JOLIET, Ill. --- Justene Charlesworth scored a game-high 20 points and Jordan Pyle missed a triple-double by just one rebound for the second straight game as the University of St. Francis women's basketball team tied its season-high winning streak with a 72-54 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference victory over St. Ambrose University on Wednesday night at the Sullivan Center.

The win was the team's six in a row, which matched the same mark set from Nov. 5-22.  Head coach John McGinty's club has also won nine of its last ten games to put itself at 21-5 overall and 16-3 in league games, one game in back of front-running Indiana University South Bend.

The Saints never trailed in the contest with each of their first four baskets being three-pointers, including Charlesworth gong a perfect 3-for-3 at the start.  She finished the night connecting on 6-of-14 attempts from long range.

That got USF out to a 13-6 start and it maintained a 6-to-11 point cushion for most of the next quarter-and-one-half.  St. Ambrose (16-11, 12-7) did pull within 26-24 at the 6:03 mark of the second quarter, but the Saints got the advantage back up to nine points (34-25) by halftime.

St. Francis then put the game away over the final 4:43 of the third quarter when it went on 16-4 run to open up a 57-37 lead.  For the quarter, USF shot .692 (9-of-13), including 5-of-9 from long range. 

Pyle authored a career-high 12 assists to go along with 16 points and nine rebounds.  Other contributors included Hannah Swiatek (10 points, 6 rebounds) and Alina Jahnke (game-high 11 rebounds, 6 points, 3 blocks, 3 assists).

Caitlyn Thole led St. Ambrose with 18 points, while Jaynee Prestegaard registered a double-double with her 11 points and ten rebounds.

Notes: The Saints have held each of their last six opponents below 40 percent shooting from the field.  St. Ambrose converted at a .362 clip (21-of-58) on Wednesday, while USF shot 45 percent (27-of-60) … Jahnke's 11 caroms were her second-most of the campaign … Pyle had 14 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds on Saturday versus Holy Cross … With her 12 assists on Wednesday, Pyle surpassed the 500 mark for her career and now has 507 over her five-year history as a Saint … USF wraps up the regular season on Saturday in Gary, Ind., where it will be seeking revenge for an earlier 75-60 setback to Indiana University Northwest on Nov. 30.   

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