SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Junior Sydney Teoh scored 20 points, senior Brianna McGahan added another 16 and six players contributed in their varsity debuts, as St. Francis blasted Will C. Wood, 64-23, in the varsity nightcap of a season-opening girls' basketball doubleheader Friday night.

The varsity win followed an equally dominant 41-11 victory by the Troubadours' JV Gold, which held the Wildcats without a field goal for the first 19 minutes of play.

Teoh poured in 10 of her points in an 18-2 start to the contest, plus she dropped in a three-pointer in each of the second and fourth quarters. McGahan was held scoreless in the first, but assisted the first three SF buckets of the game, then exploded for eight points in the final four minutes before the halftime break. The Troubies held a 37-11 advantage at halftime, then extended their lead to 53-17, with the running clock beginning with Teoh's pull-up trey with 5:51 left in the game.

Senior Chidera Okoye chipped in another nine points with three rebounds, but a major part of Friday's story belonged to six SF players who appeared in their first varsity game. Sophomore Laila Mendoza sat out last year due to injury, but showed up for five points plus team bests of six rebounds and four steals. Colleen Medina (four points, three steals), Caitlyn Lee (three rebounds) and Mackenzie Tan (three points) were the top performers on the Troubies' JV Gold in 2022-23, and unsurprisingly saw significant playing time in Friday's tilt. 

Tayli-Paeu Lindgren not only became just the third St. Francis freshman in the last 19 years to even appear in the varsity season opener – joining Lexi London (2022-23) and Jackie Koerwitz (2015-16) with that claim – she was among tonight's starting five. 

Finally, sophomore Gianna Seghesio posted two free throws and a transition score in Friday's win. Seghesio played on the all-freshman JV Red squad last year, then was initially placed on JV Gold after this season's tryouts. However, even with JV Gold depleted to both injury and illness, Seghesio earned her spot with the Troubies' top squad before the season opener.

Speaking of which JV Gold dispatched Wood in large part due to the contributions of several JV Red call-ups. Sophomore Reese Walker scored five first-half points before foul trouble ended her night, Annie Swanson assisted on four buckets, while Lauren Herbelin and Bianca Espanola each earned six tallies. However, ninth graders Abi Hall (10 points) and Natalia Zitelli (seven points) ended up as the top two scorers in Friday's early matchup. 

St. Francis led 8-1 after the first quarter and 15-2 at halftime, not allowing a field goal until the 4:50 mark in the third. Hall scored on second-chance opportunities in each of the first, second and fourth frames. She also converted feeds from Audrey Bashore and Swanson on back-to-back possessions in the third as part of her double-digit performance.

The three Troubie teams enjoy a home-heavy schedule in the preseason, with all three in action on Monday against Lincoln of Stockton. JV Red tips off at 4 p.m., JV Gold at 5:30, with varsity finishing the night at 7 p.m.