SOUTH BEND, Ind. – It took an extra five minutes for No. 22 IU South Bend to record their third straight win, as the Titans took an 85-78 overtime victory over St. Francis (Ill.), in their return to the Student Activities Center after over a month away on Wednesday night.
The Titans (14-3, 10-1 CCAC) nearly led the first half wire-to-wire, going up by as much as 13 points when Kenny Washington’s steal and fast-break layup put IUSB up 25-12 at the 8:56 mark. Following a three-pointer from Miles Tracy in the closing minutes of the first half, the Saints (10-8, 6-7 CCAC) closed on a 7-0 run to cut the Titan lead to 39-34 at the break.
The visitors would reclaim the lead with 12 minutes left to play in regulation, as the Saints used a 13-1 run to move in front. The Titans would struggle through a ten-minute stretch without a field goal, allowing St. Francis to lead by eight, 56-48 with 8:20 left to play.
A three from Sam Snodgrass changed the momentum, ending the drought and leading to a Micah Poole three-pointer that tied the game at 60-60 with 4:31 on the clock. The lead would change hands three times in the closing minutes, but with the visitors holding onto a four-point advantage, the Titans would pull even with a layup from Dylan Allen and a game-tying three from Poole in the final seconds of regulation.
Allen and Donyell Meredith would take over in the extra period, scoring the first nine points in overtime and opening an 81-73 lead. St. Francis made one final push, closing the gap to 81-78, but another layup from Meredith put the game out of reach and secured the win for IUSB.
Allen led the Titans with 21 points in the win, on 7-of-9 shooting. Meredith collected 16 points with seven rebounds. Washington and Poole each scored 13 points off the bench, with 12 points for Washington coming in the first half. Washington also finished just shy of a double-double, with a career-best nine rebounds in the win.
The Titans hit the road yet again, when they travel to Lincoln for a weekend matchup on Saturday, January 22. Tipoff with the Lynx is set for 4:00 p.m. ET.
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