The Thomas More University women’s basketball team recorded a decisive victory over WVU Tech on Saturday afternoon (December 30), 122-61. The win improved the Saints overall record to 15-0.
Senior Courtney Hurst (Burlington, Ky./Conner) started the game off strong for the Saints, sinking a 3-point basket to kick off the game (3-0). The Saints dominated the first quarter, with junior Maggie Jones (Piner, Ky./Simon Kenton) sinking a 3-point shot to close out a 13-0 run over the Golden Bears (23-7). Junior Kelly Brenner (Cincinnati, Ohio/Roger Bacon) added to the lead with a jump shot, giving the Saints a 32-13 lead going into the second quarter.
The Saints continued to dominate in the second quarter, with junior Mattison Vickers (Covington, Ky./Simon Kenton) kicking off a 7-0 run over the Golden Bears with a layup to give the Saints a 21-point lead (34-13). First year Rylee Turner (Newport, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) added to the lead with a 3-point basket, making it 45-19 with 4:22 to play in the half. Kelly Brenner closed out the scoring for the Saints in the first half with a 3-pointer at the buzzer, giving the team a 58-26 lead going into the locker room.
Courtney Hurst led the Saints in the first half with 12 points and two rebounds, while Kelly Brenner recorded 9 points, three assists, and one rebound. Rylee Turner led the team defensively with four rebounds and had seven points. Senior Zoie Barth (Fort Thomas, Ky./Highlands) had four assists and three rebounds and two points, and senior Emily Simon (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) recorded eight points, two rebounds, and one assist in the first half. Maggie Jones had eight points and two rebounds, and Mattison Vickers recorded eight points and three rebounds.
The Saints continued their strong performance in the second half, with Courtney Hurst starting off with a 3-point jump shot to extend the lead to 61-26 with 9:39 on the clock. Emily Simon added to the lead with a layup, giving the Saints a 40-point lead (80-40) with 3:48 in the third quarter. Junior Alex Smith (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mercy McAuley) made two free throws to close out the scoring for the Saints in the third quarter with 54 seconds on the clock (90-48). The Saints led 90-51 going into the final quarter.
The Saints dominated in the fourth quarter, with senior Sammi Whiteman (Covington,Ky./Covington) starting off the scoring with a jump shot (92-51). Junior Hailie Morgan (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seton) made a layup to extend the lead to 113-58 with 3:43 to play in the game. First year Jenna Lilliard (Ludlow, Ky.Ludlow) closed out the scoring for the Saints with a layup, securing the team’s 122-61 victory over the Golden Bears.
Zoie Barth led the Saints in the second half with 12 points and one rebound and one assist, while Sammi Whiteman recorded 10 points, four assists, and four rebounds. Hailie Morgan led the team defensively with four rebounds and had four points and two assists.
Courtney Hurst led the Saints with 19 points and three rebounds and three assists, while Zoie Barth recorded five assists and four rebounds and had 14 points. Mattison Vickers had a career high with 15 points and four assists and four rebounds, and Sammi Whiteman tied her career high with 12 points and recorded four assists and four rebounds. Alex Smith, Rylee Turner, and Hailie Morgan also recorded four rebounds to lead the team. Kelly Brenner had nine points, five assists, and three rebounds, and Emily Simon recorded eight points, three rebounds, and two assists. Maggie Jones had nine points and three rebounds, and Jenna Lilliard had eight points and two rebounds.
The Saints shot 65.5% from the field, 45.5% from the 3-point line, and 88.9% from the free throw line. The team will return to action on January 2 against Mount St. Joseph in the Connor Convocation Center at 2:00 pm ET.
