SOUTH BEND — IU South Bend continued its red-hot stretch on Saturday afternoon, delivering a dominant wire-to-wire performance to defeat St. Francis (Ill.) 80-54 inside the Student Activities Center. The win marks the Titans’ 10th consecutive victory, setting the best run of victories in over 10 years.
IU South Bend set the tone early, turning defense into offense and building separation almost immediately. The Titans forced turnovers on four of St. Francis’ first eight possessions and quickly jumped out to a double-digit lead. Strong ball movement and efficient shooting helped IU South Bend stretch the margin to 42-27 at halftime, capped by a late three from CJ Hornbeak and consistent interior finishes from James Stevenson.
The Titans never let up in the second half. IU South Bend opened the period on a 11-2 run, pushing the lead past 20 before the midway point. Defensive pressure continued to disrupt the Saints, as the lead ballooned to a game-high 30 points.
Balanced scoring defined the afternoon for IU South Bend, with nine players finding the scoring column and four reaching double figures. Kyle Olagbegi led the way with 12 points, while Ethan Hill added 12 points and 10 rebounds, recording a double-double and controlling the paint on both ends. Mark White chipped in 10 points, Collin Schmidt scored eight on perfect shooting from the floor, and AJ Dunn added 12 points off the bench.
IU South Bend finished the game shooting 55.9 percent from the field and an impressive 53.8 percent from three-point range, while dominating inside with a 46-24 advantage in points in the paint. The Titans also capitalized on mistakes, scoring 22 points off turnovers, and received a major boost from their bench, which accounted for 37 points.
With the victory, IU South Bend improved to 12-4 overall and will look to continue the positive momentum on Wednesday, when they host Judson at 7:00 pm.