Thomas More defeats Gustavus Adolphus, 75-67, advances to NCAA Division III Elite 8

By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter

This is familiar territory for the women’s basketball program at Thomas More College, which is one victory away from earning a trip to the NCAA Division III Final Four.

Madison Temple poured in 25 points and collected seven steals Friday night as Thomas More posted a 75-67 win over Gustavus Adolphus in the NCAA Division III Tournament at Holland, Mich. The Saints (29-1) extended their winning streak to 28 games and can secure a berth in next week’s NCAA Division III Final Four with a victory against Hope (Mich.) on Saturday night.

Gustavus Adolphus (24-7) rallied from a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter with a 15-2 run and cut the Thomas More lead to 61-59 with 4:50 remaining in the game. The Saints responded with a 6-1 spurt that included baskets by Shelby Rupp, Temple and Nikki Kiernan to push the advantage back to 67-60.

Temple converted five free throws in the final 1:16 to seal the win for Thomas More, which is seeking its third trip to the NCAA Division III Final Four in the past four years.

Thomas More won back-to-back NCAA Division III national championships in 2015 and ’16. The NCAA later forced Thomas More to vacate all 33 wins from the 2014-15 season, including the national title, for using an ineligible player.

Abby Owings added 15 points for Thomas More, which shot 46 percent from the field. The Saints converted 25 free throws in 33 attempts and won despite being outrebounded 34-30.

Emily Schultz finished with 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench for the Saints, including 8-for-12 shooting from the free-throw line. Rupp added eight points and four rebounds in a reserve role.

Gustavus Adolphus owned a four-point lead (21-17) after the first quarter, but Thomas More countered with a 15-8 spurt in the second frame to gain a 32-29 advantage at the break. The Saints extended that lead to 57-44 by the end of the third quarter and then withstood the Gustavus Adolphus fourth-quarter rally to advance.

Mikayla Miller scored 20 points to lead Gustavus Adolphus, which shot 43.1 percent from the field. The Golden Gusties committed 18 turnovers, compared to 13 for Thomas More.

Thomas More, which is ranked No. 3 nationally in the NCAA Division III poll, has not lost since a 61-58 setback at Rochester (N.Y.) on Nov. 18. The Saints will meet fourth-ranked Hope — a 68-64 winner over Christopher Newport on Friday — for the trip to the Final Four at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Hope (29-1) eliminated Thomas More from last year’s NCAA Division III Tournament with a 74-67 victory in the second round at Crestview Hills.