CHICAGO -- The 19th-ranked Saints defeated Governors State 61-45 to ring in the new year to improve to 14-1 on the season. Peyton Banks (Wadsworth, Ohio) led the team with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the winning effort.

THE BASICS

Final Score: Siena Heights 61, Governors State 45

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Records: Siena Heights (14-1), Governors State (6-10)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Two 5-0 runs to start the game gave the Saints a 10-5 lead with 6:34 left in the first quarter.  Siena Heights was able to hold onto the lead, 17-12, as the first 10 minutes expired. 

The Jaguars knotted things up at 17 with two baskets to open the second period. SHU broke the tie and built the first double-digit lead of the game, 30-20, with 2:31 left in the first half. The lead was cut to single-digits, 32-24, as the teams entered the locker room at the half.

Siena Heights held a 15-point lead, 44-29, with 3:53 left in the third stanza. Governors State was able to cut the lead to nine points, 47-38 as the teams entered the final quarter.

The Jaguars brought the deficit to six points with a three-point jumper in the opening two minutes of the fourth. The Saints finished things off with runs of 6-0 and 5-0 to build the final lead of the game.

TOP SAINTS

• Banks tallied 18 points on 6-12 shooting, 2-3 from three, and a perfect 4-4 from the line. 

• Addyson Tomczak (Bay City, Mich.) scored 14 points with 5-10 shooting from the floor, 2-4 from beyond the arc, and 2-2 from the charity stripe. She hauled in six rebounds and three assists to contribute to the win.

• Kelsey Wyman (Blissfield, Mich.) made 3-4 of her shots, 2-3 from three, to score 10 points. She finished with two rebounds and an assist.

THE OPPOSITION

• Sharnita Breeze led the Jaguars with 19 points. She also led the team with six rebounds.

• Crystal Mathis scored 11 points while dishing two assists and hauling in two rebounds.

UP NEXT

The Saints travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan to face Michigan-Dearborn for a Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) contest. The game is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m., EST, tip-off.