “They’re good. Let’s not take that away from them. But, we could have shaken up the whole conference with a win tonight.”
Senior forward Chris Hobson (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL) added another 18 points for the Saints with senior guard Jason Opoka (Lane Tech H.S./Chicago, IL) collecting 16.
Saint Xavier’s Julian Scott led all scorers with 25 points.
CHICAGO, Ill. — You can only tease the bees’ hive so long before the inhabitants get angry enough to revolt.
University of St. Francis gave NAIA I No. 7-ranked Robert Morris College all it could handle in the first half of its Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference game on Saturday before the Eagles came out in determined fashion to score an 84-59 victory.
That came after the Saints limited Robert Morris (17-2, 2-0) for the first half. It was 32-32 at halftime. The Saints led by as many as three points and never trailed by more than six in the opening half. Much of USF's success came from strong inside play by junior center Rob Rabenau (Lincoln-Way Central H.S./New Lenox, IL) who made 7-of-9 shots and had 15 points at the breaks.
‘We played an awful second half, just awful,” USF coach Pat Sullivan said. “We told our guys at halftime that they would be ready to answer the bell in the second half, and we needed to be prepared.
“They had the mind set in the second half and we didn’t.”
The most agitated bee turned out to be a former UIC Flame. Illinois-Chicago transfer Othyus Jeffers, who led his previous team in scoring and rebounding a year ago, and is now doing the same in the CCAC for 2007-2008.
Averaging 19.7 points and 9.1 rebounds entering Saturday play, Jeffers was limited in the first half. He had just 6 points and 2 rebounds. The second half was a different story, with the 6-foot-5 senior forward leading Robert Morris’ attack — RMC outscored the Saints 52-27 — with 23 of his 29 points and nine of his 11 rebounds coming in the second half.
After being held to 42 percent shooting in the first 20 minutes, including just three three-pointers in 13 tries, RMC came out firing to open the second half. Andre White (17 points) hit three treys in the first two minutes alone to help open a 43-35 Eagle lead.
USF (8-12, 1-1) reduced the deficit to 43-40 before Robert Morris broke loose on a 17-5 outburst fueled by five Jeffers’ baskets, including three dunks.
Rabenau finished with a game-high 17 points but had just two shots in the second half. Chris Hobson (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL) scored 15 points. Junior point guard Jeremy Kreiger (Joliet Township H.S./Joliet, IL) led USF with nine rebounds and five assists.
The Saints travel to Saint Xavier on Wednesday evening for their third straight CCAC road encounter to open the conference season.
JANUARY 23 :
USF 70, INDIANA SOUTH BEND 69
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — University of St. Francis did not have many leads Wednesday night in its Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference opener at Indiana South Bend, but it did at the end when it mattered the most.
Taking only its fourth lead of the night at 67-66 with 3:11 to play, the Saints used that steal and ensuing basket and three more points from Chris Hobson (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL) down the stretch to secure a 70-69 victory over the Titans.
“This is a gret win,” said USF coach Pat Sullivan. “IUSB is so good at the guard spot. I believe that this IUSB team will beat some of the top teams in the conference this year.”
Tyler Leighton and Dewey Brown and the Titans’ transition game proved that point in the opening 20 minutes when IUSB built a 41-32 halftime lead. Leighton nailed three treys and 6-of-9 shots overall for 15 first-half points, while Brown added another 12. IUSB (13-8, 0-1) also outscored the Saints, 17-7, off turnovers in the opening half.
USF’s only advantages came at 4-2 and 11-10 before Leighton, Brown and crew went on a 13-2 run in building a 23-13 lead for the Titans with 7:55 remaining.
USF (8-11, 1-0) came back with its own 12-3 push but would only get as close as 26-25 a closing 8-2 surge by IUSB gave the Titans their nine-point cushion at the break.
IUSB pushed its lead back up to double digits twice at 47-33 and 51-41 in the second half before the Saints started chipping away at the deficit.
“The key for us was to stop their transition game,” said Sullivan. “They had 41 points in the first half and I think 24 came in transition.
“We played better defensively and elected to change our whole lineup to match theirs, going with a small lineup and taking their guards off the dribble.”
The Saints still had to rely on their big men, as well.
They went inside to Rob Rabenau (Lincoln-Way Central H.S./New Lenox, IL) who finished with a team-high 20 points to cut the deficit down to a workable margin and used a pair of buckets by Ian Jones (Reavis H.S./Burbank, IL) -- the latter being a traditional three-point play -- to pull within 58-57.
