(SIOUX CITY, Iowa) – The top-seeded Thomas More University women's basketball team downed 16th-seeded Mount Vernon Nazarene University, 71-51, today (Thursday, March 18, 2021) in the NAIA Women's Basketball Championship Round of 16 at the Tyson Event Center in Sioux City, Iowa.
- Thomas More led 20-9 after one quarter.
- The Saints opened the second quarter on a 12-2 run to extend the lead to 32-11 withy 4:43 to play in the second quarter when sophomore guard Courtney Hurst (Burlington, Ky./Conner) made a three-pointer.
- The Cougars closed out the half on a 13-6 run to cut the lead to 38-24 at halftime when Sage Brannon made a jumper with two-seconds to play in the second quarter.
- Thomas More shot 46.4 percent (13-of-28) from the field, including 45.4 percent (five-of-11) from behind the three-point arc.
- Mount Vernon Nazarene shot 33.3 percent (10-of-30) from the field, including 19.0 percent (one-of-11) from behind the arc.
- Sophomore guard Zoie Barth (Fort Thomas, Ky./Highlands) led the Saints with nine points and five rebounds.
- Senior guard Briana McNutt (Maysville, Ky./Mason County) had six points and three rebounds.
- First-year guard Maggie Jones (Piner, Ky./Simon Kenton) added six points.
- Hurst had five points in the opening half.
- Thomas More opened the second half on a 16-10 run to extend the lead to 54-34 with 3:19 to play in the third quarter when sophomore guard Summer Secrist (Taylor Mill, Ky./Scott) made jumper.
- The Cougars used a 5-2 run to close out the third quarter and cut the Saints' lead to 56-36 after three quarters.
- Mount Vernon Nazarene opened the fourth quarter on a 15-7 run to cut the lead to 61-49 with 5:21 to play in the game when Brannon made a three-pointer.
- That would be as close as the Cougars would get as the Saints closed out the game on a 10-2 run to cruise to the 71-51 victory.
- Thomas More shot 40.7 percent (11-of-27) from the field in the second half.
- Graduate forward Alexah Chrisman (Greendale, Ind./McAuley (Ohio)) had seven points in the closing 20 minutes.
- Secrist scored six points in the second half.
- Hurst added six points and four rebounds in the second half.
- Sophomore guard Emily Simon (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) had five points and four rebounds in the closing half.
- Thomas More improves to 27-1 and advances to the national quarterfinals.
- Mount Vernon Nazarene ends the season at 17-18.
- The Saints shot 43.6 percent (24-of-55) from the field, including 31.8 percent (seven-of-22) from behind the arc.
- Hurst led the Saints in scoring with 11 points, while she pulled down five rebounds, dished out two assists and had two steals.
- Jones finished with 10 points, three steals, two assists and one rebound.
- Chrisman finished with 10 points, four rebounds and one blocked shot.
- Barth had nine points, six rebounds, two assists and three steals.
- Simon added nine points, six rebounds and one assist.
- The Saints advance to the national quarterfinals where they will play ninth-seeded Dakota State (S.D.) University at 1 p.m. Central/2 p.m. Eastern on Saturday (March 20) in Sioux City, Iowa.
