(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) – The 21st-ranked Thomas More women's basketball team fell, 67-64, to seventh-ranked Shawnee State University today (Saturday, January 4, 2020) in the final minutes of a Mid-South Conference game at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.
- Thomas More raced to a 9-2 lead when junior guard Briana McNutt (Maysville, Ohio/Mason County) made a jumper with 6:50 to play in the first quarter.
- The Bears answered with an 8-2 run to cut the lead to 11-10 with 2:17 to play in the first quarter when Bailey Cummings made a three pointer.
- The Saints led 14-12 after one quarter.
- Thomas More opened the second quarter on an 11-9 run when sophomore guard Kaylin Burdick (Cincinnati, Ohio/West Clermont) converted an old fashion three-point play.
- Shawnee State closed on the opening half on a 14-2 run to take a 35-27 lead at halftime.
- Shawnee State opened the third quarter on a 5-2 run to extend the lead to 40-27 when Sydney King made a three-pointer with 8:46 to play in the quarter.
- Undaunted, the Saints responded with an 18-4 run to take a 45-44 lead with 1:40 to play in the third quarter when first-year guard Summer Secrist (Taylor Mill, Ky./Scott) made two free-throws.
- The game was tied at 51-51 after three quarters.
- First-year guard Zoie Barth (Fort Thomas, Ky./Highlands) made two free-throws with 5:33 to play in the fourth quarter to cap an 8-4 run to give Thomas More a 59-55 lead.
- Shawnee State used a 10-2 run to build a 65-61 lead with 55-seconds to play in the game when Anyia Pride made one-of-two free-throws.
- Thomas More cut the lead to 65-64 when senior forward Emily Schultz (Melbourne, Ky./Bishop Brossart) made a lay-up with 45-seconds to play in the game.
- The Bears made two free-throws with four-seconds to play in the game to take a 67-64 lead and Thomas More's final shot at the buzzer was off the mark and Shawnee State posted the win.
- Thomas More falls to 11-4 overall and 0-2 in the Mid-South, while Shawnee State improve to 16-1 overall and 3-0 in the Mid-South.
- The loss snapped a 112-game winning streak against conference opponents in the Connor Convocation Center as the Saints last loss in the CCC was on February 7, 2007 (2006-07 season) in overtime against Washington & Jefferson College.
- Thomas More's last regular season home loss was on November 23, 2013, (75 games), which was an overtime loss to Calvin College.
- Schultz led the team in scoring with 15 points, while pulling down a team-high-tying eight rebounds and blocking a game-high three shots.
- Barth finished with 14 points and eight rebounds.
- Saner had 14 points and four rebounds.
- McNutt finished with seven points and two rebounds.
- Secrist had seven points and three rebounds.
- Thomas More returns to action on Monday (January 6) when it travels to Pikeville, Kentucky to play the University of Pikeville at 6 p.m. in the UPIKE Gymnasium.