(GREAT FALLS, Mont.) – The #1 Thomas More University women's basketball team coasted to a 75-49 victory over the University of Providence (Mont.) Saturday night on the road.
- After the Saints led by as many as five early in the first quarter, the Argos cut the lead to 12-11 with 4:08 to play.
- Thomas More wouldn't allow another point for the rest of the quarter, using a 7-0 run that would turn into a 10-0 run at the beginning of the second quarter to give the Saints a 22-11 lead and shift the momentum completely in their favor.
- Alex Smith led the charge during the run, scoring five points on a three-pointer and two free throws.
- Providence would respond with a 9-3 rally of their own to cut the lead back down to five at 25-20 with 7:03 to play in the half.
- However, Thomas More would calmly end the half on an 18-6 run to ruin any hopes the Argos had of winning the game. Fueling the rally was Smith with seven points and Rylee Turner with five as Thomas More led 43-26 at the break.
- The Argos would cut the lead back down to 12 at 50-38, but once again the Saints responded with a 16-3 run to end the third quarter up 66-41. Courtney Hurst and Kelly Brenner both had five points during the quarter.
- Thomas More would lead by as many as 26, as they cruised to the finish line in the fourth quarter with a 75-49 victory.
- Smith scored a game-high 21 points, shooting a solid 7-9 from the field, and was perfect from beyond the arc (3-3) and at the charity stripe (4-4). This tied her season-high from last season at Tennessee Southern on Jan. 27, 2022.
- Turner, Mattison Jones, and Emily Simon all recorded five rebounds to lead the team. Turner also had two blocks to lead the team.
- Smith, Hurst, and Zoie Barth all had a team-high three assists in the contest.
- The Saints had their best field-goal percentage (46.6%) and three-point percentage (41.6%) over their first three games.
- The last time they shot better than 46.6% was when they shot 50.0% against Central Methodist on Mar. 21, 2022 in the Fab Four. Their last time shooting better than 41.6% from three was a 41.7% shooting performance in the NAIA tournament on Mar. 12, 2022 vs. Grand View.
Thomas More returns to the court on Thursday, Nov. 17 in their first Mid-South Conference game of the season against University of the Cumberlands in the Connor Convocation Center at 5:30 p.m. They split a pair of games with the Patriots last season.
