SOUTH BEND, Ind. --- A 25-point third quarter, along with 20-plus point performances from Jordan Pyle and Hannah Swiatek, enabled the University of St. Francis women's basketball team to eke out a 72-70 victory over previously-unbeaten Indiana University South Bend in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference play Wednesday night.

The matchup was the first meeting between the two schools since last year's 67-62 CCAC Tournament semifinal-round win in overtime by the Fighting Saints.  The Titans came into Wednesday's contest riding a season-opening ten-game winning streak and victories in each of their first four league affairs.

The Saints (10-2, 6-1 CCAC) made things interesting in the end.  After building a 71-62 lead with 4:20 remaining in the contest, USF managed just one point the rest of the night going 1-for-10 from the free throw line and 0-for-4 from the field.  Fortunately, Indiana South Bend converted on only half of its final eight possessions, going 2-for-6 from the field and 3-for-4 from the foul line. 

The Titans would get as close as 71-70 with 21 seconds remaining.  The Saints missed on their next two free throws on their ensuing possession, but Alina Jahnke was able to grab an offensive rebound and convert one of two free throws with 11 seconds to play.  Pyle then blocked what would have been the game-tying layup with two seconds left before grabbing the rebound to secure the win.

Indiana South Bend started off strong, building its biggest lead of the night in the opening five minutes of the contest at 18-9.  The Saints got that deficit down to 20-17 by the stop and trailed by two (35-33) at the break after the lead changed hands four times in the closing five minutes of the quarter.

The difference in the end came over a five-minute stretch late in the third quarter.  Trailing 44-43 with 5:39 remaining in the period, head coach John McGinty's club went on a 15-3 run to gain its biggest lead of the night at 58-47.  Three treys sparked the rally with a pair coming from Swiatek and Pyle adding another one as part of a seven-point run for her in that time span.  The Saints finished the stretch going 6-for-9, while Indiana South Bend was 1-for-7 with one turnover. 

For the quarter, USF was 10-of-16 from the field, including 5-of-8 from three-point range, which both added up to a 62.5 percent mark.  The 25-14 scoring advantage in the quarter allowed the Saints to go into the final period up 58-49.

Pyle's 24 points and 12 rebounds were both season-high efforts, while her five assists were a team high.  Swiatek added 21 points and four assists.  Both players had a season-high four three-pointers.

Mia Kennelly came off the bench to provide big plays, as well, finishing with eight points, six rebounds, a pair of assists and one steal.

Tia Chambers led four Titans in double-figure scoring with 22 points, while collecting 11 rebounds.  Maddie Gard provided 14 points and seven caroms.

USF shot 45.6 percent for the game (26-of-57), while Indiana South Bend registered a 42.6 percent reading (29-of-68).  Both teams shot better than 43 percent from beyond the arc, but the Saints were able to double up on IUSB with 14 treys to the Titans' seven.  Both teams struggled at the line with St. Francis going 6-for-17 (35.3 pct.) and IUSB connecting five times in nine attempts.   

The game featured 11 lead changes and two ties.

Notes: USF's 46.7 percent reading from three-point range (14-of-30) was its second-best shooting clip of the season from that range … Coming into the contest, neither Pyle or Swiatek had made more than two three-pointers in any one game this season … The two teams combined to go 6-for-19 (.316) from the foul line in the final quarter.  USF was 3-for-13, while IUSB was 3-of-6 … The victory was the first one this season in which the Saints did not hold at least a 10-point lead after the initial quarter … USF goes for the Indiana trifecta when it heads back to South Bend on Saturday to face Holy Cross College for a noon tipoff.

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