St. Francis Troubadours (25-4) Basketball Advances to Section Semifinals

Basketball Advances to Section Semifinals

SACRAMENTO, Calif. ““ Seniors Kyra Huffman, Lauren Craig and Tia Hay combined for 50 points to lead third-seeded St. Francis to 67-62 win over No. 6 Lincoln of Stockton. The Troubadours (25-4) advance to the section semifinals for the first time since 2011.

“The key was to have faith outweigh fear,” said Head Coach Vic Pitton. “We showed no signs of fear, even when we made mistakes. We had faith in ourselves and our teammates. It was a collective effort and we made the free throws that were necessary down the stretch. It showed a lot of the character that has developed this season.”

Huffman led the team with her 18 points to go with seven boards, while Craig finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds for her 25th double-double of the season and 10th consecutive.

“It is amazing,” said Huffman. “We have never gone this far (in my career) and it is exciting to break that second round mark.”

St. Francis and Lincoln battled tight in a first quarter that featured four ties and four lead changes. The Trojans led by as many as six points in the second quarter 22-16. But the Troubadours went on 10-0 run to take the lead and finished the half on a 15-3 stretch to lead by six at the break.

“All that was going through my mind is that I wanted to win more than anything,” said Craig, who scored 12 of her 17 in the first half. “I wanted this team to advance to UOP and I am so happy we won.”

Pitton credited Craig with her strong play in the first half.

“She really controlled the boards and played solid defense in the paint,” said Pitton. “Her offense was timely and she made her free throws. She has really developed this year into someone who is capable of carrying a team for a period of time. Fortunately, we don’t need someone to carry us for a whole game. There are times we need to be carried and today she put them on her shoulders in the first half.”

St. Francis pushed the lead to double digits early in the third quarter but Lincoln never gave up. They cut the deficit to five with 1:30 left in the quarter before Hay, who added 15 boards with five assists, and five steals, scored on a steal and layup that sparked a 7-0 run to push the lead back to 46-34.

“We had to pick up our defense and eliminate the turnovers to keep playing our game and keep our composure,” said Craig.

Leading by 13 at 59-46 in the fourth quarter, the Trojans used the three-ball to make a late push, hitting six triples in the fourth quarter. Zahria Hendrix finished with a game-high 32 points with five three-pointers to lead Lincoln.

St. Francis made 20-of-28 free throws in the game to seal the victory.

“It is what a championship team has to do,” said Pitton. “You have to make your free throws down the stretch.”

Janae Fairbrook added nine points and Jackie Koerwitz and Julia Razo each scored four.

St. Francis earns a berth in the Nor Cal Tournament and will face Oak Ridge on Tuesday at University of Pacific in a section semifinal game. Oak Ridge was a 40-33 winner over McClatchy. Game time will be announced on Friday or Saturday.

St. Francis 67, Lincoln 62

Lincoln 16 9 9 28 62

St. Francis 15 16 12 24 67

SF ““ Huffman 18, Craig 17, Hay 15, Fairbrook 9, Koerwitz 4, Razo 4. L ““ Hendrix 32, Rabena 9, Tillman 6, Anices 6, Manipal 5, Kelly 2, Leapaga 2.