Box Score (KANSAS CITY, Mo)-No. 2 seed Thomas More University men's basketball team fell to No. 2 seed Talladega in the Semifinals of the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship on Monday evening (March 21), 77-78. The Saints finish the season with an overall record of 31-5 and 19-2 in conference.
- Redshirt junior Ryan Batte (Cinncinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) kicked things off for the Saints, driving to the basket for a layup and one to put the team on the board 3-2 with 19:17 on the clock in the first half.
- With 9:51 on the clock in the first, first year Wyatt Vieth (Hebron, Ky./St. Henry) drained a 3-point shot to put the Saints within eight (15-23).
- Batte would make a layup with 3:53 in the half to put the Saints down 19-28.
- First year Casey George (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington North) made the Saints final basket of the half with a layup and one to put the Saints with in 12 walking into the locker room at half (27-39).
- Batte led the Saints with nine points and two assists and had one rebound.
- Sophomore Noah Pack (Georgetown, Ohio/Georgetown) followed with seven points.
- George and first year transfer Jacob Jones (Jeffersonville, Ind./Jeffersonville) led the team with three rebounds each in the first half.
- The Saints were 40% (10-25) from the field, 33.3% (3-9) from the 3-point line, and 100% (4-4) from the free throw line in the first half.
- Pack started the scoring off for the Saints, dunking the ball in to the basket to make it a 10 point game with 19:51 to play (29-39).
- Vieth would hit a 3-point jump shot with 12:15 to play to make it a 44-48 game.
- With 7:43 to play, Batte would make three free throws to put the Saints within one (52-53).
- Graduate student Garren Bertsch (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) would drain a 3-point shot to tie the game up at 66-66 with 46 seconds to play.
- Jones made two free throws to tie the game up at 68-68 with two seconds on the clock in regulation.
- Batte led the Saints with 20 points and six rebounds in the second half.
- Jones led the team with three assists and had five rebounds and six points.
- Pack tallied six points, three rebounds, and one assist.
- The Saints were 51.9% (14-27) from the field, 45.5% (5-11) from the 3-point line, and 72.7% (8-11) from the free throw line in the second half.
- Pack made a jump shot for the Saints first basket in overtime to put the team up by two (70-68) with 4:12 to play.
- Pack made two free throws for the Saints final points of the game to put the team within one (77-78) with 26 seconds to play but came up short to Talladega to end their season.
- Batte led the Saints with 33 points and nine rebounds and had two assists.
- Pack followed with 18 points, five rebounds, and two assists.
- Jones recorded four assists to lead the team and had eight points and eight rebounds.
- Bertsch had nine points, five rebounds, and one assist.
- The Saints were 43.3% (25-60) from the field, 38.1% (8-21) from the 3-point line, and 81% (17-21) from the free throw line.
The Saints close out their history breaking year in the Semifinals of the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship.
