CHICAGO – Freshman guard Brooklynn Johnson (Aurora, Ill./West Aurora) finished with a team-leading 17 points on 6-for-12 shooting, and was 3-for-5 from three-point range, along with four rebounds, however the Saint Xavier University women's basketball team (8-4, 5-1 CCAC) came up short in a 62-58 setback to No. 17 University of St. Francis (Ill.) in a clash of the two remaining unbeaten teams in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Saturday afternoon on Bob Hallberg Court at the Shannon Center in Chicago, Ill. The Cougars held the Fighting Saint to nearly 20 points below their season average (81.6 points per game) but USF out-shot SXU from the free-throw line 17-4, going 14-for-17.

St. Francis opened the game on a 6-0 run before Saint Xavier hit consecutive threes by Johnson and senior guard Jaidn Green (Evansville, Ind./Evansville North) only 12 seconds apart at the 6:46 mark. Green retied the game at 10-10 midway through the first period on a layup, but the Fighting Saints closed out the frame with a 20-14 advantage. In the second quarter, Green scored seven of her 14 points, helping the Cougars to keep pace, trailing 36-30 at halftime. SXU was down two-possessions during the third period, falling behind 56-46 entering the fourth quarter. Saint Xavier used an 8-0 run, overlapping the third and fourth frames, to cut the deficit to 56-54, capped by a three-pointer by freshman forward Alaina Peetz (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township). Although the Cougar defense limited USF to six points in the final period, they were unable to take the lead.

• Green tied her season-high with six rebounds, along with an assist and a blocked shot while playing all 40 minutes.
• Sophomore forward Veronica Bafia (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport Township) finished with a team-high tying nine rebounds, eight points, an assist and a block, also staying on the court for 40 minutes.
• Peetz had nine rebounds as well, along with seven points, a season-best tying three assists, a blocked shot and a steal in 29 minutes of action.
• Senior guard Lia Chudzik (Pewaukee, Wis./Pewaukee) tallied five points, four assists and two rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench.
• Freshman guard Taryn Fisher (Westfield, Ind./Carmel) recorded four points, three rebounds and an assist.
• Junior guard Madyson Kibelkis (Peotone, Ill./Peotone) collected three points, an assist and a rebound.
• Sophomore guard Maeve Egan (Chicago, Ill./Marist) chipped in season-high four assists, three rebounds (all offensive) and a steal.

Saint Xavier (8-4/5-0 CCAC) travels to Nashville, Tenn. to take on Fisk University (Tenn.) in non-conference action on Thursday, December 18. The game is slated for a 5:30 start.