LA CROSSE, Wis. -- Le'lani Harris authored her third career 30-plus point game, but the University of St. Francis women's basketball team still came up nine points short in a 78-69 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference setback to Viterbo University (Wis.) on Saturday afternoon after the V-Hawks used a big fourth quarter to fend off the Fighting Saints.  The loss is just the third defeat for USF this season.

The Fighting Saints got out of the gate fast, taking a 15-7 lead in the game's first seven minutes, but the V-Hawks would match that effort with an 11-3 run in the final three minutes of the frame to tie the score at 18-18 at the stop.

Viterbo (10-11, 8-6 CCAC) eventually got as high as eight points in the early part of the second quarter before USF (20-3, 12-3) sank two quick three-pointers along with a free throw to pull within one point (31-30) before settling for a 36-32 deficit at the break.

The contest remained tight in the third quarter with St. Francis taking its only lead of the stanza on a Harris layup at the 4:35 mark.  Viterbo responded by scoring five of the final seven points of the quarter to regain a 53-51 edge heading into the fourth quarter.

The hosts' two-point lead would eventually turn into a nine-point victory at the end of regulation, as the V-Hawks used a 69.2 shooting mark (9-of-13) from the field - and a 14-6 scoring run in the game's final five minutes - to pull away from the Saints' 6-of-10 showing (60.0 pct.).  The 25-point single quarter performance was the largest the Saints' defense has given up this year.

Viterbo also took advantage of USF's 2-of-8 output from beyond the arc in the second half, while the hosts connected on six of their 11 tries.

Harris' 31 points tied for game-high scoring honors along with Viterbo's Carly Drew.  Harris connected for 10-of-15 shots from the field with a trio of three-pointers.  Coryn Fromm also posted double-digits in the scoring column for the Saints with her 11 markers, while Laurelei Thormeyer accounted for half of USF's total assists with four.

Drew's 11-of-17 performance led a duo of V-Hawks double-figure scorers.  Nora Tucker netted 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting.

Up Next
After accepting a forfeit from Trinity Christian College next Wednesday, St. Francis - who is currently ranked No. 21 in the latest NAIA Coaches Poll – will be at Indiana University Northwest on Saturday, Feb. 7 for a CCAC contest beginning at 1 pm.

You can keep up with everything happening around USF Athletics on X @USFSaints.