Box Score (CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) — The No. 18 Thomas More University men's basketball team closed out its regular season with its ninth straight win, a hard-fought 70-65 road victory over Cumberland University on Saturday evening (February 29, 2020).
- Cumberland opened the scoring before a Ryan Batte (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) jumper and a Luke Rudy (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) three put Thomas More on top 5-2 with 18:43 remaining in the first half.
- The Phoenix led by three when Reid Jolly (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) drained a three-pointer to tie the score at 12-12 with 13:58 left in the half.
- A Garren Bertsch (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) three with 13:00 to go gave the Saints their first lead in over four minutes.
- Jolly made back-to-back baskets to put Thomas More up 19-18 with 10:34 remaining.
- Rudy scored six points in under a minute on a pair of three-pointers to give the Saints a 28-25 lead with 7:13 to play in the half.
- Batte scored the next six points for Thomas More as part of a 6-0 run as the Saints lead grew to 34-28 with 4:22 to go.
- A pair of Max Knisley (Washington Court House, Ohio/Washington) free throws sent the Saints into the locker room with a 38-35 lead.
- Thomas More was hot in the first half, shooting 68.2 percent (15-of-22) from the field and 50.0 percent (5-of-10) from three-point range.
- Batte led the Saints with 10 points in the half.
- Rudy had nine points and a team-high three rebounds.
- Jolly scored nine points in the first half.
- After Cumberland tied the score, Thomas More went on a 10-0 run on back-to-back threes by Rudy and Bertsch and a pair of baskets by Jolly to take a 49-39 lead with 13:56 remaining.
- Batte scored the Saints' next eight points to keep Thomas More in front 57-49 with 5:36 to go.
- A Rudy three-pointer capped a 9-0 run that gave the Saints a 62-49 lead with 4:36 to play, then Rudy knocked down another shot from beyond the arc to extend the lead to 65-51 with 2:45 left.
- Bertsch and Knisley combined to sink five of six free throw attempts in the final three minutes to close out the 70-65 win.
- Thomas More shot 58.8 percent (10-of-17) from the field and 4-of-6 from long range in the second half.
- Rudy scored nine second-half points.
- Jolly also had nine points in the second half.
- Bertsch scored eight in the final period.
- Thomas More concluded the regular season at 24-6 overall and 11-5 in its inaugural season of Mid-South Conference play, while Cumberland fell to 13-16 overall and 4-12 in the conference.
- The Saints shot 25-of-39 (64.1 percent) from the field and 9-of-16 (56.3 percent) from three-point range.
- Rudy had his second consecutive game with six made three-pointers, finishing with 18 points on 6-of-10 attempts from long distance, three rebounds, and three assists.
- Batte tied for the game-high with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
- Bertsch finished with 13 points and four rebounds.
- Jolly had 13 points and three rebounds.
- Knisley had five points and four rebounds.
- Tyrice Walker (Hamilton, Ohio/Summit Country Day) hauled in five rebounds off the bench.
- The Saints will be the third seed in the upcoming Mid-South Conference Tournament.
- Thomas More will face sixth-seeded Lindsey Wilson College in the quarterfinals on Saturday (March 7) at Bowling Green Arena in Bowling Green, Ky.