Tristan Therkield (Richards H.S./Oak Lawn, IL) then hit a short jumper in the lane to put USF ahead, 61-60, for the first time since the 12:20 mark of the first half.
That lead lasted just over one minute before IUSB regained the advantage and held it until the three-minute mark neared.
“We never quit tonight,” said Sullivan. “We never quit playing, especially at the defensive end. It feels good to start off the conference season on a good note. This team spoiled our conference home opener last year so we owed them one.”
After allowing IUSB to shoot 52 percent in the first half, the Saints held the Titans to 42 percent marksmanship from the floor in the second half, including just 13 percent from three-point range.
Hobson, Therkield and Dan Kieres (Northridge Prep/Chicago, IL) all finished with 10 points to join Rabenau in double figures. Hobson also led the Saints with four steals.
JANUARY 17 :
USF 75, PURDUE NORTH CENTRAL 63
MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. — With the start of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference season beckoning next Wednesday, University of St. Francis was hoping for a good primer Thursday night and the Saints got it gaining a hard-fought 75-63 victory over Purdue North Central at the Marquette High School Scholl Center.
After falling behind by eight pooints in the game’s first 10 minutes, USF battled back to score straight 10 points and grab a 26-24 lead with 6:15 left before halftime. The two teams traded leads before the intermission, with USF taking a 37-35 edge into the locker room on a pair of Chris Hobson (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL) free throws in the final seconds.
The Saints immediately asserted control in the second half behind the pinpoint three-point shooting of senior guard Jason Opoka (Lane Tech H.S./Chicago, IL).
Opoka made 4-of-6 threes and capped a pivotal 10-0 run with a pair of treys that stopped a late PNC rally and extended USF’s 62-57 lead to an insurmountable 70-57 margin with 4:45 left in the game.
The Saints shot 68.2 percent from the floor in the second half (15-of-22) and made 6-of-11 three-pointers in the final 20 minutes.
Three Saints scored in double figures, led by Hobson’s 20 points. Junior center Rob Rabenau (Lincoln-Way Central H.S./New Lenox, IL) notched 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Both Hobson and Rabenau scored a dozen points each in the first half.
Opoka finished with 12 points on his quartet of treys. Senior forward Barry Murdock (Joliet Township H.S./Joliet, IL) added six points and a game-high nine rebounds and three steals. Junior point guard Jeremy Kreiger (Joliet Township H.S./Joliet, IL) ran the offense with a season-high matching seven assists.
USF opens CCAC play at Indiana South Bend next Wednesday (Jan. 23) at 7 p.m. EST.
JANUARY 12 :
GEORGETOWN (KY) 88, USF 64
GEORGETOWN, Ky. --- Already the winningest men's basketball program in the history of the NAIA, Georgetown College (KY) added another notch to that mark of distinction when it cruised by University of St. Francis, 88-64, Saturday afternoon.
With the victory, the No. 2-ranked Tigers also remained unbeaten on the season at 16-0.
"We just dug ourselves too big of a hole in the first half," said USF
head coach Pat Sullivan, whose team trailed 55-26 at the break.
"Thirteen of our 17 turnovers came in the first half and many of those errors that we made early were our own fault."
Shooting just 33.3 percent from the field in the first half (9-of-27)
added to USF's early woes, as did a 7-of-12 effort from the foul line.
"We just did not come out at the beginning and play the way we are
capable of playing," added Sullivan. "But at the same time, they have a lot, a lot, a lot of athletes. And their big men have a lot of
athleticism. They can all play inside and score.
"If they do have a flaw, it might be their outside shooting."
Not on this afternoon, unfortunately for the Saints, especially in the
first half.
There, Georgetown converted 5-of-6 three-pointers as part of an overall
.571 shooting mark from the field (20-of-35) in the initial 20 minutes. In the second half, the Tigers missed all 7 trey attempts and were just 13-of-31 from the field (.419).
Even with those latter numbers, combined with the Saints outscoring
Georgetown, 38-33, after halftime, USF (6-11) still came up 24 points short.
"We showed good discipline in the second half and only turned the ball four times," said Sullivan. "That is what we needed to do in the first 20 minutes to even have a chance.
"They are just awfully good."
All 11 Georgetown players that saw action scored, four of which reached double figures topped by Demetrius Guoins' 17 points off the bench.
The Tigers also held a commanding 43-24 advantage on the boards.
