JOLIET, Ill. -- A 43-31 dominance on the boards resulting in a 13-5 scoring advantage in second-chance opportunities gave the University of St. Francis women's basketball team the edge it needed in claiming a tight 65-59 victory over Indiana University South Bend in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference action on Wednesday evening.
Both teams struggled with offensive consistency on the night with St. Francis (17-4, 10-3 CCAC) managing to hit just 17 of its 48 attempts (.354) in the contest, while Indiana South Bend (15-5, 8-5) fared slightly better at 21-for-59 (.356). Each squad knocked down seven treys in the contest, but the Saints held the advantage at the charity stripe to gain a 24-10 scoring advantage there, as well.
Le'lani Harris was one of three Saints to score in double figures, finishing with a game-high 23 points, while
Tykara Harrison and
Abby Shepard each tallied 10 markers.
Symone Harrell was a huge component on the defensive end, collecting two steals, two blocked shots and a career-high 11 boards (four offensive, seven defensive), while also contributing five points on the offensive end.
For Indiana South Bend, two of its five starters tallied at least ten points, topped by Jazmen Watts' 15 points.
The Saints were able to take a 12-point lead into the halftime break after a 21-11 scoring surge in the second quarter, but a dismal offensive output in the third quarter (1-for-9), including a 0-for-5 mark from long range, allowed IUSB to force a 45-all tie at the start of the fourth frame. The Titans outshot the Saints from the floor 14-10 over the final 10 minutes, but a perfect 10-for-10 worksheet from the free-throw line gave USF the edge it needed to claim the six-point win in the end.
The dominance on the boards and at the free-throw line helped the Saints offset a subpar second half, one in which they committed 12 of their season-high 17 turnovers. That allowed the Titans to post a 35-29 scoring advantage. The second quarter was the only one in which the Saints shot 40 percent or better (7-for-13).
Up Next
USF is at home on Saturday, February 1 to face Olivet Nazarene University in a CCAC contest. Tipoff is set for 1 pm.
You can also keep up with everything happening around USF Athletics on @USFSaints.
