FORT WAYNE, Ind. – No. 6 Indiana Wesleyan University men’s basketball completed a regular season sweep of No. 3 Saint Francis (Ind.) with an 86-82 win on Saturday in Fort Wayne. The victory vaults Indiana Wesleyan to the top spot in the Crossroads League standings with a 1.0 game lead and just two games left on the schedule.
GAME VITALS
- Score:Â Indiana Wesleyan def. Saint Francis, 86-82
- Records: Indiana Wesleyan  22-6, 13-3 Crossroads League  |  Saint Francis 22-6, 12-4 Crossroads League
- NAIA Top- 25 Rank: Indiana Wesleyan – No. 6  |  Saint Francis – No. 3
- Location:  Hutzell Athletic Center  |  University of Saint Francis  |  Fort Wayne, Indiana
STAT TRACKER
- Kyle Mangas:Â 24 points, 12-12 FT
- Canaan Coffey:Â 15 points, 5-5 3FG, 3 assists
- Jacob Johnson:Â 16 points, 6-10 FG, 3-5 3FG, 5 rebounds
- Evan Maxwell:Â 17 points, 6-10 FG
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Indiana Wesleyan has won six straight contests in the series with Saint Francis. The win streak began with the 2016 NAIA DII National Championship game.
- The Cougars dominated down low with a 50-24 advantage in points in the paint and a 30-19 edge in rebounds. The 19 boards is seven less than the previous season-low. But the Wildcats countered from deep with 12-of-20 (60-percent) shooting from 3-point range.
- Indiana Wesleyan finished with a season-best six turnovers.
- The Wildcats starting five accounted for 79 of the teams’ 86 points.
CROSSROADS LEAGUE IMPLICATIONS
- With the victory, Indiana Wesleyan gains a 1.0 game lead over Saint Francis in the Crossroads League standings with just two games left on the slate.
- The Wildcats hold the tiebreaker over the Cougars with wins in both regular season matchups.
- Indiana Wesleyan clinches a share of the regular season championship and the No. 1 seed in the Crossroads League Tournament win one win or one Saint Francis loss.
NEXT TIME OUT
- Indiana Wesleyan travels to play Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) on Tuesday in the final regular season road game of the season. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Mount Vernon, Ohio.