Box Score (KANSAS CITY, Mo.)- No. 2 seed Thomas More University men's basketball team defeated SAGU on Friday afternoon (March 18), 74-44 in the Round of 16 of the NAIA Men's Basketball Championship to advance to the Quarterfinals for the first time in program history. The Saints overall record improves to 30-4.
- Sophomore Reid Jolly (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) kicked off the scoring for the Saints, driving to the rim for a layup to put the team on the board 2-0 with 19:48 on the clock.
- Graduate student Luke Rudy (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) drained a 3-point basket with 13:44 left in the first half to extend the Saints lead to 15-9.
- Sophomore Noah Pack (Georgetown, Ohio/Georgetown) drove to the rim for a layup to make it a 24-19 game with 8:54 to play in the first half.
- Redshirt junior Ryan Batte (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) would make the Saints final Basket of the first half with a layup to put the team up by 17 with 41 seconds to play (44-27).
- The Saints would walk into the locker room with a 44-29 lead at the half.
- Rudy led the Saints going 6-6 from the 3-point line with 22 points and had three rebounds and one assist.
- Jolly led the team bringing down six rebounds and had two assists and four points.
- Pacl recorded eight points, five rebounds, and two assists.
- Batte tallied eight points, four rebounds, and three assists.
- The Saints were 47.1% (16-34) from the field, 54.5% (6-11) from the 3-point line, and 75% (6-8) from the free throw line in the first half.
- Batte would start things off for the Saints in the second half with a layup to extend the Saints lead to 46-29 with 19:31 to play.
- With 15:57 to play, Jolly hit a jump shot to close out the Saints 11-0 run to start the second half to make it a 57-31 game.
- First year Casey George (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington North) made a jump shot with 6:27 to play (67-42).
- Junior Riley Haubner (Cincinnati, Ohio/La Salle) made the Saints final basket of the game with a layup to secure the teams win 74-44 to advance to the Quarterfinals for the first time in program history.
- Batte led the Saints with nine points, seven rebounds, and one assist in the second half.
- Jolly also recorded nine points to lead the team and had one rebound.
- The Saints were 39.4% (13-33) from the field, 16.7% (2-12) from the 3-point line, and 66.7% (2-3) from the free throw line in the second half.
- Rudy led the Saints with 25 points, going 7-9 from the 3-point line and had three rebounds and one assist.
- Batte followed with 17 points and led the Saints with 11 rebounds and four assists.
- Jolly tallied 13 points, seven rebounds, and two assists.
- Pack had eight points, eight rebounds, and two assists.
- The Saints were 43.3% (29-67) from the field, 34.8% (8-23) from the 3-point line, and72.7% (8-11) from the free throw line.
The Saints return to the court tomorrow against No. 1 seed Oklahoma Wesleyan at 6:00 pm in the Quarterfinals of the NAIA Men's Basketball Championship.
