Late free throws seal win at St. Francis
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
St. Ambrose (IA) (10-8, 7-3) | 28 | 47 | 75 |
|
St. Francis (IL) (4-11, 3-7) | 29 | 42 | 71 |
St. Ambrose hit 9-of-10 free throws in the final minute to hold off St. Francis (Ill.) 75-71 Saturday afternoon in Joliet, Ill.
Collin Wainscott was a perfect 6-of-6 from the line down the stretch in finishing with a team-high 16 points.
He was one of four Bees in double figures. Will Spriggs finished with 12 points, Elgin Bowen Jr. scored 11 and Grant Mason added 10 as St. Ambrose (10-8, 7-3 CCAC) moved into a tie for third place in the conference.
The Bees rallied after trailing by as many as nine points midway through the first half.
Behind seven points from Atem Agot, SAU was able to get within a single point at 29-28 at the half.
Seven minutes into the second half, a Spriggs jumper knotted the score at 38-38. Bowen followed with a 3-pointer in giving the Bees a 41-38 lead, a lead they would not relinquish.
Back-to-back threes from Wainscott opened up a 51-42 advantage. St. Francis (4-11, 3-7 CCAC) got within three points at 71-68 with 11 seconds left before Nathan Moeller hit two free throws to restore a five-point lead. A three-point play allowed the Saints to get within 73-71 with four seconds left, but Wainscott capped his big game with the final two free throws with three seconds on the clock to seal the win.
Agot just missed double figures, finishing with nine points. Ignacio Dacunda scored eight. Guillermo Narbona dropped in six points, Moeller finished with two and Jake Friel added one.
Narbona led the team with 11 rebounds and seven assists. Agot grabbed eight boards in the win.
The victory sets up a big game Wednesday when St. Ambrose hosts Olivet Nazarene. The Bees are one of three teams tied with 7-3 league records. The Tigers (7-2) are just a half-game up in second place.