SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Senior Janae Fairbrook had a big night on Tuesday, scoring a career-high 41 points and made a St. Francis school record 11 three-pointers, including 10 straight in the first half.
“I was not really counting during the game,” said Fairbrook, whose career best was six entering the game. “They just kept adding up.”
Two of her first three baskets were two pointers, but then she hit five straight to finish the first quarter with six three-pointers and 22 points. She added four more in the second and pair of free throws to enter the half with 36 points. She added an 11th three in the third quarter and a final layup.
Fairbrook, who set the school’s single season record last year, finished with her best game beyond the arc.
“It is all a function of the practice she puts into the game,” said Head Coach Vic Pitton. “She had the hot hand tonight. She got the shots in the context of our offense. I have never seen anyone so hot to make 10 threes in a row to start the game. I normally would sub but I was not going to pull her out until she missed.”
St. Francis (12-7, 6-1) led 60-17 at the half and was looking to reset a single-game scoring mark that was just three days old set last Friday (99 at Monterey Trail).
“Janae was playing good defense as well,” said Pitton. “It was a very special performance. But when we see it every day in practice, it is not unthinkable that she would do it and she will do it again.”
The 41 points are a record under Pitton dating his 15 years as head coach and is the best individual performance by a St. Francis player since Sarah Bey the early 1990s.
Fairbrook was 11-for-13 from beyond the arc, 14-for-18 for the game and was 2-for-2 from the line. She had five assists, four rebounds, three steals and two blocks in the contest.
Senior Julia Razo added 15 in the game and Logan Kelly had eight rebounds.
St. Francis travels to Pleasant Grove on Friday night to start the second half of Delta League play.
St. Francis 87, Grant 31
Grant 9 8 10 4 31
St. Francis 31 29 22 5 87
SF – Fairbrook 41, Razo 15, Bagatelos 6, Koerwitz 6, Keitges 6, Nicolos 5, Pank 2, Quiniola 2, Kelly 2, Gage 1, McDaniel 1. G – Smith 14, Davis 8, Vasquez 8, Hobby 1.