The top-ranked Thomas More College women’s basketball program defeated third-ranked George Fox University 83-63 in the title game of the 2015 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship Saturday evening, giving the Saints their first national championship in any program.
Calvin College served as the host for Friday’s semifinal matchups and Saturday’s championship game at Van Noord Arena.
Saturday’s title game was the first in the 34-year history of the Division III Women’s Basketball Championship that both participants entered with perfect records.
The Saints’ women’s basketball championship is the first-ever Divsion III team championship won at Thomas More.
Thomas More (33-0) junior guard/forward Sydney Moss (St. Albans, W.Va./Boone County (Ky.)) led four Saints in double figures with the first triple double of her career, finishing with 19 points and game highs in both rebounds (16) and assists (11). She had eight first-half points to go along with 10 rebounds and five assists.
Freshman guard Abby Owings (Independence, Ky./Simon Kenton) totaled 17 points, while freshman forward Nikki Kiernan (Cold Spring, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) and junior forward Alexa Santamaria (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) added 16 and 14 points, respectively. Ten of Santamaria’s 14 points came on 5-of-5 shooting in the first half of play.
After Saturday’s awards ceremony, Moss was named the Final Four’s Most Valuable Player while Owings earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Final Four All-Tourney Team also included Tufts: Michaela North, MSU: Melissa Tobie, GFx: Justine Benner.
The National Champion Saints will be arriving back at Connor Center between 3:30 and 4 p.m. Sunday.
From Thomas More Athletics