(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) – Trailing 7-5, the No. 5/6-ranked Thomas More College women's basketball team scored 20-straight points and never looked back as it defeated Geneva College, 95-39, today (Saturday, January 7, 2017) in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) game at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.
With the win, the Saints remain undefeated at 13-0 overall and 6-0 in the PAC. With the loss, the Golden Tornadoes fall to 4-9 overall and 1-5 in the PAC.
Geneva led the game 7-5 with 6:00 to play in the first quarter and the Saints responded with a 20-0 run to take build a 35-7 lead at the 6:37 mark of the second quarter when junior forward Nikki Kiernan (Cold Springs, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) converted a three-point play. Thomas More never trailed after the 7-5 deficit and led 24-7 after one quarter, 45-20 at halftime, and 71-29 after three quarters.
Thomas More out-rebounded Geneva 55-19, while out-scoring the Golden Tornadoes 48-10 in the paint, 30-2 off turnovers, 25-5 in second chance points and 14-0 on fast break points.
Senior forward Kirsten Paul (Cincinnati, Ohio/Cincinnati Christian) and junior guard Abby Owings (Independence, Ky./Simon Kenton) led the team in scoring as they each scored 15 points. Joining them in double-figures was sophomore guard Madison Temple (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) with 13 points and Kiernan with 11 points. Kiernan recorded her third-straight double-double with a 10 rebounds, while sophomore forward Shelby Rupp (Milan, Ind./Batesville) just missed a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. Temple and sophomore guard Michaela Ware (Newport, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) led the team in assists with eight each, while Paul led the team in steals with three.
Thomas More returns to action on Wednesday (January 11) when it hosts Waynesburg University at 5:30 p.m.
