The St. Francis Spartans waltzed into their contest on Tuesday with two straight wins but they left with three. They came out on top against Saint Viator by a score of 50-43. Given St. Francis' advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 88th, while Saint Viator is ranked 392nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
St. Francis' victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Riley Austin, who scored 13 points along with six rebounds and three steals. Another player making a difference was Lynsey Cleveland, who scored five points along with 12 rebounds and four steals.
When it comes to explaining why Saint Viator lost, one person who can't be blamed is Mia Bergstrom. Despite the final result, she scored 22 points along with five rebounds and two blocks. That was a full 51.2% of Saint Viator's points, marking the fifth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points.
St. Francis pushed their record up to 11-8 with that victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.0 points per game. As for Saint Viator, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost eight of their last nine contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-14 record this season.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. St. Francis will take on Rosary at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Saint Viator won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Marist at 7:00 p.m. on January 10th. The two teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with three consecutive losses for Marist and six for Saint Viator.
