ELK GROVE, Calif. -- Senior guard Carolina Ingenito scored a career-high 21 points, including 11 of her team's 15 in the fourth quarter, to lead St. Francis to a 38-22 win over Pleasant Grove in a Delta League varsity girls' basketball matchup Tuesday night.
The Troubadours improve to 11-8 overall and 3-2 in league action. The two teams were part of a three-way tie for third place in the Delta standings heading into Tuesday's game.
The varsity win followed a junior varsity game in which St. Francis' JV Gold squad pulled away to a 52-23 win over PG.
Ingenito, a native of Elk Grove herself, shot 9-for-12 for the contest and fell just one shy of the Eagles' team total of 10 field goals. She scored back-to-back buckets in the first quarter to lift St. Francis out of an early 6-2 hole, provided a steal and fast break in the second quarter, then finished a pair of layups in the third. With the Troubies holding a 23-17 lead entering the fourth, she sank two free throws, hit consecutive baseline jumpers, then drained a three-pointer and a putback to help SFHS finish strong down the stretch.
Point guard Jo Jo Myers added another eight points. She assisted Ingenito's equalizer in the first quarter, then her corner three with 3:04 in the second gave St. Francis a 19-10 lead. PG scored with 1:23 left to bring the halftime margin to 19-12.
Defensively, the Troubies held the Eagles to 26.3 percent shooting, including 0-for-9 from three-point range. Sophomore Chidera Okoye led SFHS with nine rebounds with Brianna McGahan adding another five. Ingenito also posted three steals for the night.
In Tuesday's opener, Emma Karamanoukian sank a trio of three-pointers en route to a team-high 18 points. Sianna Squires added 12 points while Aubrey O'Donnell led the boards with nine. The Troubies led 21-12 at the halftime break before exploding for 20 points in the third. Sydney Teah scored eight of her 10 total points in that pivotal third frame, hitting a pair of treys in the process.
The St. Francis JV Gold improves to 14-3 for the year, and extends its winning streak to six games.
The Trouble varsity returns to action for back-to-back Delta League games against Davis on Friday (in Davis) and Saturday (at home). The JV Gold added a last-minute road game at Folsom on Wednesday night at 5:30 p.m.
