BOURBONNAIS, Ill. ---The nation's No. 1-ranked scoring team was held five points below its average, but that was still not enough to slow down NAIA I No. 14-ranked Olivet Nazarene University as the Tigers gained a 97-72 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference victory over University of St. Francis at McHie Arena Saturday afternoon. 

Seventeen three-pointers by Olivet Nazarene and coaxing 36 turnovers with its pressure defense created for the 25-point margin of victory and kept the Tigers unbeaten at home on the season (9-0).  ONU also boosted its overall record to 14-3, while improving to 2-0 in league play.   

The Saints, meanwhile, slipped to 12-8 overall and 1-2 in the conference.

ONU tried to pull away in the opening half building a 16-point lead at one point, but the Saints got that deficit down to nine points, 44-35, by the break. 

USF then made it an eight-point game with just under 17 minutes to play and trailed by only 13 points, 79-66, as late as the 5:37 mark of the second half.  Olivet Nazarene, however, scored 18 of the game's final 24 points to close things out.

USF freshman forward Katie Gonnering (Freedom H.S./Seymour, WI) led all scorers on the afternoon posting her sixth double-double of the season with her 24 points and 10 rebounds.  She was also credited with a game-high five steals.

Senior forward Michelle Karr (Providence Catholic H.S./Tinley Park, IL) and senior guard Brandi Pudik (Kankakee C.C./Washington, IL) each just missed out on joining Gonnering in the double-double club.  Karr totaled 15 points and eight rebounds, while Pudik authored 15 points and nine boards.

Olivet Nazarene, which took 102 shots for the game, including 66 from beyond the arc, had 13 different players contribute to the scoring column led by Denita Phelps and Stephanie Denius with 12 points each.  Phelps also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

The Saints return to action Tuesday night hosting Holy Cross College at 5 p.m.