The No. 2/3-ranked Thomas More College women’s basketball team fell, 74-67, to No. 15/18-ranked Hope College Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championships at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills.
With the loss, the Saints end the season at 28-1. With the win, the Flying Dutch improve to 24-4 and will face Christopher Newport University in the sectional semifinals next weekend.
Thomas More was led in scoring by sophomore guard Madison Temple (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) with a game-high-tying 22 points (TMC Athletics Photo)
Thomas More jumped out to an early 16-8 lead when first-year forward Emily Schultz (Melbourne, Ky./Bishop Brossart) made a lay-up with 1:37 to play in the first quarter. Hope cut the lead to 18-11 after one quarter. The Flying Dutch opened the second quarter on a 14-2 run to build a 25-20 lead with 5:37 to play in the quarter when Angelique Gaddy made one-of-two free-throws.
The Saints answered with a 10-7 run to cut the lead to 32-30 when junior guard Abby Owings (Independence, Ky./Simon Kenton) made a three-pointer with 57-seconds to play in the second quarter. Hope closed out the second quarter on a 4-0 run to take a 36-30 lead at halftime when Paris Madison made a jumper at the buzzer.
The Saints opened the third quarter on an 11-8 run capped by an Owings three-pointer to cut the lead to 44-41 with 6:54 to play in the quarter. Hope responded with an 11-6 run to increase the lead to 55-47 on a Jacquelyn Schwark three-pointer with 2:13 to play in the quarter.
Thomas More cut the lead to 59-54 after three quarters. The Saints opened the fourth quarter on a 9-5 run to cut the lead to 64-63 with 3:34 to play in the fourth quarter when junior forward Nikki Kiernan (Newport, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) made two free-throws. That was as close as the Saints would come as Hope closed out the game on a 10-4 run for the 74-67 victory.
Thomas More was led in scoring by sophomore guard Madison Temple (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) with a game-high-tying 22 points. She was joined in double-figures by Owings with 20 points and Schultz just missed double-figures with nine points. Kiernan led the team on the boards with seven rebounds, while Temple led the team in assists with eight.
Schultz led the team in blocked shots with five.
Thomas More men fall to Guilford in NCAA tourney
The Thomas More College men’s basketball team took on Guilford College Friday in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. The Saints fell to Guilford, 74-54, giving the Saints a final record of 22-7.
During the 2016-2017 basketball season the team finished 15-3 in the PAC. The Saints finished with a 14-1 record at home and were the 2016-2017 PAC regular season co-champions and PAC tournament champions, which the team had not done since the 2008-2009 season.
In the first round of the NCAA tournament the Saints had seven players reach the scoring column and were led by sophomore guard Ryne Callahan (Morehead, Ky./ Rowan County), who finished with a game-high 19 points as he hit five three-pointers. Along with Callahan, sophomore forward Ralph Stone (Shelbyville, Ky./ Martha Layne Collins) finished the game with 11 points, six rebounds and three assists.
Guilford had nine players reach the scoring column and had four players reach double digits. Kyler Gregory led the team with 13 points. Along with Gregory, Dominique Henderson finished with 12 points, Carson Long finished with 11 points and Alston Thompson finished with 10 points.
From TMC Athletics
