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Saint Vincent (Pa.) men halt Thomas More win streak at 12; TMC women clinch PAC’s No. 1 seed


NKyTribune staff

For the Thomas More College men’s basketball team, 13 proved to be an unlucky number on Valentine’s Day.

The Saints, seeking their 13th consecutive win, shot a season-low 34.6 percent from the field and dropped a 65-50 decision to Saint Vincent on Wednesday night at Latrobe, Pa. The Bearcats converted 49 percent of their attempts from the floor and halted Thomas More’s winning streak at 12 games.

Saint Vincent’s Shemar Bennett shoots over Thomas More’s Austin Young on Wednesday night. (Photo courtesy of Saint Vincent)

Saint Vincent (16-8 overall, 13-4 Presidents’ Athletic Conference) also prevented Thomas More (19-5 overall, 15-2 in the PAC) from clinching a 20-win season and handed the Saints their first loss in 2018.

Prior to Wednesday, Thomas More had not lost since a Dec. 30 setback to Mount St. Joseph.

Kyle Evans scored 13 points and dished out seven assists to lead Saint Vincent, while teammate Matt D’Amico added 12 points. The Bearcats led by as many as 22 points in the second half and coasted to the victory.

Ryne Callahan and Austin Young each scored nine points to pace Thomas More. Leading scorer Damion King was held to six points in 27 minutes of action for the Saints, who trailed 37-28 at halftime.

Thomas More was looking to set a program record with a 13th straight victory. The Saints also won 12 consecutive games during the 2012-13 season.

Thomas More is now one game ahead of second-place Bethany (14-3 PAC) in the league standings. The Saints can still clinch the PAC’s No. 1 seed by defeating Washington & Jefferson on Saturday at the Connor Convocation Center. The tipoff is set for 3 p.m.

TMC WOMEN CLINCH PAC TITLE: Abby Owings scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the Thomas More College women clinched the Presidents’ Athletic Conference regular-season title with a 75-47 win at Saint Vincent on Wednesday.

Thomas More’s Nikki Kiernan (left) recorded five blocks against Saint Vincent on Wednesday and also scored 13 points.

Madison Temple collected a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds as Thomas More extended its winning streak to 22 games and improved to 23-1 overall, 17-0 in the PAC. The Saints earned the No. 1 seed in the upcoming PAC Tournament and will host the semifinals and championship Feb. 23-24 at the Connor Convocation Center.

Saint Vincent dropped to 16-8 overall, 13-4 in the PAC. The Bearcats shot just 25 percent from the field and lost the rebounding battle by a 53-41 margin.

Thomas More, which is ranked No. 4 nationally in the NCAA Division III poll, finished with a 32-16 advantage in points in the paint. The Saints jumped out to an 18-6 lead after the first quarter and were never threatened.

Nikki Kiernan added 13 points and five blocks for the Saints, who have 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 defeated conference foes in 132 consecutive games since that loss in 2012, but 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 Washington & Jefferson at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Connor Convocation Center. The Saints will honor both Owings and Kiernan prior to the tipoff as those two seniors will be playing their final regular-season game at home.


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