No. 18 Saints Stay Hot With 73-60 Win At Lindsey Wilson

(COLUMBIA, Ky.) — The No. 18 Thomas More University men's basketball team extended its winning streak to seven games with a 73-60 Mid-South Conference win at Lindsey Wilson College on Saturday evening (February 22, 2020).

• Sophomore center Ryan Batte (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) knocked down two quick baskets, followed by three-pointers by Luke Rudy (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) and Max Knisley (Washington Court House, Ohio/Washington) as the Saints took an early 10-4 lead with 18:01 left in the half.
• A Batte bucket with 11:19 to go put Thomas More up 21-17 and gave him 10 points in the game's first nine minutes.
• The Blue Raiders scored the game's next five points before another Knisley three put the Saints back on top, 24-22, with 6:30 left in the half.
• Lindsey Wilson led 29-25 before Thomas More closed the half on a 5-0 run, with a Knisley three-pointer and a basket by Garren Bertsch (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) sending the Saints into the locker room with a 30-29 lead.

• The Saints continued their run to start the second half with a Batte basket and a Keegan Saben (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) three extending the lead to 35-29 with 17:15 remaining.
• Rudy made back-to-back threes to kick off an 8-0 run that pushed Thomas More's lead to 50-35 with 12:30 to go.
• The Blue Raiders cut the deficit to six points before another Rudy three grew the Saints lead to 57-48 with 6:16 left.
• Lindsey Wilson trailed by five until a Knisley three and a pair of Rudy free throws extended Thomas More's lead back into double digits at 64-54 with 2:34 to play.
• The Blue Raiders got to within seven, but Tyrice Walker (Hamilton, Ohio/Summit Country Day) made four of four free throws and Bertsch made a pair in the game's final two minutes to close out a 73-60 win.

• Thomas More improved to 22-6 overall and 9-5 in Mid-South Conference play, while Lindsey Wilson dropped to 17-12 overall and 6-9 in the conference.
• The Saints made 16-of-18 (88.9 percent) free throws.
• Thomas More was 23-of-50 (46.0 percent) from the field and 11-of-29 (37.9 percent) from beyond the arc.
• Lindsey Wilson shot 17-of-29 (58.6 percent) from three-point range in its win at Thomas More earlier in the season, but the Blue Raiders were held to just 3-of-18 (16.7 percent) from long range today.
• Batte led all scorers with 19 points, shooting 8-of-13 from the field, and added four rebounds and three assists.
• Rudy scored 17 points while knocking down five threes and grabbed five rebounds.
• Knisley scored 12 points on four three-pointers and hauled in seven rebounds.
• Bertsch finished with 12 points.
• Walker had six points and six rebounds off the bench for the Saints.

• The Saints will welcome Life University to the Connor Convocation Center for the final home game of the season on Thursday (February 27) at 8 p.m.