Tristan Therkield was one of only two Saints to net at least 9 points, finishing with a team-high 10 off the bench.
JANUARY 5:
CALUMET (IN) 76, USF 65
JOLIET — Calumet College of St. Joseph (IN) played a version of “Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside” and rallied from a seven-point deficit in the second half to defeat University of St. Francis, 76-65, at the USF Recreation Center Saturday night.
“Mr. Inside” was 6-foot-9-inch center Tom Radtke who scored 20 points — 10 in each half — and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds for the Crimson Wave (9-7). His outside counterpart — shooting guard Marcellus Phelps — scored a game-high 25 points and also collected seven rebounds. The duo made 18-of-24 shots between them and helped the Crimson Wave shoot just under 50 percent for the game.
“We knew we’d have to bring our best game out tonight and we sure didn’t do that,” said a disappointed USF coach Pat Sullivan. “We just missed too many good shots. We tried so hard but we couldn’t get the ball to go in.”
The Saints shot just 38.5 percent from the floor. USF leading scorer Chris Hobson (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL) made only 8-of-21 shots but still finished with 21 points on the night.
Calumet held a 37-33 halftime lead but USF took control early in the second half and ripped off a 17-6 run to take a 50-43 edge with 12:32 left.
Calumet then rode the hot shooting of both Phelps and Radtke and worked its way back to take a 54-53 lead with 7:30 to go.
After the Saints’ Ian Jones (Reavis H.S./Burbank, IL) put USF back in front by a point, Calumet made its game-winning push with a 16-6 run that gave the visitors a 70-61 lead with only 1:13 to play.
“You have to give them (Calumet) credit,” said Sullivan. “They really played well down the stretch and made the shots when they had to.”
Hobson’s 21 points included 13 in the second half. Senior forward Barry Murdock (Joliet Township H.S./Joliet, IL) was USF’s leader in the first half, notching 12 of his 17 points in the first 20 minutes.
Murdock was the one Saint with a good shooting touch on the night, canning 6-of-11 shots including 4-of-6 in the first half. He also drained 3-of-4 treys.
Jones also scored in double figures with 11 and he shared rebounding honors with Murdock with 8 boards.
DECEMBER 30 :
USF 82, BELOIT (WI) 73, OT
DUBUQUE, Iowa -- After giving up a pair of late leads that resulted in losses earlier this year, University of St. Francis gained one of those back Sunday night in claiming an 82-73 overtime victory over Beloit (Wis.) College to earn tournament fifth-place honors at the Clarke College Holiday Tournament.
Trailing by eight points with 2:28 to play in regulation, the Saints closed out the half with an improbable 8-2 run capped by Chris Hobson's (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL) short jumper with 3 seconds remaining to force overtime.
USF (6-9) continued that run into overtime, building the final 9-point cushion leading the Saints to their third victory in four games.
"It was a great win for us to close out 2007," said USF head coach Pat Sullivan. "Our kids never gave up. They just fought all night and received their just reward."
Barry Murdock (Joliet Township H.S./Joliet, IL) also received his just reward. He was named the player of the game after notching his first double-double as a Saint with his 12-point, 11-rebound performance off the bench.
"Barry had two great games out here for us," added Sullivan.
"Not only did he produce the numbers that he did, but he also stopped one of their top scorers."
Beloit's Andy Horton came in averaging better than 21 points per game, while shooting 71 percent from the field. On Sunday, he netted 15, but was only 7-of-16 from the floor.
Also crucial to the Saints' victory was a season-high .926 shooting mark from the foul line. USF converted all but 2 of its 27 free throws on the night, including 12 of 13 in the overtime session.
Rob Rabenau (Lincoln-Way Central H.S./New Lenox, IL) led the way for the Saints with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Hobson collected 14, with Sam Robinson (Washington H.S./Chicago, IL) adding 11.
USF never led by more than 2 points in the first half and entered the break tied at 32. Beloit (1-8) led the entire second half, including as high as 9 points, before the Saints chipped away at that deficit.
Hobson was named to the all-tournament team at the conclusion of the event. He also won the tournament's slam dunk competition which was held on Saturday.
DECEMBER 28 :
USF 78, CARDINAL STRITCH (WI) 64
DUBUQUE, Iowa — It took University of St. Francis about 7 minutes to finally wake up, but the Fighting Saints finally found their game with a 78-64 come-from-behind victory over Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) in the second round of the Clarke College Holiday Tournament.
