Box Score (BOWLING GREEN, Ky.)-No. 1 Seed Thomas More University men's basketball team defeated no. 8 seed Pikeville on Saturday afternoon, 71-56 in the quarterfinals of the Mid-South Conference Tournament. The Saints overall record improves to 26-3.
- First year Jacob Jones (Jeffersonville, Ind./Jeffersonville) kicked off the scoring for the Saints with a jumper to put the team on the board (2-0) with 19:29 to play in the first half.
- With 11:58 to play in the first half, graduate student Luke Rudy (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) hit a 3-point jump shot to surpass the all-time school record for career 3-point field goals made. Rudy now holds every 3-point record in Thomas More Men's Basketball history (24-13).
- First year Casey George (Pickerington, Ky./Pickerington North) would drain a 3-point shot to extend the Saints lead to 15 with 6:25 to play in the half (34-19).
- Jones would make a layup and one for the Saints final basket of the half (39-23).
- The Saints would go into the locker room leading 39-25 at the half.
- Jones would lead the Saints in the first half with 12 points and two assists and had three rebounds.
- Redshirt junior Ryan Batte (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) would follow with eight points and would lead the team with six rebounds and two assists.
- Graduate student Garren Bertsch (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) would record eight points, five rebounds, and one assist.
- Sophomore Noah Pack would also lead the Saints with two assists and recorded three rebounds.
- The Saints were 45.7% (16-35) from the field, 35.3% (6-17) from the 3-point line, and 100% (1-1) from the free throw line.
- Rudy started things off for the Saints in the second half, draining a 3-pointer with 19:01 to play (42-27).
- With 13:57 on the clock, Batte would hit a jumper to put the Saints up 46-34.
- Jolly would make a layup with 6:35 on the clock to make it a 55-43 game.
- Jones would make to free throws for the Saints final basket of the game.
- The Saints would defeat the Bears 71-56.
- Batte would lead the Saints in the second half with eight points and had three rebounds and one assist.
- Jones lead the Saints with eight points and two assists and had two rebounds.
- Jolly would lead the Saints defensively with five rebounds and tallied soix points and one assist.
- The Saints were 39.8% (11-28) from the field, 20% (2-10) from the 3-point line, and 88.9% (8-9) from the free throw line in the second half.
- Jones would lead the team with 20 points and four assists and tallied five rebounds to be the player of the game.
- Batte would follow with 16 points and led the team with nine rebounds and had three assists.
- Rudy recorded 12 points and three reboubds.
- Jolly had eight points, eight rebounds, and two assists.
- The Saints were 42.9% (27-63) from the field, 29.6% (8-27) from the 3-point line, and 90% (9-10) from the free throw line.
The Saints return to the court tomorrow to take on the winner of Cumberland/Cumberlands in the semi-finals of the MSC Tournament in Bowling Green, Ky. at 6:30 pm ET.
