CHICAGO --- A career-high 22 points from Jordan Pyle (JR/Traralgon, Australia) and a stifling second-half defense turned a tight contest at the break into a resounding 77-53 victory for the NAIA No.13 ranked University of St. Francis women's basketball team against No.20 Saint Xavier University on Saturday afternoon at the Shannon Center.
 

The contest was a rematch of last year's Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Tournament championship game, which was won by the Saints 66-63.  Saturday's game was a non-league affair.
 

A closing 7-0 run in a first half that featured six ties and ten lead changes enabled the Saints (12-2) to take a 37-32 lead heading into the intermission and from there USF took off both offensively and defensively.
 

Head coach Steve Brooks' club provided the first 11 points of the third quarter and never let Saint Xavier get closer than ten points the rest of the afternoon, including putting the Cougars in a 27-point hole at one point. USF's defense had a lot to do with that, including forcing 21 turnovers on the day with 13 coming in the second half. That resulted in a huge 33-11 scoring advantage on points off turnovers for the day.
 

The Saints also limited Saint Xavier to just six field goals in 23 attempts (26.1 percent) in the closing 20 minutes. USF, meanwhile, hit eight of its first 12 shots in the decisive third quarter, where the Saints outscored the previously-unbeaten Cougars, 22-10. 
 

The guests also won the fourth quarter, 18-11, resulting in an overall 40-21 scoring advantage after halftime. For the half, the Saints converted 15 of their 31 field goal attempts (48.4 percent) and finished at 46.2 percent overall. Saint Xavier (6-1) ended the afternoon at 35.3 percent.
 

Jordan Pyle's big day came on 9-of-13 shooting from the field, including a pair of three-pointers. She also contributed three assists.
 

Pyle was one of five Saints to score in double figures on the day. Andriana Acosta (SR/Crest Hill, Ill.) and Justene Charlesworth(JR/Wanatah, Ind.) added 12 points apiece with the former also registering seven rebounds. 
 

Paige Gieseke (SR/Algonquin, Ill.), hampered by injuries during the early part of the season, also delivered her best game of the campaign, producing season-high numbers in points (ten), rebounds (nine) and assists (five). She led the Saints in each of the latter two categories.
 

Shadrian McDaniel (JR/Chicago, Ill.) was the other Saint to total at least ten points finishing with 11. She and Leah Sims (SR/Chicago, Ill.) were the sparkplugs on defense, combining for eight of USF's 11 steals with four each.

Claire Austin was the only Saint Xavier player to tally more than seven points. She finished with a double-double (24 points, 12 rebounds).
 

USF gets right back at it on Monday (January 18) when it faces Judson University in a CCAC matchup in Elgin beginning at 7 pm.