(SIOUX CITY, Iowa)-No. 1 seed Thomas More University women's basketball team defeated No. 2 seed Rocky Mountain on Saturday (March 19) in the Quarterfinals of the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship to advance to the Fab Four on Monday evening. The Saints overall record improves to 30-4.
- Graduate student Alexah Chrisman (Greendale, Ind./McAuley) kicked off the scoring for the Saints with a layup to put the team on the board 2-0 with 9:25 to play in the first quarter.
- Senior Taylor Clos (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) drained a 3-point shot with 3:54 to play for the Saints to regain the lead (9-6).
- Junior Emily Simon (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) made the Saints final basket of the quarter with a layup to extend the team's lead to 18-12 with 58 seconds on the clock in the first quarter.
- The Saints would lead 18-15 at the end of the first quarter.
- Sophomore Maggie Jones (Piner, Ky./Simon Kenton) would start things off for the Saints in the second quarter, hitting a 3-point jump shot with 9:02 on the clock to put the team up 21-15.
- Junior Summer Secrist (Taylor Mill, Ky./Scott) would hit a jumper with 5:27 to play in the first half (28-22).
- Jones would make the Saints final basket of the first half with 52 seconds left (34-28).
- Saints would lead 34-30 going into the locker room at the half.
- Chrisman would lead the Saints with eight points and had five rebounds and one assist.
- Secrist would lead the team defensively bringing down six rebounds and had five points and one assist.
- Clos and sophomore Kelly Brenner (Cincinnati, Ohio/Roger Bacon) would lead the Saints with two assists in the first half.
- The Saints were 50% (14-28) from the field, 35.7% (5-14) from the 3-point line, and 12.5% (1-8) from the free throw line in the first half.
- Chrisman would make the Saints first basket of the second half with a jump shot to put the Saints up 36-30 with 9:22 to play in the third quarter.
- With 3:36 on the clock in the third quarter, Clos would hit a jump shot to put the Saints within four (42-46).
- Secrist would score the Saints final basket of the third quarter with a jump shot to make it a 48-49 game at the end of the third quarter.
- Junior Courtney Hurst (Burlington, Ky./Conner) hit the Saints first basket of the fourth quarter, draining a 3-point basket with 7:46 to play (51-53).
- Clos made two free throws with 4:36 to play in the game to put the Saints within two (55-57).
- Junior Zoie Barth (Ft. Thomas/Highlands) would drive to the rim for the final basket of the game to secure the Saints 60-58 win over Rocky Mountain to advance to the Fab Four.
- Hurst led the Saints with seven points in the second half and had three rebounds.
- Chrisman led the team defensively bringing down four rebounds and had four points.
- Barth recorded three assists to lead the Saints.
- The Saints were 36% (9-25) from the field, 22.2% (2-9) from the 3-point line, and 60% (6-10) from the free throw line in the second half.
- Chrisman led the Saints with 12 points and nine rebounds and had one assist.
- Secrist followed with 11 points, seven rebounds, and one assist.
- Barth tallied four assists to lead the team and had five points and one rebound.
- The Saints were 43.4% (23-53) from the field, 30.4% (7-23) from the 3-point line, and 38.9% (7-18) from the free throw line.
The Saints return to the court on Monday at 8:00 pm ET against TBD in the Sioux City, Iowa in the Fab Four of the NAIA Women's Basketball Championship.
