FORT WAYNE –
5 facts
•Saint Francis appeared in back-to-back NAIA Division II championship games. The Cougars were runners-up last season and won the title in 2010. The last team to appear in back-to-back championship games was Bethel, which won the tournament in 1997 and ’98.
•The Cougars’ 2010 title marked the fifth time since 1992 that a team from the Mid-Central Collegiate Conference won the NAIA championship. Grace won in 1992, and Bethel won in ’95, two years prior to its ’97 title.
•Graduated All-America forward DeJovaun Sawyer-Davis scored 2,246 points and finished second on the Cougars’ all-time scoring list. Brett Norris (1988-92) is No. 1 with 2,280 points.
•Saint Francis was picked to finish third in the MCC preseason coaches’ poll. The Cougars received 72 votes, behind Indiana Wesleyan (97) and Grace (93).
•Surprisingly, Saint Francis was considerably better on the road than at home. The Cougars were 14-3 last season in away games, 8-2 on a neutral floor and 6-5 at the Hutzell Center.
4 games of interest
Nov. 15 at Cornerstone: It’s the rematch of last season’s NAIA championship game in Point Lookout, Mo., where the Cougars lost, 71-80.
Nov. 26 vs. Indiana Tech: The cross-town rivalry took on an added dimension last season when Tech upset Saint Francis, 75-60. It was the most lopsided loss the Cougars had all season.
Jan. 14 at Grace: The Lancers were picked to finish ahead of Saint Francis in the MCC coaches’ poll. Other than this year’s MCC favorite Indiana Wesleyan, Grace was the only team to defeat the Cougars twice last season.
Jan. 17 vs. Indiana Wesleyan: Three days after facing Grace, Saint Francis will have to face the conference favorite. Although Wesleyan beat the Cougars two times, Saint Francis beat it in the MCC tournament.
3 best players
Qadr Owens: The 6-foot-1 senior guard averaged 18.1 points in the regular season and 19.2 in the NAIA tournament. Head coach Chad LaCross has already stated that the Cougars may have to rely heavily on Owens’ offense early in the season, hoping that others will be able to catch up.
Ethan Hussey: A 6-3 junior guard is the complement to Owens. Hussey averaged 8.8 points a game, but added a season-high of 23. Next to Owens, he is Saint Francis’ major three-point threat, having hit 42 of 128 for a .328 percentage.
Kevin Dawson: A 6-5 senior forward, the Northrop product will have to anchor the inside early. Dawson averaged 6.5 points and 3.4 rebounds last season – numbers that will have to increase this season.
2 points of concern
End game: Sawyer-Davis was the go-to guy down the stretch, and now the Cougars will have to rely on Owens. This year, double teams can be expected.
Who’ll replace Ferdi?: Sawyer-Davis isn’t the only absentee player with a hyphenated name. Ferdinand Morales-Soto was third on the team in points (9.6), second in rebounds (6.2) and first in hustle. That role will have to go to someone else.
1 major issue
An NAIA threepeat?: After back-to-back national championship appearances, Saint Francis established itself as a national power. Whether the Cougars can hold onto that lofty status with a backcourt-heavy team remains to be seen.
