GARY, Ind. – In a marquee matchup featuring two of the top teams in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference, IU Northwest overcame a second-half deficit to grind out a tough 73-70 victory over St. Francis on Saturday.

The RedHawks started strong, building a lead of as many as seven points in the first half. However, a late run by the Saints gave the visitors a two-point advantage heading into halftime. The tightly contested game saw neither team lead by more than six points in the second half as IU Northwest began its decisive run midway through the period.

Graduate student Max Otterbacher tied the game at 56 with five straight points, courtesy of a 3-pointer and a drive to the basket. Sophomore guard Trey Steinhilber added five second-half points, while senior guard Dannie Smith shook off a quiet first half to tally 13 points and five rebounds after the break.

Despite the surge, the RedHawks still trailed by one with 2:25 remaining after a Saints 3-pointer. Seconds later, Smith connected on a long jumper to give IU Northwest the lead for good. A key steal by Steinhilber and a jumper by Caleb Jenkins in the final 90 seconds sealed the RedHawks' seventh win of the season.

Trace Williams led IU Northwest with a team-high 19 points and seven rebounds. Smith finished with 16 points and nine rebounds, while junior forward Jenkins added 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting. The RedHawks shot an even 50% from the field (30-for-60) but struggled from 3-point range, hitting just 25% of their attempts (5-for-20).

With the win, the RedHawks improved to 7-1 overall and 3-0 in CCAC play. They return to action Tuesday when they travel to Richmond, Indiana, to take on IU East at 4:30 p.m. CT.