JOLIET, Ill. --- Another day, another strong defensive effort from the University of St. Francis women's basketball team as the NAIA No.13 ranked Saints coasted to their 14th win of the season against only two defeats with their 74-45 thumping of Holy Cross College on Saturday afternoon at the Sullivan Center.
 

USF again lowered its nation-best defensive scoring average to 49.2 points allowed per game by holding the opposition to under 30 percent shooting from the field for the seventh time this season. Coming into the contest, head coach Steve Brooks' club was limiting opponents to just 34.0 percent shooting, ranking tenth-best in the nation.
 

On Saturday, Holy Cross (5-7) converted just 14 of its 53 shots (.264) with only six baskets coming inside the arc. The guests were 8-of-19 from three-point range.
 

St. Francis was just the opposite, using a strong inside game to outscore Holy Cross 48-10 in the paint. The Saints also converted Holy Cross' 20 turnovers into 27 points, while the guests only gained seven points off 16 Saint miscues.
 

USF led from beginning to end and had this contest in hand by the break with a 35-13 advantage after the first 20 minutes. The Saints never led by less than 20 points in the second half and went 12-of-15 from the field in the third quarter leading to as high as a 37-point scoring difference at one point early in the fourth quarter.
 

Andriana Acosta (SR/Crest Hill, Ill.) paced the Saints with her fourth double-double of the campaign. She led the team in both scoring (16 points) and rebounding (11 caroms). 
 

Justene Charlesworth (JR/Wanatah, Ind.) was one of four starters to shoot better than 50 percent from the field leading to the team's overall .492 clip on the day.  She went 6-for-9 from the field and 3-for-4 from long range en route to a 15-point, five-rebound afternoon.

Kalyn Sias-Chaney (JR/Milwaukee, Wis.) also came off the bench to register triple fives with her five assists, five rebounds and five points.

For Holy Cross, Jayda Miller and Arielle Thatcher accounted for all but 11 of the team's 45 points. Miller finished with a game-high 21 points, while Thatcher provided 13 markers.
 

The Saints return to Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference play on Wednesday (Jan. 27) when they travel south to face league newcomer Lincoln College in a 5:30 pm tipoff.