St. Ambrose University Athletics recently issued the following announcement.
St. Ambrose controlled the paint, controlled the tempo, and in the second half, controlled the game.
SAU ran its winning streak to 10 games by outscoring Governors State 29-16 in the second half of a 50-39 win Wednesday in University Park, Ill.
The Bees continued their season-long inside dominance. SAU's three posts - Kylie Wroblewski, Madeline Prestegaard and Jaynee Prestegaard - combined for 43 of the team's 50 points. The trio combined for 27 of the Bees' 29 points in the decisive second half.
Trailing 23-21 at the half, and down two at 31-29 midway through the third quarter, St. Ambrose relied on its defense to take over. And it certainly did. The Bees limited the Jaguars to a dismal 3-of-13 effort from the floor in the third quarter and an even-worse 2-of-15 performance in the fourth.
Over the final 5:15 of the third, Governors State (5-12, 4-6 CCAC) was 0-of-6 from the field and committed three turnovers. That allowed SAU to score the final six points of the period to grab a 35-31 lead entering the fourth.
Jaynee Prestegaard opened the final frame with the first four points to put the Bees in front 39-31. After missing their first two shots in the quarter, the Jaguars finally ended a seven-and-a-half-minute scoring drought with two free throws.
Nursing a 43-37 lead with six minutes remaining, St. Ambrose went on a game-clinching run.
Jaynee Prestegaard hit 1-of-2 from the line, her sister Madeline Prestegaard scored on back-to-back possessions, and Shayne Smith scored the only points by a Bee guard in the second half when she knocked down a jumper with 1:44 left to cap a 7-0 spurt that opened up a 50-37 lead. GSU hit two free throws in the closing seconds to end the scoring.
It never appeared SAU would need the second-half rally after the Bees opened up an 11-6 lead after one quarter. But behind three 3-pointers, Governors State outscored St. Ambrose 17-10 in the second to take the two-point lead that lasted into the third.
Jaynee Prestegaard, the reigning CCAC Player of the Week, finished with a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double. She was 7-of-11 from the field.
Wroblewski scored 14 points, doing much of her work from the line, where she was 6-of-7. Madeline Prestegaard netted 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting to go along with seven boards.
Maddy Cash hit the team's only three of the night while grabbing eight rebounds and handing out five assists. Smith and Anna Plumer each contributed two points and three boards for a short-handed SAU team.
Governors State shot just 25.5 percent for the game.
The Bees will take their 16-1 overall record, and 9-1 mark in conference play, into a CCAC matchup at Lincoln College Saturday afternoon.
Original source can be found here.
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