SACRAMENTO, CALIF. – Senior guard Marlee Nicolos scored a career-high 31 points to lead St. Francis to a 60-34 victory over Sheldon Friday night.

“Marlee was unstoppable,” said Head Coach Vic Pitton. “She has a great competitive drive and it was showcased tonight. She had a will that was not going to be denied, getting rebounds and going to the basket. It was an exemplary performance.”

The Troubadours scored 23 first quarter points to take control of the game while holding the Huskies to nine points, one of three quarters Sheldon scored fewer than 10 points.

“Ally Gage set the tone for the whole game,” said Pitton. “It is something I have been looking for early in the game. She sprinted the floor and got rewarded for it. It set the template for the rest of the team to emulate.”

Gage scored five of her career-high seven points in the first quarter, while Nicolos scored nine.

“We wanted to come out with a lot of intensity and start off pressing and we did job of doing that,” said Gage. “Overall we did well with keeping up our energy.”

Nicolos had 15 in the second quarter with a three-pointer and five baskets with two free throws to enter the half with 24 points, breaking her previous career high of 22 against Pleasant Grove in the first 16 minutes.

“She was just playing her game,” said Gage of Nicolos. “I don’t think she realized how many points she had until we told her. She played the best she could play.”

Nicolos recorded her fifth double-double adding 12 rebounds, finishing with 31 points.

“I was just trying to drive and play to my strengths,” said Nicolos. “It wasn’t just me. My teammates had so many great assists and found me so many times. I didn’t do this on my own. It was a great team effort.”

Sophomore Mia Fleming-Mullins added nine points as SF scored 18 in the third to build the lead to 57-23.

St. Francis will travel to Fresno to play Clovis West at 3 p.m. All three teams will be in action on the Martin Luther King Day tripleheader.

“It is always good to play a top caliber team,” said Pitton. “I wish we were a little healthier.

Follow all the action from Fresno as the team will be posting on the St. Francis social media accounts all day with the #TroubieTakeover.

St. Francis 60, Sheldon 34

Sheldon 9 7 7 11 – 34

St. Francis 23 18 16 3 – 60

SF – Nicolos 31, Fleming-Mullins 9, Gage 7, Williams 4, Bagatelos 3, Lopez 3, Graybill 2, Keitges 1. S – Hufana 11, Si. Dodd 6, Mambuay 5, S. Dodd 5, Almazon 4, Durham 2, Higgins 1.

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