HUNTINGTON, Ind. – In a back-and-forth battle that saw nine lead changes throughout the night, IU South Bend suffered a cold stretch in the closing moments, dropping the first game of the Huntington (Ind.) Classic, 65-59 to St. Francis (Ind.) on Friday night.

Maddie Gard led the way, scoring 15 points for the Titans (5-2), along with five rebounds and four assists. Katie Gard finished with 12 points and three boards on the night.

The Titans took their largest lead of the night late in the first quarter, after the Cougars (2-3) tied the game at 6-6 with a three-pointer at the 6:37 mark. Katie Gard's bucket in response started a 10-3 run over the next five minutes, giving IUSB a seven-point lead, 16-9.

Saint Francis would come back with 23 points in the second quarter, taking the lead 26-25 on a three with 3:27 left in the first half. The Cougars would hold the lead until the break, 34-31, as Maddie Gard and Courtney Haynes leading IU South Bend with seven first-half points.

Opening with seven unanswered to start the third quarter, Saint Francis took their largest lead of the game at the 7:11 mark, 41-31. Back-to-back threes from Sullivan Kessler and Rachael Robards closed the gap to three by the end of the period, 48-45.

Emma Fisher would even the score early in the fourth with a jumper, 50-50. The Cougars would edge back out in front until buckets from Maddie and Katie Gard gave IUSB a one-point advantage, and the Titans held a 58-57 lead with 4:58 to play.

From that point, the offense would go cold, as the Titans were held without a field goal the rest of the way. Saint Francis closed out the final five minutes on an 8-2 run to claim the win.

The Titans have an opportunity to bounce back right away, as they take on hosts Huntington University to close out the Huntington Classic on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff with the Foresters is set for 3:00 p.m. on November 13.