SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sophomore Lexi London scored a game-high 15 points, freshman Tayli Paeu-Lindgren posted her second double-double in as many weeks, while junior guard Karly Okamoto tallied 10 steals in a rare starting role, leading St. Francis to a dominating 65-26 win over Sheldon in varsity Delta League girls' basketball action Wednesday night.
The Troubadours improve to 6-8 for the year and open league play at 1-0.
London shot 6-for-13 from the floor with six rebounds, senior Brianna McGahan added 11 points with seven rebounds, junior Sydney Teoh came through for 10 points, while Paeu-Lindgren hit 5 of 6 on her field-goal attempts along with a team-best 12 rebounds. Meanwhile, Okamoto was arguably St. Francis' unsung hero for the contest. Her only shot of the game – a drive through the key three minutes after the tip – ended her team's scoring drought, while nine of her steals came before the break to hold the Huskies in check before the Troubies could break away with 23 points in the third period.
After Okamoto cracked the seal on the Sheldon goal, Paeu-Lindgren and Teoh combined for 10 points to establish a 12-4 lead through the first frame. Sheldon's Mariah Smith knocked down a three-pointer to start the second, but SF responded with 14 straight to pull away to a 26-7 lead. Sophomore Colleen Medina scored twice and assisted Aubrey O'Donnell, with Teoh and sophomore Gianna Seghesio combined for 4 of 4 from the free-throw line in that outburst.
McGahan, who ignited the second-period offense with her runner in the lane, scored her remaining nine points in the third: a three-pointer from the right side with five minutes left, a pull-up jumper at the 3:10 mark, a turnaround jumper at 2:34 and a drive on a London assist in the final seconds. McGahan also fired a long outlet pass for an assist to Medina early in the third, as St. Francis grew its lead to 49-19 heading into the fourth.
London scored two three-point plays in the third, both times by drawing contact in the lane and scoring the and-one throws. However, she kick-started the fourth by burying a three-pointer. London went on to assist Seghesio's corner three to give the Troubies a 57-19 lead at the 4:40 mark, then added three more buckets down the stretch to finish as her team's scoring leader for the game. The 15 points stands as her best single-game total since she poured in 19 against Elk Grove almost a full year ago.
The varsity win followed an equally dominant performance by St. Francis JV Gold, which dispatched Sheldon by a 56-15 final. Freshman Layla Hernandez scored 17 points, while Abigail Hall and Audrey Bashore each chipping in eight more. Natalia Zitelli and Abbey Pavelchik added another seven points each, with Pavelchik assisting Hall on back-to-back "Abbey to Abi" scores in the second half.
The Troubies did not allow a Sheldon field goal until the opening minute of the second period, and led 33-8 at halftime and 49-13 through three stanzas. Both teams agreed to a running clock throughout the fourth, resulting in just nine combined points in that period.
Both varsity and JV Gold remain at home for more Delta League action for three straight games, continuing with a Friday doubleheader against Davis. Tip-off times are 5 p.m. for jayvees and 6:30 for varsity. The St. Francis JV Red will return to action in a week, hosting Oak Ridge prior to the home doubleheader against Cosumnes Oaks on January 10.
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