Thomas More women improve to 10-0 with 104-65 win; Illinois State defeats NKU, 58-53

NKyTribune staff

Make it a perfect 10 — like in a 10-0 start — for the Thomas More University women’s basketball team.

The Saints improved to 10-0 Friday night with a 104-65 win over Whitworth (Wash.) in the Kim Evanger Raney Classic at Walla Walla, Wash. Thomas More jumped out to a 36-7 lead after one quarter and completely dominated the entire game, finishing with seven players scoring in double figures.

Madison Temple netted 20 points and dished out 10 assists for the Saints, who shot 62.7 percent from the field and finished with a 41-27 advantage in rebounds. Temple scored 13 points and dished out seven assists in the first half.

Shelby Rupp scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds for Thomas More, which shot 74.3 percent from the field in the first half and owned a 66-37 lead at intermission. The Saints also buried eight 3-pointers in the first half, including four treys by Kaela Sander (12 points for the game).

Asyah Mitchell (12 points), Kelly Clapper (11), Briana McNutt (10) and Emily Schultz (10) also netted double-figure scoring for the Saints. Schultz also finished with six assists and five rebounds for Thomas More, which is ranked No. 4 nationally in the NCAA Division III poll.

Whitworth, which shot 40.6 percent from the field, is now 5-2.

Thomas More has not lost a regular-season game in more than a year. The Saints’ last defeat in the regular season occurred on Nov. 18, 2017, when Rochester (N.Y.) pulled out a 61-58 win over visiting Thomas More.

The Saints meet host Whitman (Wash.) at 7 p.m. Saturday in the finale of the two-day classic.

ILLINOIS STATE WOMEN DEFEAT NKU: Simone Goods scored 19 points to lead Illinois State to a 58-53 win over the Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team on Friday night at BB&T Arena.

TeTe Maggett added 15 points for the Redbirds, who finished with a 33-22 advantage in rebounds. Illinois State (4-4) shot 72.7 percent from the field in the fourth quarter to hold on and sent NKU (1-5) to its fifth consecutive loss.

Kailey Coffey scored 17 points and dished out four assists to lead NKU, which shot 44.7 percent from the field. Molly Glick added 11 points, while Taylor Clos chipped in seven points and three steals.

NKU plays at Louisville on Dec. 15 at 11:30 a.m.

(Information compiled from Thomas More, NKU Athletics Communications and staff reports)