Saint Francis (Ind.) showed Lourdes why it is the top-ranked team in NAIA Division II on Tuesday evening, as the Cougars defeated the Gray Wolves 96-66 at the Hutzell Athletic Center in Fort Wayne, Ind.
 
The Cougars shot 54.5% from the floor, including 41.7% (10-of-24) from three-point range, and committed just eight turnovers while remaining unbeaten on the young season.  Lourdes shot 40.3% from the field, but just 26.1% from beyond the arc, and was outrebounded by Saint Francis 43-36 for the game.
 
Lourdes never led in the contest, but kept it close throughout a good portion of the first half.  An 18-3 run midway through the first half allowed the Cougars to build a 32-15.  Lourdes closed the half on a 14-5 run and Saint Francis led 45-35 at the break.  Lourdes was within six, 45-39, early in the second and was still within nine with under 16 minutes to play.  The Cougars went on an 11-2 run over the next six minutes to begin to pull away.
 
"I thought we really competed in the first half," head coach Josh Gibson said after the game.  "We played the pace we wanted to and came out the second half and continued to compete.  Ultimately, their depth proved too much for us."
 
Najeeb Johnson (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights H.S.) led the Gray Wolves with 18 points while Levert Bristol (Dothan, Ala./Northview H.S.) and Desmond Frazier (Ocala, Fla./Dunnellon H.S.) each chipped in 14 points.  Bristol had 10 rebounds for a double-double while Malik Thurman (Dayton, Ohio/Stebbins H.S.) had nine boards to pace Lourdes.
 
Kyle Sovine led five Saint Francis (5-0) players in double figures with 18 points while Chandler White added 16 points.
 
Lourdes (1-3) will head to Mount Vernon, Ohio this weekend for the MVNU Homecoming Classic.  The Gray Wolves will face host Mount Vernon Nazarene on Friday evening with tip-off slated for 7:30 p.m. at Ariel Arena.