St. Francis deals Mount an 88-77 conference loss

LORETTO, Pa. -- Tom Bennetch, a 6-foot-5 forward, scored a career-high 20 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to lead St. Francis, Pa., past Mount St. Mary's, 88-77, in a Northeast Conference game last night.

Bennetch's effort helped teammates Mike Iuzzolino and Joe Anderson, the top two scorers in the conference.

Anderson led St. Francis with 22 points, and Iuzzolino added 17 points and six assists. Iuzzolino entered the game averaging 25.1 points and Anderson 22.7.

"They are a very experienced team with several talented players," said Mount coach Jim Phelan. "Iuzzolino and Anderson get most of the publicity, but there is not a weak spot on their team. That's why they are going to be a strong contender for the league championship."

The win moves St. Francis into first place in the NEC at 7-1 (13-5 overall), one-half game ahead of Robert Morris. The loss dropped the Mountaineers to 6-11, 4-3.

Scott Murphy finished with a season-high 22 points, including six three-pointers, and Alex Watson (Mount St. Joseph) added 16 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and six steals.