MARION, Ind. -- University of Saint Francis (Ind.) led by as many as 21 points today as Indiana Wesleyan University men’s basketball was shocked at home in a 72-63 final score in Luckey Arena.

No. 19 Saint Francis (10-3, 3-0 CL) used a pair of huge runs in the first half coupled with 11 first half turnovers by Indiana Wesleyan to switch a six point deficit into a 16 point halftime lead. Saint Francis is now one of two unbeaten teams in the Crossroads League as Indiana Wesleyan suffers its first loss.

“It was all turnovers,” said Indiana Wesleyan head coach Greg Tonagel. “When you turn it over and give possessions to the other team with 2-on-1 or 3-on-1 situations they are going to make you pay. And that is what they did to us today.”

With the game five minutes old, Lane Mahurin scored in the paint to give the Wildcats their largest lead of the afternoon at 13-7. But the Cougars scored the next 13 points in less than three and a half minutes to suddenly claim a 20-17 lead with 12 minutes left in the half.

RJ Mahurin added a bucket in the paint with 5:31 on the clock to bring Indiana Wesleyan within two points at 26-24. The Mahurin basket was the final points in the half as Saint Francis finished the period on a 14-0 run to take a 40-24 advantage into intermission.

“We just turned it over,” added Tonagel. “It wasn’t like they were pressuring us. It was us not being smart with the basketball, staring down passes, forcing stuff inside. We’re not playing with a lot of flow right now offensively.”

Saint Francis gained their first 20 point lead six minutes into the second half at 55-35 and extended it to a game-high 21 points at 59-38 with 11:18 to play.

Shortly after falling behind by 21 points, Indiana Wesleyan made its run. Jordan Weidner scored seven of his game-high 23 points over a three minute span which saw a 20 point deficit cut to just eight at 61-53 and 6:35 still to play. But Saint Francis withstood the rally and scored eight of the next 10 points to put the game away for good.

“They kept fighting and they kept playing,” Tonagel said about his teams’ comeback attempt. “They didn’t give up and I am proud of them for that. But you just can’t dig a hole like that, especially at home.”

Indiana Wesleyan committed 19 turnovers for the second straight contest. Saint Francis was able to take full advantage of all the miscues and won the game with a 28-9 advantage in points off turnovers.

“It’s the key to the game right there,” said Tonagel of the turnovers. “We dug such a huge hole in the first half it was going to take a miracle to get out of it in the second half.”

Weidner finished with game-bests of 23 points and five assists while RJ Mahurin added a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Lane Mahurin had nine points and nine rebounds off the bench and DJ Bettinger finished with seven points.

Indiana Wesleyan shot 45.5-percent (25 of 55) as a team and 81.8-percent (9 of 11) from the free throw line but struggled from deep at 18.2-percent (4 of 22) from 3-point range.

Indiana Wesleyan will now start a string of four consecutive non-league games through the rest of December. The first of those games comes at home next Saturday versus Olivet (Mich.).