No. 18 Thomas More Uses Big Second Half to Defeat Lindsey Wilson and Advance in Mid-South Conference Tournament

(BOWLING GREEN, Ky.) – 18^th-ranked and third-seeded Thomas More University men's basketball team used a big second half tonight (Saturday, March 7, 2020) to defeat sixth-seeded Lindsey Wilson College, 69-55, in the quarterfinal round of the Mid-South Conference Tournament at Bowling Green, Arena in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

• Thomas More jumped out to a 14-8 lead with 12:43 to play in the first half when first-year guard Reid Jolly (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) made a jumper.
• Lindsey Wilson responded with a 17-5 run capped by a Matthew Eldridge jumper to take a 25-19 lead with 5:45 to play in the opening half.
• The Saints answered with a 13-4 run to take a 32-29 lead with 27-seconds to play in the half when junior guard Luke Rudy (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) made a three-pointer.
• Kel Stotts made a three-pointer with one-second to play in the first half to tie the game at 32-32 at halftime.
• Rudy had eight points and three rebounds in the first half.
• Jolly added seven points and two rebounds.
• Sophomore center Ryan Batte (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) had seven points and four rebounds.

• Thomas More opened the second half on a 17-3 run to take a 49-35 lead with 10:28 to play in the game when Jolly made a jumper.
• The Blue Raiders responded with a 16-7 run capped by a Reece Brooks jumper to cut the lead to 56-51 with 2:47 to play in the game.
• That would be as close as Lindsey Wilson would come as Thomas More closed out the game on a 13-4 run to post the 69-55 victory.
• Jolly had 15 points and three rebounds in the half.
• Rudy added nine points and four rebounds in the second half.
• Batte had eight points and five rebounds.
• Junior forward Garren Bertsch (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) pulled down seven rebounds.

• Thomas More improves to 25-6.
• Lindsey Wilson falls to 17-14.
• The Saints out-scored Lindsey Wilson 18-0 on second chance points, 8-5 off turnovers and 28-26 in the paint.
• Jolly was named the Player of the Game by the Mid-South as he had a game-high 22 points, while pulling down five rebounds, dishing out one assist and recording one steal.
• Rudy finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and two assists.
• Batte added 15 points, nine rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal.
• Bertsch had seven points, nine rebounds, two assists and one block.

• Thomas More advances to play 14^th-ranked and second-seeded University of the Cumberlands tomorrow (Sunday, March 8) in the semifinals of the Mid-South Tournament at 8:30 p.m. Eastern/7:30 p.m. Central at Bowling Green Arena.