UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill. --- The University of St. Francis women's basketball team gave league runner-up Governors State University all it could handle before dropping a 64-55 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference contest on Wednesday night.

Trailing by a 23-14 count early in the second quarter, the Fighting Saints (8-17, 4-13 CCAC) scored 16 of the final 18 points of the frame to take a 30-25 lead into the break.  Tykara Harrison provided the biggest impact during the nearly quarter-long surge with five free throws and a three-pointer just before the first half horn for eight total points.  Others contributing a basket each were Le'lani Harris, Talia Pellegrini, Keijah Gray and Jorja Bolton.

USF's biggest leads of the game followed in the third quarter with advantages of 33-27 and 35-29 before Governors State (20-5, 14-3) returned the 16-2 favor with one of its own to flip the score and go up 45-37.  The Jaguars would extend the lead to ten points (53-43) at the 7:15 mark of the fourth quarter only to have the Saints get to within four points twice in the closing three minutes, including 57-53 with 1:54 to play.  St. Francis would get no closer, however, in dropping the nine-point decision.

Both teams struggled to find their offensive games on the night with Governors State converting at just a .387 rate (24-of-62), including only two three-pointers in 11 attempts.  USF was 17-of-48 (.354).  The Saints' best quarter was the second, where they hit 50 percent of their shots (5-of-10) en route to the 16-5 scoring advantage.  Governors State made just two of its 12 attempts in the quarter (.167), including going 0-for-6 from beyond the arc.

Harrison again led St. Francis with 16 markers to go along with eight rebounds and three assists.   Harris was the only other Saint in double figures with 11 points and six boards. 
Other USF contributors were Laurelei Thormeyer (8 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) and Mia Kennelly (10 rebounds, 5 points).

Governors State's Zareia Chevre led all scorers with her 17 points.  She was one of four Jaguars to total at least ten points.

Notes: Harrison set a new team season high with her eight free throws in the contest, which aided in extending her double-figure scoring streak to 18 games … Kennelly's ten rebounds gave her that many in back-to-back games … USF hosts Judson University on Saturday at 1 pm.     

Links to live coverage can be found at gofightingsaints.com/coverage. You can also keep up with everything happening around USF Athletics on Twitter @USFSaints.