Box Score (CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) — The Thomas More University men's basketball team won its fourth straight game on Monday night (December 30, 2019) when it held off Asbury University, 87-67, behind 33 points from junior Keegan Saben (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville).
- Thomas More opened the game on a 10-0 run, capped by a Saben steal and fast break layup with 16:48 left in the half.
- The Eagles closed to within two points with 9:19 remaining, but the Saints responded with a 12-0 run, ending with a Noah Pack (Georgetown, Ohio/Georgetown) jumper, to push the lead to 36-22 with 6:40 left.
- A Saben three-pointer with 44 seconds to go in the half gave the Saints their highest lead of the period at 50-27.
- Thomas More went into halftime up 50-29.
- Saben led all scorers in the first half with 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting.
- The Saints were hot in the half, shooting 21-of-29 from the field (72.4 percent) and 4-of-8 from three-point range while holding the Eagles to just 10-of-30 from the field (33.3 percent).
- Thomas More outrebounded Asbury 23-6 in the first half and outscored the Eagles 22-4 in the paint.
- Asbury rallied to cut the deficit to as low as nine points in the second half, and they trailed 67-58 before a pair of Saben free throws with 5:44 left in the game extended Thomas More's lead back in to double digits, where it would remain.
- Saben was 11-of-12 from the line in the second half to protect the Saints' lead.
- Thomas More was 10-of-20 from the field in the second half (50.0 percent) and 15-of-20 from the free throw line (75.0 percent).
- Thomas More improved to 12-1 overall, while Asbury dropped to 6-10.
- The Saints were 31-of-49 from the field for the game (63.3 percent), 6-of-12 from three-point range (50.0 percent), and 19-of-25 from the line (76.0 percent), while the Eagles shot just 22-of-56 from the field (39.3 percent).
- Thomas More outrebounded Asbury 39-17 and held a 38-16 edge in points in the paint.
- Saben's 33 points is tied for the seventh highest total by a Saints men's player since 1990, and it is the second time a Saint has scored 30+ points in a game this season after Reid Jolly (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) scored 31 against Akron-Wayne on November 23. His 14 made free throws is the second highest single-game total since 1990.
- Jolly finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.
- Sophomore center Ryan Batte (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) scored 13 points and added 11 rebounds.
- Junior Garren Bertsch (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) scored nine points off the bench for the Saints.
- Sophomore guard Tyrice Walker (Hamilton, Ohio/Summit Country Day) finished with eight points and four rebounds.
- Thomas More will return to Mid-South Conference play on Saturday, January 4, against Shawnee State University. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Connor Convocation Center, following the women's game.
