The Thomas More University men’s basketball team suffered a tough loss on Thursday night, falling 72-61 to the No. 15 Georgetown College Tigers. The defeat marked the Saints’ first loss at home this season, and their third consecutive loss overall. The team is now 14-5 overall and 9-5 in the Mid-South Conference.
The game was a back-and-forth affair from the start, with the Saints holding a 14-9 lead early in the first half, only for the Tigers to answer back with a 5-0 flurry to tie the game at 14-14. The teams continued to trade baskets throughout the first half, with the score tied 27-27 with 1:49 remaining. The Tigers eventually took a 30-29 lead heading into halftime, but a Derek Eddings three-pointer put the Saints up 32-30 at the break.
Sophomore Wyatt Vieth led the Saints in the first half with 11 points and four rebounds. Vieth continued to be a force in the second half, hitting a three-pointer to give the Saints a 35-30 lead to begin the half. However, a momentum-shifting 14-2 run by the Tigers gave them their largest lead of the game at 44-37 with 15:06 remaining. The Saints fought back with a 10-2 rally of their own to take a one-point lead at 47-46 with 10:25 remaining, but that would be the last lead they would hold for the rest of the game. The Tigers closed out the game with a 7-2 run to secure the 72-61 victory.
Vieth finished with a game-high 20 points, his fourth 20-plus point game of the season. He also made six three-pointers, his third time achieving that this season. Reid Jolly added 13 points, while Noah Pack chipped in 11. Vieth and Kyle Ross tied for the team lead with seven rebounds, while Casey George and Pack tied for the team lead with four assists. The Saints grabbed 13 offensive rebounds, their sixth game with 10 or more this season.
The Saints will hit the road again this Saturday, traveling to the University of the Cumberlands for a 3:00 p.m. tip-off. They previously defeated the Patriots 86-61 at home in their first conference game of the season on November 17, 2022.
