MARION, Ind. -- Two top five teams battled on Saturday as No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan University men’s basketball fell 82-67 at No. 5 Saint Francis (Ind.) in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Indiana Wesleyan took a three point lead into halftime but Saint Francis outscored IWU 48-30 in the second half to pull out the victory and lay claim to first place in the Crossroads League.

Game Vitals

• Score:  Indiana Wesleyan - 67   |   Saint Francis - 82
• Records:  Indiana Wesleyan 17-3, 5-3 Crossroads League   |   Saint Francis 17-3, 7-1 Crossroads League
• NAIA Top- 25 Rank:  Indiana Wesleyan - No. 2   |   Saint Francis - No. 5
• Location:   Hutzell Athletic Center   |   University of Saint Francis   |   Fort Wayne, Indiana 
• Brief:  Two top five teams battled on Saturday as No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan University men’s basketball fell 82-67 at No. 5 Saint Francis (Ind.) in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Indiana Wesleyan took a three point lead into halftime but Saint Francis outscored IWU 48-30 in the second half to pull out the victory and lay claim to first place in the Crossroads League.
   

What Went Down

• Indiana Wesleyan opened the game on an 8-0 run.
• Saint Francis gained their largest lead in the first half at 32-26 with 4:29 left.
• Indiana Wesleyan used an 11-2 run to close out the opening half to take a 37-34 lead into halftime.
• The Wildcats led 45-40 early in the second half but the Cougars exploded for a 24-3 run to lead 64-48 with 6:43 left in the game. That run lasted exactly 10 minutes as IWU had one field goal made in 8:50.
• The Saint Francis lead was 11 or more points the rest of the game.
• Josh Mawhorr (SR/Muncie, Ind.) had a team-best 22 points while Jonny Marlin (SR/Greenwood, Ind.) contributed 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists.
• The Wildcats shot 34.8-percent (23 of 66) for the game, including 30.3-percent (10 of 33) in the second half. The Cougars won the battle on the boards, 44-30.
• Indiana Wesleyan shot 29 3-pointers but connected on just 9 for a 31-percent mark.
• Saint Francis boasted five players in double figures as the team shot 54.7-percent (29 of 53) from the field.
  
   

Extra! Extra!

• Indiana Wesleyan was held to under 40-percent shooting for the first time this season as they finished at 34.8-percent.
• The loss is the first this season for Indiana Wesleyan vs. a top-10 opponent. IWU had defeated the first four teams this season against teams ranked in the top-10.
• Saint Francis has won four straight games against top-25 opponents.
• With the victory Saint Francis has sole possession of first place in the Crossroads League at 7-1. Indiana Wesleyan drops into a third place tie with Bethel (Ind.) and Marian (Ind.) with 5-3 records.
  
   

Next Time Out

• Indiana Wesleyan returns to Marion to host Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Luckey Arena. Indiana Pacers mascot Boomer will be at the game to cheer on the Wildcats.