MILWAUKEE --- NAIA No. 7 preseason-ranked Marian University (Ind.) shot 62.5 percent in the second quarter to build a 13-point halftime lead and the University of St. Francis women's basketball team could never recover in suffering a 70-50 setback at the Cardinal Stritch University NAIA Franciscan Cup on Friday night.

The second quarter was one of three that the Knights (3-0) shot 50 percent or better from the field to finish at 50.9 percent (27-of-53) for the game.  The Saints, meanwhile, converted at that clip in only one of its four frames in compiling a 37 percent shooting mark (20-of-54) on the night.  The only quarter that USF (1-1) did shoot well – the third – it held a 15-14 scoring advantage by hitting seven of its 14 shots from the field.  The Saints, however, could not get the deficit below nine points.

Marian led 14-11 heading into the second quarter, where it outscored the Saints 24-14.  The Knights put the game away in the fourth quarter when they went on a 13-0 run starting at the 7:54 mark and ending at 1:42.  That turned a 57-45 game into Marian's biggest advantage of the night at 70-45.

Marian also shot well from three-point range, coming up with ten treys in 21 attempts (47.6 pct.) compared with 4-of-18 (22.2 pct.) for USF.  The Knights outscored the Saints, 19-9, off turnovers, as well.

Braxtin Mickens led St. Francis with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field.  Alina Jahnke was the only other USF player to score in double figures, finishing with 10 markers to go along with a team-high six rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block.

Marian's Ella Collier led all scorers with 22 points.  Olivia Faust was a perfect 4-for-4 on three-pointers to register 12 points.

Notes: Mickens fell one point short of tying her career high of 17 points set last season against Cardinal Stritch on Jan. 8 … In the three quarters in which the Saints did not convert at least half of their field goal attempts, they shot 32.5 pct. (13-of-40) … St. Francis is right back at it on Saturday to face University of Saint Francis (Ind.) to conclude the two-day tournament.  Tipoff is 2 pm.   

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