HUNTINGTON, Ind. — After third-ranked University of Saint Francis took a 2-0 lead, the Cougars looked like they were driving to work on an ice-glazed highway and slid into a 97-71 ditch at Huntington University on Tuesday night.
The unranked Foresters took the lead on a Tyler Arens 3-pointer which became a theme for the night in the Crossroads League rematch. HU outscored the Cougars 24-3 from 3-point range, 39-12 for the game. Arens 3-pointer started a 12-0 HU run out to a 12-2 lead with 16:02 to play in the first half.
Chandler White stopped the USF skid for a split-second with a short jumper in the lane cutting the HU lead to eight, 12-4 with 15:42 to play. Mike Bush scored 30 seconds later for a 14-4 HU lead and USF never got the deficit back into single digits.
HU opened a 20-point lead, 35-15, with 7:01 to play. A Bryce Lienhoop 3-point play at 5:07 drew USF within 13, 35-22, but HU bombed in four 3-pointers in the time remaining outscoring USF 18-6 to the welcome end of the first half for USF.
The Foresters connected on 9-of-15 shots from 3-point range in the first half while USF only managed 1-of-7 shooting from the arc.
USF got no closer than 17 points five times in the second half, the last at 71-54, on a Derek Hinen jumper with 8:54 to play.
USF offensive was again limited when Lienhoop was whistled for his second foul just two minutes, 54 seconds into the game and he only played slightly more than 18 minutes for the game. He still led USF scoring with 19 points, 10 in the second half.
Chandler White scored 17 points and Stephen Turner scored 11. Hinen, who transferred from HU to USF, only managed four points against his former team going scoreless in the first half.