CHICAGO, Ill. - The Saint Mary's basketball team put up a season-best point total to take an 85-63 win over Illinois Tech on Tuesday evening.

 

Annie Restovich got the Belles on the scoreboard a minute into the game with a good three-pointer, but a stretch of miscues and missed shots saw Illinois Tech gain a 10-3 lead through two-plus minutes of play. Kate Restovich got Saint Mary's back on track with a layup in transition, and an offensive board and put-back bucket by Julia Schutz made it a one-possession difference at 10-7. The Scarlet Hawks hit a three-pointer a minute later for a 13-7 advantage. Undeterred, the Belles got back-to-back buckets by Annie Restovich as the freshman drained a three-pointer before scoring a fastbreak layup off of a pass from Kate Restovich. Julia Schutz used a bucket and the and-one free throw to edge the Belles within a point, and Athena Samson hit a put-back layup to give the lead to Saint Mary's at 17-16. Illinois Tech tied the game up at 19-19 in the high-scoring first period, but consecutive baskets by Schutz and Kate Restovich pushed the Belles ahead by four points. Two late free throws by the home side cut the difference in half, and Saint Mary's held a 23-21 lead through ten minutes.

 

The Scarlet Hawks opened the second quarter with five points to regain the lead, and the Belles kept close with Annie Restovich, Elle Deardorff, and Julia Schutz all putting up points. Trailing 35-30 with 5:13 on the clock, Saint Mary's went on a 10-0 run to go up 40-35. Annie Restovich started the run with a three, Kate Restovich added two free throws, Julia Schutz had a steal and layup in transition, and Schutz capped off the run with a three-pointer. Athena Samson, Deardorff, and Caroline Roecker all ensured the Belles maintained the lead as the Scarlet Hawks tried to overtake Saint Mary's by adding points of their own as the Belles held a 46-40 lead at the half.

 

The Belles continued to have a response to the Scarlet Hawks throughout the third period. Nicole Connolly hit a pair of jump shots early in the quarter, and another three-pointer by Schutz put Saint Mary's ahead 53-43. Schutz almost could not miss in the period as she added the next five points for the Belles - on another layup and another three - for a 58-44 lead. The junior put away another layup, and Connolly hit a jumper to put the Belles up 14 on two more occasions in the quarter. By the end of the period, Schutz had hit 4-of-5 shots from the floor with a free throw and scored 11 points while Illinois Tech was held to 10 points as a team in the third.

 

Athena Samson hit a shot on the first possession of the fourth quarter, and Avery Schiesser scored a fastbreak layup for a 67-50 lead. Samson added another bucket a short while later, and Lauren Gumma connected on a jumper on the next possession as the Belles went on to lead by at least 15 points over the remainder of the contest. Annie Restovich, Elle Deardorff, Julia Schutz, Alyssa Matuza, and Gumma all added points down the stretch to lift Saint Mary's to their highest scoring output of the season to-date in the 85-63 win.

 

Saint Mary's made 47.9 percent (34-of-71) of their shots from the floor in the contest with a 47.1 percent (8-of-17) effort from three-point range. Illinois Tech, meanwhile, had a 30.3 percent (20-of-66) shooting night from the floor and a 33.3 percent (8-of-24) showing from deep. Saint Mary's had 23 assists on their 34 made shots with 10 different players registering at least one assist. The Belles outscored the Scarlet Hawks 22-6 in points off of turnovers and 34-22 in the paint. 

 

Julia Schutz led all players in scoring with a career-high 29 points on a 12-of-16 (75.0 percent) shooting night from the floor. The junior added seven rebounds, four steals, three assists, and two blocked shots for the Belles. Annie Restovich put up 18 points after hitting 63.6 percent (7-of-11) of her shots from the floor with a 4-of-6 effort from behind the three-point arc. Athena Samson registered her fifth double-double of the season with 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Kate Restovich, Elle Deardorff, and Nicole Connolly each chipped in six points. Kate Restovich had a team-best five assists while Deardorff dished out four assists. 

 

The Belles (3-7) have a break until after the Christmas holiday. Saint Mary's returns to the hardwood on Friday, December 29 when they take on host Loras on day one of the Loras Holiday Tournament in Dubuque, Iowa at 3:00 p.m. CST/4:00 p.m. EST.