SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Junior Lexi London poured in 20 points in just 23 minutes, including 12 in her team's 26-8 start in the first period, to lead St. Francis to a 69-41 win in the varsity nightcap of a non-league girls' prep basketball doubleheader against Laguna Creek Tuesday night.  

The Troubadours improve to 3-2 for the season. The Cardinals even their record at 4-4.

London, who also notched a team-leading five steals, drained four three-pointers to pace four SF players with double-digit offense. Senior Sydney Teoh added 15 points with six assists, junior Laila Mendoza chipped in another 11 tallies, while sophomore Tayli Paeu-Lindgren recorded her fourth consecutive double-double with 11 points and 16 rebounds.

The Troubies led wire-to-wire, with Teoh kicking off the scoring with a layup just seconds after Paeu-Lindgren won the opening tip. Mendoza assisted both London and Karly Okamoto on buckets while draining a three of her own to extend the SF lead to 16-6, then London poured in back-to-back treys to make it 22-6. Mendoza's runner in the paint then London's steal and subsequent two free throws bumped the margin to 26-8 through the first eight.

LC post Jestine Tofi forced a shot through London's would-be block and sophomore Samantha De Leon sank a corner three to close the gap to 26-13 to start the second frame, but that deficit ended up being the closest for the Cardinals for the remainder of the game. London answered with a pull-up three, then a Paeu-Lindgren block later set up a transition score for Teoh at the 3:50 mark, stretching the lead back to 16 at 31-15. That trio of London, Paeu-Lindgren and Teoh each netted a pair of goals in the second to send SF to the halftime break with a 39-23 advantage.

Paeu-Lindgren provided a pair of second-chance baskets early in the third, thanks in part to Layla Hernandez on the offensive boards. Mendoza hit a baseline jumper to extend the Troubie lead to 43-26 by the 6:16 mark in the third, then Teoh accounted for seven straight points to make it 52-28 with less than three minutes to go in that period. Teoh assisted Audrey Bashore on a mid-range bucket, turned an Okamoto into a corner three, then finished the transition off Mendoza's steal on the other end of the court. Laguna Creek came up with seven quick points heading into the finale, beginning with Casey McCoy's baby hook at the 1:57 mark. Still, Hernandez turned one of her two steals into an Okamoto fast break among that Cardinal stretch, allowing SF to go to the finale with a commanding 54-35 lead.

LG senior guard Trinity Thao bookended the fourth with three-pointers, but those were her team's lone points down the stretch. Sophomore Natalia Zitelli contributed with an assist to Bashore to start the final stanza, then she later converted a feed from Teoh with 1:49 left. Mendoza scored twice in the fourth and London buried one last three-pointer as SF cruised to the win.

The varsity win followed an even more resounding 34-13 victory for the Troubie junior varsity. Jocelyn Dickinson accounted for the entirety of SF's scoring in the 12-2 first half, then added three more tallies in the third for a team-best 15. Emmy Cheatham hit three three-pointers, including one off the glass, as part of her 11-point outburst in the third quarter alone. The Troubies extended their lead to 33-8 through three periods.

Earning the JV Gold's customary "Hard Hat Award" for hustle was freshman Keanna Daneshvar, who picked up eight defensive rebounds – two of which resulted in coast-to-coast drives in the final 90 seconds of the third frame. Catherine Gustafson had the remaining Troubie field goal, also in that 21-point third frame, thanks to Lena Mundhenk's steal with 5:50 left.

Tuesday's game also featured the SF Booster Club's annual "Booster-Q" barbecue of the hoop season, while fans brought in unwrapped toys for the Stanford Settlement Neighborhood Center's Operation Cratchit drive.  

Both varsity and JV Gold return to action at this week's three-day Folsom-Vista Winter Classic at Folsom. Varsity opens with Pleasant Valley at 4 p.m on Thursday, with JV taking on Calaveras that evening at 8:30. Updated opponents and tip-off times will appear on GoTroubies.com as the tournaments progress.