Six years later, Thomas More women still dominating PAC; NKU women fall to Wright State, TMC men win

By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter

Nearly six years had passed since a conference opponent last pinned a defeat on Thomas More College in women’s basketball, but Washington & Jefferson had to like its chances of ending the streak on Saturday.

Sporting a 13-1 overall record and a 7-0 mark in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, Washington & Jefferson hosted Thomas More and appeared to be capable of upsetting the visiting Saints. Most intriguing was the fact Thomas More had not lost to a PAC opponent since Jan. 14, 2012, when Saint Vincent College pulled out a 68-65 victory in Latrobe, Pa.

Six years later, though, nothing has changed except the players on the Thomas More roster. The Saints continued their overwhelming dominance of the PAC by coasting to a 73-57 victory over the host Presidents in Washington, Pa.

Abby Owings and Madison Temple combined for 37 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds to lead Thomas More, which is ranked No. 5 nationally in the NCAA Division III poll. Owings scored 19 points and dished out seven assists, while Temple netted 18 points, grabbed nine rebounds and finished with eight assists.

Temple also added three steals as Thomas More extended its winning streak to 13 and improved to 14-1 overall, 8-0 in the PAC. The Saints held Washington & Jefferson to just 31.3 percent shooting from the field.

Thomas More controlled the inside, finishing with a 36-12 advantage in points in the paint. The Saints also held a 46-37 advantage in rebounds and led by as many as 19 points in the second half.

Emily Schultz notched a double-double off the bench with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Shelby Rupp chipped in 10 points off the Thomas More bench, which outscored Washington & Jefferson’s reserves by a whopping 25-4 margin.

Thomas More has been victorious in 123 consecutive games against PAC foes since the loss against Saint Vincent on Jan. 14, 2012. The NCAA forced Thomas More to vacate every win during the 2014-15 season due to an eligibility issue, wiping out 20 victories against PAC schools.

Thomas More plays host to Saint Vincent on Wednesday in the Connor Convocation Center at 5:30 p.m.

NKU WOMEN LOSE IN OT: Wright State opened the overtime with a 10-2 run and held on for a 68-63 win over Northern Kentucky University on Saturday at BB&T Arena.

NKU forced overtime when Samari Mowbray scored a basket with 18 seconds remaining to tie the game at 56-all. The Raiders scored the first four points of overtime to take a 60-56 lead, but Molly Glick hit a pair of free throws to cut the Wright State advantage to 60-58.

Wright State responded with a 3-pointer by Mackenzie Taylor for a 63-58 lead, and Emily Vogelpohl added a layup to extend the advantage to 65-58 at the 2:01 mark. The Raiders improved to 13-4 overall, 4-1 in the Horizon League.

Freshman forward Kailey Coffey tied her career high with 17 points for NKU, which is 4-12 overall, 2-3 in the Horizon League. Coffey shot 8-for-12 from the field and grabbed four rebounds. Glick added 15 points, five assists and five rebounds, while Taryn Taugher scored nine points off the bench.

Wright State finished with a 44-30 advantage on the boards that resulted in an 18-7 edge in second-chance points. The Raiders shot just 37.3 percent from the field and made 56.5 percent of their free throws.

NKU plays host to Cleveland State at 5 p.m. Monday.

TMC MEN WIN ON ROAD: The Thomas More men’s basketball team shot 56.1 percent from the field and rolled to an 86-62 win at Washington & Jefferson on Saturday. The Saints improved to 11-4 overall and remained tied for first place in the PAC standings with 7-1 record.

Simon Clifford scored 17 of his 19 points in the first half to lead Thomas More. The Saints scorched the nets for 64.3 percent from the field before halftime.

Michael Griffin (13 points), Damion King (12) and Brandon Horne (10) also finished in double figures for the Saints, who bolted out to a 47-28 halftime lead. King dished out six assists and collected a pair of steals for Thomas More, which extended its advantage to 72-46 in the second half.

Thomas More held Washington & Jefferson (2-13 overall, 1-7 PAC) to 42.4 percent shooting from the field.

Thomas More welcomes Saint Vincent to the Connor Convocation Center at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday for a PAC contest.

EKU MEN DEFEAT SEMO: Jackson Davis and DeAndre Dishman combined for 35 points as Eastern Kentucky posted a 91-86 win at Southeast Missouri State on Saturday.

Davis finished with 18 points, while Dishman scored 17. Dujuanta Weaver added 15 points for the Colonels, who were 12-for-29 from 3-point range. EKU improved to 8-11 overall, 2-4 in the Ohio Valley Conference. SEMO dropped to 8-11, 2-4 OVC.

Contact Don Owen at don@nkytrib.com