SEATTLE – Behind a season-high 24 points from Jacy Bradley and a season-high 10 rebounds from Kim Bee, Saint Louis defeated Saint Francis (Pa.) 66-63 Friday afternoon in the consolation game of Seattle University’s Washington Dental Service Holiday Hoops Tournament at KeyArena.
The victory halted a three-game losing streak for SLU and lifted the Billikens to 5-9. Saint Francis, the defending Northeast Conference champion, slipped to 5-7.
Bradley notched a career-high nine field goals (9-of-12), including a 3-of-5 effort from 3-point distance, as she missed tying her career scoring high by a point.
Courtney Webb scored 14 points and added four rebounds and season highs of three assists and two blocks. Desirae Ball tallied 10 points for the Bills, whose 44.4 percent shooting mark from the field was their second best of the season and their sixth consecutive performance of 41 percent or better.
Bee’s 10 rebounds and Lorreal Jones’ seven boards led the Billikens to a 40-38 advantage on the glass. Saint Louis has out-rebounded 13 of 14 opponents this season. Bee added a game-high three blocks.
Janisha Gearlds tied her career best with a game-high eight assists. Gearlds moved into fourth place on SLU’s career list with 306 assists.
Alli Williams led Saint Francis with 15 points and six rebounds. Nickia Gibbs had 11 points, five rebounds and four assists, Rebecca Keegan scored 10 points, Sarah Thorn dished out seven assists and Allison Smith made a game-high four steals.
Saint Francis shot 51.7 percent in the first half, but the Billikens limited the Red Flash to 33.3 percent in the final 20 minutes. SFU was just 4-of-19 from 3-point range.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our team,” head coach Shimmy Gray-Miller said. “Saint Francis is a very good, well-coached team, and this is a great win for us, especially with just a one-day turnaround. It was a fun game to watch and be a part of.
“Jacy Bradley had an outstanding tournament,” Gray-Miller said. “The extra work we’re putting in on our shooting is paying dividends as we continue to shoot the ball well.
“This win gives us great momentum as we head into our last non-conference game against Nebraska-Omaha next Tuesday and into our preparation for a tough Atlantic 10 Conference schedule.”
Saint Louis led by five at intermission and twice held a seven-point advantage early in the second half. Saint Francis used a 14-6 flurry, scoring on six of eight possessions, to take a 51-50 lead with 8:47 to play.
Both teams had opportunities to take command from there but suffered four straight empty possessions apiece. The Billikens finally tied it at 51 on a Bee free throw, then went up by a deuce on Bradley’s runner.
After Gibbs tied it at 53, Saint Louis took the lead for good on Webb’s left-wing jumper on a baseline out-of-bounds play that ignited a 10-3 run. She repeated the play on SLU’s next possession and followed with two more buckets for a 61-56 Billiken advantage. Bradley’s 14-foot runner in the lane following a Gearlds offensive rebound made it 63-56 with 2:40 to play.
Saint Francis closed the gap to 63-59 and, after Bradley sank one free throw on a 1-and-1, the Red Flash made it 64-61 on Gibbs’ basket. Bradley buried both ends of a 1-and-1 with 24 seconds left for a 66-61 lead. Williams hit a short bank shot with 16 ticks showing on the clock, and SFU had a chance to send the game into overtime following a Billiken turnover. But Gibbs’ 3-point attempt at the buzzer was off the mark.
The Billikens sprinted to a 16-8 lead. Jones’ baseline drive and Ball’s 16-footer from the left wing gave SLU a quick 4-0 edge. After Saint Francis pulled even, Saint Louis went on a 12-4 spurt that consisted of Ball’s layup, Webb’s 3-pointer, Bradley’s foul-line jumper, another Ball layup and Webb’s second 3-pointer.
Bradley’s long triple provided the Billikens’ only points in a 13-3 Saint Francis run that put the Red Flash on top 21-19. Bee tied it with an up-and-under layup, and Bradley’s running scoop shot off the glass gave the Billikens a 23-21 lead.
Saint Francis knotted the score at 23, but SLU outscored the Red Flash 13-8 the rest of the half to take a 36-31 advantage to the locker room. Bradley, who was 5-of-6 overall and 3-of-3 from beyond the arc in a 13-point first half, buried a trey from the right wing, and Ball hit a jumper from the right elbow for two of her eight first-half points.
Mallory Eggert followed with a three-point play and a layup, and Bradley closed the half with a running 3-pointer at the buzzer after Saint Francis had pulled to within two with a late basket.
The Billikens conclude non-conference play Tuesday, Jan. 3, against Nebraska-Omaha. Game time at Chaifetz Arena is 7 p.m.
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