(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) – Sophomore guard Abby Owings (Independence, Ky./Simon Kenton) and freshman guard Madison Temple (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) combined for 44 points today (Saturday, February 6, 2016) as the No. 1-ranked Thomas More College women's basketball team defeated Thiel College, 105-41, in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) game at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.
With the win, the Saints remain undefeated at 20-0 overall and 14-0 in the PAC. With the loss, the Tomcats fall to 3-18 overall and 3-11 in the PAC.
Thomas More jumped out to an early 11-4 lead when Temple made a lay-up with 5:41 to play in the first quarter. Thiel answered with a 6-2 run capped by a Taylor Ketler three-pointer to cut the lead to 13-10 with 4:05 to play in the opening quarter. The Saints closed out the first quarter on a 13-3 run to take a 26-13 after one quarter when junior forward Kaylee Bush (Middletown, Ohio/Madison) made a lay-up with 16-seconds to play in the quarter.
The Saints would then out-score Thiel 27-10 in the second quarter to lead 53-23 at halftime, 22-12 in the third quarter to lead 75-35 and 30-6 in the fourth quarter for the final score of 105-41.
Thomas More had a 54-12 advantage on points in the paint, 44-1 off turnovers, 25-12 in second chance points and the Saints' bench out-scored Thiel's bench 43-14.
Owings and Temple each finished with 22 points to lead the Saints in scoring , while freshman forward Shelby Rupp (Milan, Ind./Batesville) added 11 points. Sophomore forward Nikki Kiernan (Cold Springs, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) and senior guard/forward Sydney Moss (St. Albans, W.Va./Boone County (Ky.)) led the team on the boards as they both pulled down eight rebounds, while senior forward Alexa Santamaria (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) added seven rebounds. Owings led the team in assists, while she and senior guard Olivia Huber (Woodlawn, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) each had four steals to lead the team.
Thomas More returns to action on Wednesday (February 10) when it travels to Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania to play Geneva College at 5:30 p.m. at Metheny Fieldhouse.
