NKyTribune staff
SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Maggie Jones and Alexah Chrisman each scored 10 points off the bench Thursday as top-ranked Thomas More posted a 71-51 win over Mount Vernon Nazarene in the Sweet 16 round of the NAIA Tournament.
Courtney Hurst netted a team-leading 11 points for Thomas More, which improved to 27-1 and advanced to Saturday’s NAIA national quarterfinals. The Saints held the Cougars to 35.7 percent shooting from the field and extended their winning streak to 12 games.
Thomas More shot 63.6 percent from the field in the first quarter and built a 20-9 lead. Briana McNutt, Zoie Barth and Emily Simon all netted four points in the opening quarter, while Jones and Taylor Clos each buried 3-pointers.
The Saints held Mount Vernon Nazarene to 4-for-16 shooting from the field in the opening quarter, including 0-for-7 from 3-point range. Thomas More extended its advantage to 38-24 at halftime and coasted to the victory.
Hurst drained a trio of 3-pointers for Thomas More, which was 7-for-22 from long range. The Conner High School graduate also grabbed five rebounds and dished out a pair of assists.
Barth and Simon each scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds. Summer Secrist added eight points off the Thomas More bench, which finished with a 29-16 scoring advantage.
Chrisman was 4-for-6 from the field and grabbed four rebounds. Jones finished 4-for-8 from the field with a pair of 3-pointers.
Sage Brannon scored a game-high 23 points to lead Mount Vernon Nazarene, which closed the season with a 17-12 record. Rylee Pireu — who entered Thursday as Mount Vernon Nazarene’s leading scorer at 15.3 points per game — was held scoreless on 0-for-4 shooting from the field.
Thomas More is seeking its fourth national championship in seven years. The Saints won back-to-back NCAA Division III national championships in 2015 and 2016. Thomas More added a third national crown in 2019 before transitioning to the NAIA last season.
Thomas More will face the Sterling (Kan.)/Dakota State (S.D.) winner at 2 p.m. (ET) Saturday.
(Information compiled from the NAIA and staff reports)