BOURBONNAIS, Ill. --- The University of St. Francis women's basketball team recorded its third-highest point total of the season, but turnovers would do the Fighting Saints in on Saturday afternoon as Olivet Nazarene University came away with a 99-80 victory in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference play at McHie Arena.
 
ONU (11-11, 8-6 CCAC) took advantage of 28 St. Francis miscues on the day resulting in a 32-5 advantage in points off turnovers for the contest.  The Tigers led for all but the first few minutes of the game, despite numerous rally attempts by USF.
 
Both teams were hot out of the gate, shooting better than 55 percent each from the field resulting in a combined 55-point first quarter.  The Saints (8-14, 4-10) nailed five three-pointers and the hosts four over the ten-minute period.  Talia Pellegrini provided all 12 of her points for the day in the frame, going 4-for-5 with two treys.    
 
Both that quarter and the second period were a single-digit game for all but 20 seconds with Olivet Nazarene taking a 52-46 lead into the break.  Head coach John McGinty's club opened the second half with a basket by Keijah Gray to make it a four-point contest before ONU responded with 20 of the next 24 markers over a six-minute span of time in building a 72-52 advantage.
 
The Tigers would get the lead as high as 22 points in the fourth quarter before USF rallied to make it a  ten-point game twice with still time to comeback.  Three-pointers from Jorja Bolton, Laurelei Thormeyer, Tykara Harrison and Mia Kennelly sparked a 16-4 run to make it an 86-76 game with 4:25 to play.  A pair of free throws from Le'lani Harris also had the Saints within 88-78 with 3:18 remaining, but they would get no closer the rest of the contest.
 
Harrison authored her second straight 20-point performance, finishing with a game-high 23 markers, while also leading both clubs with seven assists to go along with seven rebounds.  Thormeyer hit for 21 points, while Pellegrini contributed the 12 points, five assists and four rebounds.
 
Olivet Nazarene boasted six players in double figures in the scoring column topped by Khendel Rolison's 22 points. 
 
Notes: Harrison, who scored in double figures for the 15th straight game and the fourth time putting up at least 20 markers, tied a team season high with her seven assists … Pellegrini also turned in a career high with her five dishoffs … USF's 23 assists on the day were its second-highest total of the campaign … Bolton's career-best nine rebounds helped the Saints to a 46-34 advantage in that department … Thormeyer's 21 points were her second-highest total of the year and resulted in her third game of at least 19 points among her last five outings … The Saints are home for a pair of games next week, beginning with Holy Cross College (Ind.) on Wednesday at 5 pm.        

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