NKyTribune staff
Ryan Batte scored 18 of his game-high 24 points in the first half as Thomas More opened the season Friday night with a 65-59 victory against Taylor (Ind.) at the Connor Convocation Center.
Batte converted seven of his 10 attempts from the field in the opening 20 minutes as Thomas More (1-0) sprinted out to a 39-24 lead at the break. The Saints shot 53.3 percent from the field before halftime and held Taylor to just 35.7 percent shooting.
Garren Bertsch netted 10 of his 14 points in the first half, including a pair of 3-pointers. Reid Jolly added 11 points for the Saints, who held off a late rally by Taylor to collect the season-opening win.
Batte, an NAIA honorable mention All-American last season, finished 10-for-15 from the field with four rebounds.
C.J. Penha scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Taylor, which dropped to 1-1. The Trojans shot 42.3 percent from the field and finished with a 31-28 advantage on the boards.
Logan Swackhammer pulled down a team-high seven rebounds for Thomas More, which posted a 26-7 record last season. The Saints also advanced to the Mid-South Conference Tournament championship game and earned a berth in the NAIA nationals.
Thomas More — which is at home for its first five games this season — plays host to Marian (Ind.) on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m.
(Information compiled from Thomas More and staff reports)