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The Saint Francis men’s basketball team plays Spring Arbor tonight in Hutzell Center in the opening round of the Mid-Central Conference tournament, trying to extend its season for at least one more game. But the 17-13 Cougars have played more basketball this season than most teams.
Of the 30 games Saint Francis has played, 10 have been decided by five points or less, and seven have gone into overtime – or longer.
“I don’t know if it sets a record, but I cannot think of anybody, nor have we ever been close to having seven overtime games in one season and two double-overtime games,” Saint Francis coach Jeff Rekeweg said.
It didn’t take long for the pattern to be set. Saint Francis lost to Indiana Tech in overtime in the season’s second game. Nearly a month later, the Cougars lost in double overtime to Kentucky Wesleyan, then Indiana Wesleyan.
But the tide turned when Saint Francis beat Grace in overtime Jan. 10, and since then, the Cougars have been 4-0 in the added sessions.
“I hate to say they’re used to it, but we’ve been there probably more than any team in the country,” Rekeweg said.
Saint Francis’s primary weapon is sophomore forward DeJovaun Sawyer-Davis, whose 23.7-point average led the MCC. He was named first team all-conference.
The Cougars also placed senior guard Nate Bojrab on the third team, Matt Edmonds on honorable mention and Ferdinand Morales-Soto on the all-newcomer team.
The winner of the Saint Francis-Spring Arbor game will advance to the MCC tourney quarterfinals to play either No. 1 seed Bethel (27-3) or No. 8 Taylor (11-19).
Other MCC games tonight, all with a 7 p.m. start, have No. 6 Huntington (19-11) at No. 3 Grace (20-9) and No. 7 Goshen (14-16) at No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan (25-5).
In the MIAA tournament tonight, Trine will play at Calvin at 7:30 p.m.
Among those named to the all-MCC second team are Indiana Wesleyan’s Landon Adler (Adams Central) and Zach Coverstone (Columbia City). Those named to the women’s first team are Huntington’s Lauren Davenport (Huntington North) and Saint Francis’ Marie Kaufmann (Bishop Luers). Second-team members include Saint Francis’ Jamika Banks (Northrop) and Huntington’s Courtney Beerbower (DeKalb). … Ambrose senior Sean Whitten (Bishop Luers) won the triple-jump event at the Midwest Collegiate Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships recently in Sterling, Ill., with a jump of 46-2. Whitten, who ranks in the top 10 in the NAIA, will compete in the NAIA Indoor Championships, March 5-7 at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tenn. Joining him will be three Saint Francis athletes, all competing in the weight throw: Jean Marqueling (Bishop Dwenger), Nick Adams (Northrop) and Matt Truttling of East Chicago. Also competing in the weight throw is Grand Valley State’s Melanie Huhn (Bishop Luers). … Virginia Tech sophomore Hunter Hall (Homestead) set an indoor personal best in the pole vault of 17-5 1/2 in the Virginia Tech Open on Feb. 21. Hall is ranked 12th in the nation. … Huntington junior forward Kevin Kyle, of Crawfordsville, became the 38th member of the Foresters’ 1,000-point club. Kyle, who averages 16 points per game this season, has 1,022 career points.