Cardinal Stritch (6-9) jumped out to a 13-2 lead in the first 4 minutes and held a 15-4 edge at the 13:55 mark before the Fighting Saints finally got moving.
USF (5-9) used a 9-2 run, which started with a pair of Chris Hobson (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL) buckets, to trim the lead to 4 points at 17-13 and stop Stritch's early momentum.
The Saints stayed within 6 points and finally took their first lead at 25-23 on a Rob Rabenau (Lincoln-Way Central H.S./New Lenox, IL) jumper with 7:41 left before halftime.
Stritch managed to tie the score one more time at 32-32 but USF never again relinquished the lead.
The Saints led 36-32 at the half and built their second-half margin to as much as 17 points at 78-61.
Hobson led the Saints with 24 points, canning 11-of-20 shots from the floor. Rabenau added 10 points. Barry Murdock (Joliet Township H.S./Joliet, IL) added 8 points and led all rebounders in the game with 10 caroms. Jeremy Kreiger (Joliet Township H.S./Joliet, IL) ran the USF offense with 7 assists.
The Saints are off Saturday and play in the tourney's fifth-place game Sunday night at 7 p.m.
DECEMBER 27 :
CLARKE (IA) 72, USF 58
DUBUQUE, Iowa -- University of St. Francis knew it was in for a tough time Thursday when it drew the host school in the first game of the Clarke College Holiday Tournament.
Despite owning just a 4-7 record entering the tourney, Clarke was every bit as tough as a host school should be, knocking off the Saints 72-58.
USF (4-9) never led in the game and tied the Crusaders only twice all night but still trailed by only 2 points at the half and was within 6 points with 2:08 left in the game. But Clarke then scored the game's final 8 points and won by 14 points which matched its biggest lead of the game.
The Saints kept the game within 8 points for most of the first half but found themselves down 10 at 30-20 with 3:16 left. USF used an 11-3 run to close the half with just a 2-point deficit at 33-31.
The Saints tied the game 3 minutes into the second half at 38-38 and kept the margin at no more than 3 points through the first 6 minutes of the final half.
Clarke then ran off a 17-6 spurt to open up a 14-point cushion at 60-46.
A 12-4 USF run -- sparked by 2 baskets each from Chris Hobson (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL) and Rob Rabenau (Lincoln-Way Central H.S./New Lenox, IL) and Jason Opoka's (Lane Tech H.S./Chicago, IL) 4-point play -- got the Saints back within reach at 64-58 with 2:08 left.
But the Saints had no more offensive weapons left in their arsenal and would not score again.
Hobson led USF with 20 points, making 8 baskets that included 2-of-2 shooting from 3-point range. Rabenau added 13 points and led the Saints with 7 rebounds. Opoka finished with 9 points and also hit a pair of threes.
The Saints move into the loser's bracket of the 8-team tournament and will play Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) Friday at 3:30 p.m.
DECEMBER 19:
USF 91, JUDSON 79
ELGIN, Ill. -- Big contributions from its big men and a 56-point outburst in the second half keyed a 91-79 victory over Judson University for University of St. Francis Wednesday night.
Junior center Ian Jones (Reavis H.S./Burbank, IL) set the tone for the inside game on the night, scoring all 8 of his points in the opening half before Sam Robinson (Washington H.S./Chicago, IL) and Rob Rabenau (Lincoln-Way Central H.S./New Lenox, IL) took charge. Rabenau authored 14 of his 18 points after halftime and Robinson did nearly the same (11 of his 17 points) in enabling the Saints to completely wipe out a 42-35 deficit at the break.
In all, the trio accounted for nearly one half of the St. Francis offense, producing 43 of the club’s 91 points.
“The last two games our emphasis has been to get the ball inside and the results have been 84 points in regulation against Hillsdale and 91 tonight,” pointed out USF head coach Pat Sullivan. “You have to give a lot of credit to our big men, especially Rob and Ian, for the way they have been going at teams.”
Senior forward Chris Hobson (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL) went at Judson in the second half. The Saints’ leading scorer, Hobson was held scoreless in the game’s first 15 minutes before tallying his game-high 20 markers the rest of the way, including 15 in the decisive second half. Jason Opoka (Lane Tech H.S./Chciago, IL) also finished in double figures with 10 points.
The Saints actually trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half, 36-21, before whittling that deficit in half by the break, 42-35.
