PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. --- In a battle of Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference unbeatens, the University of St. Francis women's basketball team continued its run of fast starts en route to an easy 79-33 victory over Trinity Christian College on Wednesday night. The win was the fifth in a row for the Saints, who are now 6-1 overall and 3-0 in league play.
USF's pressure defense was again ready to defend from the opening whistle, this time allowing Trinity Christian just one basket in 15 attempts in the first ten minutes to jump out to a 17-3 lead. The advantage got as high as 20 points by the five-minute mark of the second quarter and slipped below that level only once the rest of the night. That came at halftime (33-16) courtesy of a Trinity Christian three-pointer to beat the buzzer.
The Saints then put the game out of reach in the third quarter when they outscored the hosts 26-5. For the night, Trinity Christian (3-3, 3-1) converted just ten of its 58 field goal attempts (17.2 pct.) and only 4-of-24 three-pointers (16.7 pct.).
Braxtin Mickens led the offensive surge for the Saints for the second game in a row and the third time this season with her game-high 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field. Jordan Pyle was next in line with 12 markers and a game-high six rebounds.
Pyle shared the latter honor with Justene Charlesworth, who added seven points. Hannah Swiatek produced nine points.
Recording five rebounds each were Alina Jahnke (nine points), Le'lani Harris (eight) and Mia Kennelly (eight).
Katarina Savic was the lone Trinity Christian player to register more than five points. She totaled nine.
Notes: In each of USF's six wins this season, the Saints have outscored the opposition by no less than 11 points in the opening quarter for an overall 144-46 reading … Mickens' 19 points and Pyle's 12 were both season-high marks … Trinity Christian's overall .172 shooting clip marked USF's best defensive effort of the season, while the 33 points allowed was the second-lowest … The Saints are back home on Tuesday to face Roosevelt University in a league affair beginning at 5 pm.
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