The top-ranked Thomas More College women’s basketball team defeated Eastern Mennonite University, 85-65, Saturday in a second round game of the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills.
The Saints improve to 29-0 and advance to the semifinals of the sectional round “Sweet 16” of the tournament. They will play either Washington University – St. Louis or Wittenberg University on March 13 at a location to be announced Sunday afternoon. When the location is released, it will be posted on the College’s athletic website (www.tmcsaints.com). With the loss, the Royals end the season at 23-5.
Eastern Mennonite took an early 7-0 lead when Shakeerah Sykes made a lay-up with 17:39 to play in the first half. Thomas More answered with a 19-10 run to take a 19-17 lead with 10:28 to play in the opening half when junior forward Sam Cady (St. Anthony, Minn./St. Anthony Village) made a jumper.
The Royals answered with a 7-3 run capped by two Sykes free-throws to take a 24-22 lead with 6:13 to play in the half. The Saints closed out the half on a 12-2 run to take a 34-26 lead at halftime when junior guard Olivia Huber (Woodlawn, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) made a three-pointer with 55-seconds to play in the half.
Thomas More opened the second half on an 8-3 run to extend the lead to 42-29 with 17:22 to play in the game when junior guard/forward Sydney Moss (St. Albans, W.Va./Boone County) made a jumper.
Eastern Mennonite used a 6-0 to cut the lead to 42-35 when Sykes med two free-throws with 16:13 to play in the second half. The Saints answered with an 8-3 run capped by a Moss jumper with 13:36 to increase the lead to 50-38. The Royals came right back with a 10-4 run to cut the lead to 54-48 with 10:49 to play in the game. When Marla ZumFelde made a three-pointer. That would be as close as the Royals would come as Thomas More closed out the half on a 31-15 run to win the game 85-65.
Moss led all scorers with a game-high 43 points and 11 rebounds to recorded her second-straight double-double in the NCAA Tournament. Freshman guard Abby Owings (Independence, Ky./Simon Kenton) added 16 points, while senior guards Sydni Wainscott (Erlanger, Ky./Simon Kenton) and Stephanie Krusling (Cincinnati, Ohio/McNicholas) each dished out five assists.
From TMC Athletics