USF (4-8) did not take its first lead of the game until 11:35 remained in the contest when Robinson hit a jumper, putting the Saints up 59-58. They would never trail again.
“We played very poorly the first half, yet trailed by only seven,” said Sullivan. “In the second half, we played superbly.”
Credit USF’s defense for the turnaround. Despite Judson shooting 53.4 percent from the field for the game, the Saints were able to create 22 turnovers on the night resulting in a 23-2 advantage on points off turnovers. Of those 23, 18 came in the second half.
“We have been trying to shore up our defense and that’s what led to the turnovers which resulted in the easy baskets and giving us the lead,” said Sullivan.
DECEMBER 17 :
HILLSDALE (MI) 97, USF 96 (OT)
JOLIET — Senior forward Chris Hobson (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL) scored a career-high 30 points and junior center Rob Rabenau (Lincoln-Way Central H.S./New Lenox, IL) added a career-best 22 off the bench but it wasn’t quite enough offense as the Fighting Saints dropped a tense, 97-96 overtime decision to NCAA Division II Hillsdale College (MI) on Monday night at the USF Recreation Center.
Hillsdale scored the game-winning basket with just five seconds left in overtime on a driving layup by Tim Homan who matched Hobson with a game-high total of 30 points.
Hobson got one last desperation attempt off at the buzzer but it bounced off the rim and Hillside (6-3) escaped with the victory.
USF (3-8) appeared to be on its way to an upset victory over the DII Chargers as the Saints battled back from a 13-point first-half deficit (37-24 with 7:35 left) and pushed its way to three 12-point leads in the second half. USF’s last dozen point advantage came with a 77-65 margin and 7:20 left in regulation.
Hillsdale slowly cut into that lead, cutting it to a single point at 80-79 with just over three minutes left and finally overcame the Saints at 84-82 on a three-pointer by Homan with 1:34 remaining.
Hobson was then fouled on a three-point try and made two of the three foul shots to tie the game at 84-84 with 57 seconds left. Homan and Hobson again traded baskets in the final minute, with Hobson’s tying the game with just 13 seconds left, and the teams headed for overtime.
Hillsdale scored the first point of the extra session but USF was able to regain the lead and push the margin to four points at 94-90 on a driving layup by junior point guard Jeremy Kreiger (Joliet Township H.S./Joliet, IL) with 1:39 left.
Homan countered with yet another three-pointer just 16 seconds later to make it a one-point game. Hobson made two free throws for USF at the 1:01 mark and Hillsdale responded with a pair of free throws by Travis Worst to again bring the Chargers within one at 96-95 with 43 ticks left on the clock.
USF worked the clock down to 15 seconds but Kreiger was unable to connect on two straight free throws, giving Hillsdale and Homan a chance to take the lead. Homan’s drive to the basket with five seconds left accounted for the winning points.
The Saints won most of the statistical battles, except for the all-important final score. USF shot 59.3 percent from the floor (35-of-59), compared to Hillsdale’s 52.2 (36-of-69). The Saints made 23-of-29 free throws and Hillsdale managed to make just 17-of-22. USF won the battle of the boards, 32-27, but Hillsdale had fewer turnovers, committing just 15 compared to USF’s 18.
A big factor for Hillsdale came behind the three-point arc as the Chargers made 8-of-20 treys and USF hit on only 3-of-8.
Rabenau did most of his damage for USF in the opening half, coming off the bench and scoring 14 points.
The Saints have little time to think about a 12-point lead getting away as they travel to Elgin on Wednesday night for a nonconference matchup with Judson University.
NOTES: Rabenau’s 22-point effort marked just the second 20-plus scoring night by a Saint other than Hobson this season. Ian Jones (Reavis H.S./Burbank, IL) notched 23 points against College of the Ozarks (MO) in Joliet back on Nov. 17 ... The Saints missed only six free throws on the night, but three came in the final 1:01 of the overtime period ... USF had four players overall in double figures with Jones adding 14 points and Jason Opoka (Lane Tech H.S./Chicago, IL) finishing with 10 ... Senior transfer Barry Murdock (Joliet Townhip H.S./Joliet, IL) made his first start for the Saints and led the team with seven rebounds, all at the defensive end ... Hillsdale got 73 of its 97 points from three players. In addition to Homan’s 30, Worst added 23 and center Tony Gugino pitched in 20.
DECEMBER 8:
HUNTINGTON (IN) 95, USF 60
HUNTINGTON, Ind. --- University of St. Francis head coach Pat Sullivan considered Saturday’s 95-60 thumping to Huntington University (Ind.) an aberration.
