HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. --- The Mighty Eight did it again as University of St. Francis' band of just eight rostered players pulled off their second upset of the season and earned their 15thwin of the campaign, this time knocking off NAIA I No. 26-ranked Robert Morris University, 63-59, in overtime in a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference matchup at the Sears Centre Tuesday night.
Head coach Brian Michalak's club led for only 2:10 in regulation, but the Saints hung in long enough to force overtime and outscore the host Eagles 10-6 in the extra session to even out their record at 2-2 in league play. Overall, the Saints are now 15-8.
Freshman forward Katie Gonnering (Freedom H.S./Seymour, WI) did it all again for the Saints highlighted by her eighth double-double of the season. She authored 26 points and a career-high 17 rebounds, while also dishing out four assists and forcing four turnovers with her steals.
Gonnering single-handedly beat Robert Morris at the foul line, where she was 14-for-16, which turned out to be the difference in the end. Robert Morris, which was tagged with its first conference loss of the season, hit just 9-of-17.
USF, as a team, was 18-for-23 from the charity stripe for 78.3 percent.
That was the only solid shooting mark for either club on the night as the Saints produced just 21 field goals in 66 attempts (31.8 pct.), starting out at 26.7 percent (8-of-30) over the first 20 minutes. From long range, USF was just 3-for-19.
Robert Morris shot 40.6 percent (13-of-32) in the opening half before going cold in the second half (22.6 pct., 7-of-31) and finished up at 31.4 pct.
USF led just once in the first half, 14-12, but never let Robert Morris (13-6, 2-1) gain more than a six-point advantage, including 34-28 at the break.
St. Francis used a 9-1 run to open the second half and take a 37-35 lead, but that was short-lived, as well, lasting all of 51 seconds.
USF's next lead, and only its third of the game, 53-52, came with just 79 seconds remaining when junior forward Sarah Fencl (Tinley Park H.S./Tinley Park, IL) had a put-back of her own miss.
Sarah Rogers, RMU's leading scorer with 20 points, forced the ninth tie of the night, 53-53, on a free throw with nine seconds to play, but her miss on the back end kept the Saints alive.
St. Francis scored the first four points in overtime for its biggest lead of the night, 57-53, but Robert Morris was able to tie the score twice at 57 and 59.
A pair of free throws from both Gonnering and senior Michelle Karr (Providence Catholic H.S./Tinley Park, IL) in the closing 26 seconds finally put the game to rest and assured the Saints of no less than a .500 season.
It also offset an earlier 71-58 setback to the Eagles back on Jan. 7 at the Sullivan Center.
Karr, like Gonnering, hit for double figures in both the scoring and rebounding columns finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season.
Junior forward Ashley Teresiak (Moraine Valley C.C./Orland Park, IL) fell one rebound short of securing her own double-double recording 10 points and nine rebounds.
The Saints, winners of three in a row and six of eight, are off until next Tuesday (Jan. 31) when they meet NAIA I No. 13 Saint Xavier University at the Shannon Center in Chicago. Game time is 7 p.m.
