SECOND-HALF STRUGGLES SINK ONU AGAINST No. 25 FIGHTING SAINTS

JOLIET, Ill. – After staying with No. 25 St. Francis (Ill.) for most of the first half, the Olivet Nazarene University men's basketball team ran out of gas as they fell 90-52 Saturday afternoon in the Pat Sullivan Center.

The nationally-ranked Fighting Saints (18-3, 12-2 CCAC) shot better than 57 percent from the floor, including a 38-percent mark from beyond the arc, in snapping the Tigers' three-game win streak.

Despite the final score, ONU kept pace early. Behind 13 first-half points from Caleb Swearingen and nine more from Caleb Corro, Olivet grabbed a lead midway through the opening period. And when Luke Yeager put back an offensive rebound with 7:19 left in the frame, the Tigers led 29-23.

But that was when St. Francis found their shooting rhythm, rattling off 14 unanswered points to reclaim the lead and take a 37-29 advantage. A Daniel Murphy layup and a fadeaway 3-pointer from Swearingen snapped the run and cut the lead to one possession, but a USF buzzer-beater three put the Tigers down six at 42-36 heading into halftime.

The second half was a different story as the Fighting Saints quickly built a double-digit lead. A second-chance basket from Swearingen trimmed the deficit to 49-40 five minutes into the final period. But from there, USF began to pull away. The Fighting Saints closed the game outscoring the Tigers 41-12 to cruise to the win.

Swearingen led ONU with 20 points and 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the season. Corro finished with 15 points, two rebounds, and two assists.

The Tigers will look to bounce back when they travel to Indiana Northwest Wednesday.

--ONU—

*Contact: Evan Wild, Sports Information Director, ewwild@olivet.edu