While wins have been hard to come by for the Saints (3-7) thus far this season, the 32-year veteran head coach felt his team had been in each of the previous seven setbacks. The margins of those losses back that statement up with four of the six losses coming by single digits and the other two by 15 points.
On Saturday, they were not against a team with only three upperclassmen dotting its roster.
Things started to unravel for the Saints at the 7-minute mark of the first half when they trailed just 18-16. From there, Huntington (9-3) went on a 21-6 run to build a 39-23 advantage at the break.
And, it wasn’t that the Saints did not have any chances. Six times in that closing 7-minute span, USF went to the foul line and came away empty each time. For the half, the Saints were just 3-of-10.
Added to that was a 3-for-9 shooting mark from the field at the end of the half.
Huntington did not let up in the second half, shooting at a .629 clip from the field (22-of-35) in outscoring the Saints, 56-37, after the break and leading by no less than 20 points after the 14:11 mark.
Huntington’s starting five keyed the blowout outscoring their counterparts by a 58-25 margin. Three Forester starters topped the 13-point mark led by Kyle Benge’s 20 points. Kevin Kyle authored another 17 points and a game-high 11 rebounds enabling Huntington to gain a decisive 41-29 advantage on the boards, as well.
Senior guard Barry Murdock (Joliet Township H.S./Joliet, IL) paced the Saints, coming off the bench to score a season-high 16 points. Senior guard Chris Hobson (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL) was the only other Saint to manage more than six points, finishing with 10.
DECEMBER 4:
USF
91, TRINITY INTERNATIONAL 83
JOLIET --- University of St. Francis’ Chris Hobson (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL) has performed well on stage all year long, leading the Saints in scoring in seven of nine games.
The problem has been his supporting cast, or lack thereof.
That changed Tuesday night at the Rec Center, where Hobson and company choreographed a 91-83 victory over Trinity International University to snap a four-game losing skid.
Hobson led USF (3-6) in the scoring column again, capping his seventh 20-point showing with a pair of dunks off steals in the closing minute of play, but for the first time this season the Saints put four players in double figures in netting the season-high 91 points.
“We aren’t near where we need to be offensively, but we exchanged the ball a lot more and got contributions from a lot of players,” said USF head coach Pat Sullivan. “I thought Sam (Robinson, Washington H.S./Chicago, IL) had a great start and Jason Opoka (Lane Tech H.S./Chicago, IL) hit some big baskets.”
Robinson (17 points) helped the Saints jump out to an initial 19-8 lead, but the pesky Trojans would not go away.
Another 11-point advantage (35-24) for the Saints with 5:34 remaining in the half was eventually whittled down to 41-39 at the break.
Trinity International (2-10) got as close as one, 43-42, in the opening minute of the second half, but Hobson and Opoka, who authored 10 of his 15 points in the second half, would never let the Trojans get any closer.
USF eventually reopened its lead back to 11, 80-69, with 2:34 to play before TIU charged back to within 84-80 with 60 seconds to play.
Hobson then “sealed the deal” with his back-to-back steals and authoritative dunks.
Jeremy Krieger (Joliet Township H.S./Joliet, IL) joined the double-figure club with his 10 points, while Jeff Miller (Stagg H.S./Palos Hills, IL) came up one point shy with nine in his first collegiate start.
They all helped contribute to a 52.6 percent shooting mark from the field (30-of-57), including a red-hot .615 clip from three-point range (8-of-13).
“It was a good win for us,” added Sullivan, whose team travels to Huntington College (Ind.) Saturday at 2 p.m.
NOVEMBER 27:
ASHFORD (IA) 52, USF
50
CLINTON, Iowa -- The offensive woes continued for University of St. Francis and with it came the Saints' fourth straight loss, a 52-50 defeat at the hands of Ashford University on Tuesday.
The Saints (2-6) struggled to get on track all night, beginning in the first half when they were limited to just 18 points. A 33 percent shooting mark and 12 first-half turnovers contributed to the 28-18 halftime deficit.
St. Francis held its biggest lead at 13-8 at the 8:44 of the first half, but then went into a 2-for-11 shooting funk with six turnovers leading to Ashford (6-1) outscoring the Saints 20-5 for the final 9:00 and the resulting 10-point advantage.
