UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill. -- A late comeback in the fourth quarter saw the University of St. Francis women's basketball team pull within two points, but a mid-game scoring run proved too much to overcome as Governors State University denied the Fighting Saints from extending their winning streak to four games with a 71-67 victory on Wednesday night at the GSU Athletics Center.
After leading 27-26 midway through the second quarter, a 21-5 scoring run over the next 10 minutes by the hosts proved to be the difference in the end as USF (12-3, 5-2 CCAC) could never gain the lead back the rest of the way. The Jaguars (13-3, 7-1) hit six consecutive shots – including two from long range – during the scoring spurt to open up a 47-32 lead.
Trailing by a 62-46 count at the start of the fourth quarter, St. Francis was able to put together a string of 11 consecutive points to cut the deficit to five points at the 7:20 mark. Head coach
John McGinty's club eventually got the difference down to two points (69-67) after two successful
Le'lani Harris free-throws with 16 seconds left in the game. GSU, however, would sink both of its free throw attempts on its next offensive series to create a two-possession game and seal its thirteenth win of the season.
For the game, the Jaguars shot 49.1 percent from the field (27-of-55) and 7-of-20 from three-point range (35 pct.). They were also aided by their inside presence, which accounted for 30 of the team's 71 points.
For the Saints, all but 10 of their points came from the starting five, topped by
Tykara Harrison's 17 points. Harris tallied 14 points of her own to go along with a game-high eight rebounds. Harrison and Harris connected on a combined 15-of-17 free throws.
Other contributors included
Baylei Johnson and
Abby Shepard with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
St. Francis shot 37.3 percent from the field (22-of-59), but was just 5-for-20 from long range (25.0 pct.).
GSU's Zareia Chevre led all scorers with her 24 points, while Tabetha Jones was next in line with 18.
Up Next
The Saints will take the court again on Saturday, Jan. 11 when they host Viterbo University (Wis.) in a CCAC matchup at 1 pm.
You can keep up with everything happening around USF Athletics on X @USFSaints.
