USF Women's Basketball Stuns #8 Saint Xavier on Last-Second Basket

JOLIET, Ill. – Senior Marissa Draper's (Joliet, Ill./ Joliet Township) tip-in with less than one second remaining in the contest gave the University of St. Francis women's basketball team a 57-55 upset victory over No. 8-ranked Saint Xavier University in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference action Wednesday night at the Sullivan Center. | Box Score

With the Saints trailing 55-54, sophomore Katie Gonnering (Seymour, Wis./ Freedom) drew a foul and went to the line for two shots with :02 left to play. After making the first attempt to tie the game, she missed the second, but Draper snared the rebound and with time about to expire sent it into the basket to give the Saints (12-14, 11-8 CCAC) the come-from-behind win.

Saint Xavier (21-5, 15-5) built an early 17-4 lead, but the Saints trimmed the deficit to 33-30 by halftime.

USF took its first lead of the second half, 38-37, at the 15:08 mark on a three-pointer by freshman Alexis Brown (Shiloh, Ill./ Belleville East), who finished the night with four treys and a team-high 14 points.

The Saints held a 50-49 edge with 3:40 remaining when Saint Xavier went on a 6-1 run to go up 55-51 with 1:21 left in the game. Brown's fourth three-pointer of the night brought USF to within a point, 55-54, just 12 seconds later.

Suzie Broski paced Saint Xavier with 12 points, while Niara Harris finished with 10. Morgan Stuut pulled down a game-high 17 rebounds.

Freshman LaTrece Harris (Chicago, Ill./ Bogan) added 10 points for the Saints, who completed a season series sweep of Saint Xavier. USF downed the Cougars 74-68 in Chicago back on Dec. 16.

USF snapped a two-game overall losing streak and a three-game skid at home, while Saint Xavier suffered its first road setback in seven games.

USF returns to action at home Saturday against Holy Cross College. Tipoff at the Sullivan Center is set for 5 p.m .