USF rallied twice in the second half, including the first 4:24 when it scored nine of the first 11 points in closing the gap to 30-27. The Saints eventually worked it to 41-39 with 6:35 remaining before Ashford answered with the next seven points to go up 48-39.
Despite its offensive struggles, the Saints failed to give in. They held Ashford without a basket in the game's final 5:00.
USF got to within 48-47 with 1:19 to play on an Ian Jones (Reavis H.S./Burbank, IL) rebound basket, but the Saints could not convert on a go-ahead 3-pointer at the 1:00 mark.
Ashford then solved its scoring drought with a basket at the :22 mark and added another pair of free throws by Daniel Joiner (23 points) after another missed trey by the Saints to give Ashford a 52-47 lead with 0:05 left.
Chris Hobson (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL) led USF with 14 points, but the 21-point average scorer shot 5-of-17.
NOVEMBER 24:
LEWIS 70, USF
55
JOLIET — Senior forward Chris Hobson (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL) scored a game-high 26 points but had little help offensively as University of St. Francis dropped its third straight game, a 70-55 verdict to NCAA Division II Lewis at the USF Recreation Center Saturday night.
The Saints hung with the bigger and deeper Flyers for the game’s first 32 minutes, trailing just 48-45 as the second half clocked ticked down toward the 8:00 mark.
But Lewis then took control, scoring the next nine points to push the lead to a dozen at 57-45 with 6:33 left. USF could get no closer than nine points the rest of the way as the Flyers controlled the final minutes of play.
Hobson nearly tallied half of the USF scoring total all by himself. He scored the Saints’ first six points and had 11 of USF’s 23 first-half points.
Lewis led most of the first half but by no more than seven points. The Saints led twice in the opening 20 minutes, once at 9-6 and again at 20-19 with 3:30 left.
USF trailed 25-23 at the half and managed to lead once in the final half at 39-38 with 12:58 left. The biggest Lewis lead was just seven points until the Flyers went on their 9-0 run midway through the second half.
USF had three players with six each, including Ian Jones (Reavis H.S./Burbank, IL), Rob Rabenau (Lincoln-Way Central H.S./New Lenox, IL) and Sam Robinson (Washington H.S./Chicago, IL). Jones and Rabenau shared the team lead with half a dozen rebounds apiece.
Lewis placed three scorers in double figures, topped by Jason Genova’s 24. Stephan Bolt added 22 points and a game-high 18 rebounds and Dustin Warfield added 12.
The loss drops USF to 2-5 on the season. The Saints travel to Clinton, Iowa, on Tuesday night for a non-conference match at Ashford University.
NOTES: USF coach Pat Sullivan altered his starting lineup for the first time this season. He started Dan Kieres (Northridge Prep/Chicago, IL) and Jones in place of Tristan Therkield (Richards H.S./Oak Lawn, IL) and Robinson ... The Saints shot 38.6 percent from the floor (22-of-57) but made just 4-of-20 (20.0 percent) from three-point range.
NOVEMBER 20 :
ST. AMBROSE (IA) 84, USF
69
DAVENPORT -- University of St. Francis brought the initial burst but St. Ambrose University kept its intensity for 40 minutes in an 84-69 victory Tuesday night at Lee Lohman Arena.
Looking to forget its 86-82 overtime setback to College of the Ozarks last Saturday night, when the Saints' nine-point lead disappeared, St. Francis (2-4) jumped on top of the Bees 8-1. Six of USF's eight points in the initial 3-minute burst came on points off turnovers.
Flat-footed at first, St. Ambrose (2-3) got back up to speed after that responding with the next 11 points to take a 12-8 lead.
Three ties ensued before the hosts went on another 12-2 surge to turn a 16-14 deficit into a 26-18 lead. Much of that was St. Ambrose's ability to catch the Saints off guard following their own baskets as well as taking advantage of second-chance baskets. The Bees got 15 of their first-half points off second chances via 14 offensive rebounds. For the half, St. Ambrose outrebounded USF 23-18.
At the break St. Ambrose held its biggest lead at 41-32.
"I was disappointed in the way we played in the first half," USF coach Pat Sullivan said. "We tried to change personnel thinking that would give us energy, but that didn't work."
Like the first half, St. Francis opened the second half by scoring eight of the first 10 points to pull within 43-40 at the 17:24 mark.
"I was pleased that we did get it down to 10 points in the second half," Sullivan said. "We didn't quit but unfortunately we didn't get it under the 10-point margin.
"Right now we have to go back to the drawing board on what we are doing offensively. We just aren't proficient right now."
