The #1 ranked Thomas More University women’s basketball team defeated Lindsey Wilson 70-56 on Saturday. The victory improved the Saints’ overall record to 17-0 and their Mid South record to 11-0.
First-year player Rylee Turner got the Saints off to a strong start with a layup, assisted by senior Courtney Hurst. Junior Rachel Martin followed with a three-pointer, assisted by senior Zoie Barth. Senior Emily Simon added a layup, assisted by Turner, to give Thomas More a 7-2 lead. Despite Lindsey Wilson tying the game at 7, Barth scored the next five points for the Saints to give them a 12-9 lead. Junior Alex Smith made a pair of free throws to give Thomas More a two-point lead with 2:46 remaining in the quarter. A layup from Smith, assisted by Barth, and a three-pointer from junior Kelly Brenner, also assisted by Barth, pushed the Thomas More lead to seven. Junior Sammi Whiteman made a layup, assisted by Brenner, to give the Saints a nine-point lead. Thomas More led 21-14 after the first quarter.
Brenner opened the second quarter with a three-pointer, assisted by junior Maggie Jones. A Lindsey Wilson run cut the lead to one, but Barth made a fast break layup, assisted by Simon, and added another layup on the next possession to give Thomas More a 28-23 lead. A layup from Hurst made the score 32-28 Thomas More with 1:13 remaining in the half. The Saints led 32-28 at halftime, with Barth leading the way with nine points, three rebounds, and three assists. Thomas More was 12-27 from the field in the first half.
Hurst opened the second half with a three-pointer, assisted by Martin, to push the lead to seven. Martin added a three-pointer, assisted by Hurst, to make it a 10-point game with 6:54 remaining in the third quarter. Simon made a layup, assisted by Barth, to give the Saints a 40-30 lead. Barth scored four straight points for Thomas More to make the score 44-34. Simon added a layup, assisted by Barth, to push the lead to 13. A jumper from Brenner gave Thomas More a 49-36 lead after the third quarter. Barth scored four more points to start the fourth quarter, making the score 54-43 with six minutes remaining. Simon made a layup, assisted by Barth, and was fouled for a three-point play. A steal and layup from Jones gave Thomas More their largest lead of 16. Turner found Simon for a layup to make the score 61-45. Turner added a layup, assisted by Jones, to push the lead back to 14. Brenner knocked down another three-pointer, assisted by Turner, with two minutes remaining. Barth hit a three-pointer, assisted by Smith, to give the final score of 70-56.
Barth led Thomas More with 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Simon had 14 points, three rebounds, and one assist. Brenner had 11 points, three rebounds, and one assist. Hurst had five points, five rebounds, and two assists. Turner had four points, four rebounds, and three assists. The Saints had 18 assists on 26 field goals. Thomas More will return to action on Thursday as they travel to Lebanon, Tennessee to face the Cumberland Phoenix. The game is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. ET.