ADRIAN, Mich. --- The NAIA No. 19-ranked University of St. Francis women's basketball team closed out 2022 on a cold note, dropping a 61-51 decision to Siena Heights University (Mich.) in the final game of the latter's Holiday Tournament on Friday night. Season-low shooting marks nearly across the board snapped the Fighting Saints' five-game winning streak and denied them a perfect record for the month.
USF (12-3) registered season-low marks in total field goals (19), overall field goal percentage (.304, 19-of-62) and three-point shooting percentage (.206, 7-of-34), while also converting just 6-of-11 free throws. Those numbers resulted in the Saints' second-lowest scoring output of the campaign.
The second quarter is what did the Saints in, being held to just six points on 3-of-14 shooting from the field with no baskets in seven three-point attempts. Siena Heights, meanwhile, produced its best shooting numbers of the game over the 10-minute span converting at a 50 percent clip both from the field (6-of-12) and beyond the arc (3-of-6). The net result was an 18-6 scoring advantage for Siena Heights (12-3).
The contest was tight for the first 13 minutes before the Saints went cold. A
Le'lani Harris layup with just six seconds remaining in the second quarter averted USF going into the break scoreless over the final 7:15 of the frame and had them facing a 28-18 deficit coming out of halftime.
Head coach
John McGinty's club nearly wiped out that deficit in the first 83 seconds of the third quarter when
Mia Kennelly,
Jordan Pyle and
Justene Charlesworth nailed back-to-back-to-back three-pointers to cut Siena Heights' lead down to 28-27. The rest of the quarter, however, belonged to the hosts as they outscored USF 21-9 the last eight minutes of the period in building their biggest lead of the night at 49-36.
The Saints would put together one last rally in the closing quarter to get within five points at 55-50 with 4:33 remaining. Yet again, however, they would close another quarter coming up nearly empty with just one free throw the rest of the way, while going 0-for-9 from the field, including 0-for-7 from long distance.
Pyle authored her fourth double-double of the season to lead USF in both scoring (15) and rebounding (10).
Alina Jahnke produced season highs in both points (13) and blocked shots (6), while just missing out on a double-double with her nine rebounds.
Also reaching the ten-point club was
Hannah Swiatek.
Siena Heights produced three double-figure scorers, as well, led by Peyton Banks' 18 points and nine rebounds.
Notes: USF's five-game win streak was its second-longest of the year … Jahnke single-handedly provided the Saints with their highest blocked shot total of the campaign accounting for all six stuffs in the contest … Jahnke also just missed out on her first double-double of the season … Siena Heights' 45 rebounds were the most by a USF opponent this year … The hosts outscored St. Francis 15-6 on second-chance points … The Saints return to action on Wednesday when they get back into Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference play hosting Olivet Nazarene University at 5 pm.
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