St. Ambrose, winner of two straight, used its same recipe of rebound baskets and fast-breaks to again pull away from the Saints over the next five minutes. During that span, the Bees went on a 17-2 run including six straight possessions with baskets for an unanswered 13-0 run and an eventual 60-42 lead with 12:10 to play.
The Saints put one last fight together, pulling to within 10 points twice 67-57 with 7:12 remaining and 71-61 with 5:43 to play but could never reduce the deficit into single digits.
"They were running a guy out on the shot and that was a bench fault," Sullivan said of St. Ambrose's fast-breaking. "We made some adjustments, but we needed to make quicker adjustments."
Chris Hobson (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL) led the way for the Saints with 24 points on 11-of-16 shooting. Jeremy Kreiger (Joliet Township H.S./Joliet, IL) was the only other Saint in double figures with 11. St. Ambrose was led by Alex Burkle's 20 points. The Bees, who shot 58 percent in the second half, outrebounded the Saints 43-33, with 22 of the boards coming on the offensive end.
NOVEMBER 17:
COLLEGE OF THE OZARKS 86, USF
82 (OT)
JOLIET — College of the Ozarks (MO) battled back from a nine-point deficit in the final minute of regulation to force overtime and then outlasted USF in the five-minute extra session to defeat the Saints, 86-82.
St. Francis had control of the game but four costly turnovers in its own backcourt in the final minute turned the complexion of the game.
The Saints were outscored 10-1 in that final minute but did have the last shot in regulation, a three-point attempt by Chris Hobson (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL) that caromed off the rim and took the game into overtime.
The Saints scored first in the extra session and did not give up the lead until the 1:35 mark when Ozarks grabbed an 80-78 advantage. USF tied it one more time at 80-80 but a pair of free throws at the 1:08 mark and a jumper from the corner with 23 seconds left put USF in a four-point hole from which it could not recover.
The Saints had taken the lead at 13-11 at the 10:31 mark of the opening half and did not trail again until the final 1:35 of overtime.
Junior reserve center Ian Jones (Reavis H.S./Burbank, IL) scored a career-high 23 points and added 10 rebounds to lead USF in both categories. Jones sank 9-of-12 shots and seven of his 10 rebounds came at the offensive glass.
Hobson finished the game with 21 points and junior forward Sam Robinson (Washington H.S./Chicago, IL) added 10.
USF fell to 2-3 with the loss, while Ozarks -- who was tied for No. 23 in the NAIA Division II preseason poll -- improved to 5-1.
NOVEMBER 14:
USF
82, INDIANA NORTHWEST 52
PALOS HILLS, Ill. --- Indiana University Northwest may have had four players score in double figures, while University of St. Francis had only two but the Saints put 13 players in the scorebook altogether and cruised to an 82-52 victory at Moraine Valley Community College Wednesday night.
Playing with a cast of only six players, Indiana Northwest (1-4) jumped out to an initial 9-4 lead in the game’s first 5:44, but the Redhawks were held to just eight points the rest of the half while the Saints were quadrupling that count in building a comfortable 35-17 advantage at the break.
Reserves Jason Opoka (Lane Tech H.S./Chicago, IL) (11 points) and Zach Jones (Morris H.S./Morris, IL) (6 points, 3 rebounds) helped USF turn the five-point deficit into a 10-point lead, 19-9, by the 7:33 mark and the Saints never looked back going up by as many as 20 points in the opening half.
In the second half, the Saints never led by less than the 20-point margin and pushed it as high as 42, 73-31, with just over eight minutes remaining in the contest.
USF (2-2) shot a season-high 52.3 percent from the field (34-of-65), while limiting the opposition to just 36 percent shooting (18-of-50). The Saints also more than doubled the short-handed Redhawks on the boards, outrebounding them, 48-21.
Senior forward Chris Hobson (Eisenhower H.S./Blue Island, IL) paced the Saints for the third time in four games, totaling 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting. Four other Saints tallied at least six markers.
Junior center Ian Jones (Reavis H.S./Burbank, IL) and senior forward Reggie Davis (Bloom H.S./Chicago Heights, IL) led the Saints on the boards with a game-high eight rebounds each.
USF returns to the Rec Center Saturday night hosting College of the Ozarks (Mo.) at 7:30 p.m.
NOTES: In the three games in which Hobson has led the team in scoring, he has accounted for no less than 23 points … Wednesday
