ELK GROVE, Calif. – Sophomores Chidera Okoye posted team highs of 14 points and eight rebounds to lift St. Francis to a 65-25 win over Elk Grove in Delta League girls' basketball varsity action Monday night.
The Troubadours improve to 13-10 overall and 6-4 in league play. They entered Monday's road tilt in a tie for third place with Franklin, and a one-game lead over Pleasant Grove.
Okoye shot 6-for-11 with a three-pointer to amass her final scoring total. Fellow sophomore Brianna McGahan added 13 points on the strength of 3-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc, while guard Anne Sale hit a pair of treys of her own en route to eight points. Okoye's eight boards edged sophomore Amanda Cloninger's seven, while Carolina Ingenito and Jo Jo Myers distributed the ball to the tune of four assists each. Ingenito also had eight of her team's 17 steals.
SFHS scored nine unanswered to start the contest, holding a 16-5 lead through the first quarter and 35-11 at the halftime break. The Troubies also enjoyed a 40-27 rebounding margin while committing just six turnovers.
The varsity win followed a 53-14 JV Gold victory over the Elk Grove jayvees. Eva Karamanoukian hit a pair of three-pointers in the first quarter toward her team-leading 20 points. Mackenzie Tan also scored two treys in the opening frame, helping the Troubies hold a 20-3 edge to start the contest.
Tan, Sydney Teoh and Sianna Squires finished with six points apiece. The JV Gold improves to 20-4 for the year with a perfect 10-0 ledger against Delta League opponents.
St. Francis returns to action for a Senior Night triple header on Wednesday. The all-freshman JV Red will host Vista Del Lago at 4 p.m., then JV Gold and varsity will face Pleasant Grove at 5:30 and 7 p.m., respectively. The team will honor four seniors – Ingenito, Oge Okoye, Zahra Smith and Raquel Smith – prior to tip.
