Thomas More men rally past Saint Vincent in PAC first-place showdown; TMC women win streak at 14

By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter

In a showdown for first place in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, Damion King scored 18 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out seven assists to lead the Thomas More College men’s basketball team to a 75-57 victory over Saint Vincent College on Wednesday night at the Connor Convocation Center.

Thomas More and Saint Vincent both entered the game tied atop the PAC standings with 7-1 records, but the Saints used a 15-2 run to begin the second half to rally from a 40-32 deficit and gain sole possession of first place.

“We were two different teams tonight,” Thomas More head coach Drew Cooper said. “The team in the first half was mediocre at best, but the team in the second half has a chance. It was good to see our guys’ confidence go up when we were down eight at half.”

Ryne Callahan added 16 points for Thomas More, which won its fifth straight game. The Saints held the Bearcats to 7-for-24 shooting (.292) and just 17 points in the second half to claim the victory and first place in the PAC.

King led the rally by netting 15 points in the second half. Callahan buried a trio of 3-pointers after the break when he scored 11 of his 16 points.

Ralph Stone also played a key role in the comeback by scoring six of his 10 points in the second half, including a pair of baskets during the decisive 15-2 spurt. Brandon Horne’s basket with 12:45 left on the clock capped the run and gave Thomas More a 47-42 lead.

The Saints later used a 13-0 run to build a 65-48 advantage with less than six minutes remaining and cruised to the win. Thomas More converted all 11 of its free throws in the second half and finished 22-for-27 from the charity stripe.

Jason Capco scored 14 points to lead Saint Vincent. The Bearcats, who built their eight-point halftime lead by shooting 60.9 percent from the field, also committed a total of 18 turnovers. As a result, Thomas More finished with a 24-2 advantage in points off turnovers.

Thomas More improved to 12-4 overall, 8-1 in the PAC. Saint Vincent is 10-6 overall, 7-2 in the PAC.

Thomas More plays host to Grove City at 1 p.m. Saturday.

TMC WOMEN EXTEND WIN STREAK: Nikki Kiernan and Abby Owings combined for 42 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists Wednesday as the Thomas More women coasted to an 86-61 win over Saint Vincent at the Connor Convocation Center.

Kiernan finished with 22 points and eight rebounds as Thomas More extended its winning streak to 14 and improved to 15-1 overall, 9-0 in the PAC. The Newport Central Catholic graduate shot 9-for-13 from the field and played just 18 minutes.

Owings added 20 points, seven assists and three steals for the Saints, who are ranked No. 5 nationally in the NCAA Division III poll. The Simon Kenton product buried four 3-pointers and also grabbed two rebounds.

Madison Temple chipped in 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, while Taylor Jolly netted 11 points. Thomas More held Saint Vincent (9-7 overall, 6-3 PAC) to 35.5 percent shooting from the field and never trailed.

Thomas More has not lost to a PAC opponent since Jan. 14, 2012, when Saint Vincent pulled out a 68-65 victory in Latrobe, Pa. The Saints have won 124 consecutive games against PAC foes since that loss.

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.

Hayden White scored six points and grabbed eight rebounds for Thomas More, which shot 48.4 percent from the field. The Saints outrebounded the visitors by a 40-34 margin and finished with a 38-26 advantage in points in the paint.

Thomas More aims for its 15th straight win Saturday with a 3 p.m. home game against Grove City.