TMU REPORT: Saints men win way into the GMAC championship game, women eliminated in semis

By Dan Weber NKyTribune sports reporter

In its first season in the NCAA’s Division II and the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, the fifth-seeded Thomas More men’s basketball team won its way into the conference championship game with a 63-62 semifinal win over Tiffin Friday. With the win, TMU improves to 19-11 and moves on to play host Walsh (23-5) at Alumni Gym in North Canton, Ohio, Saturday at 3 p.m.

Grad student Reid Jolly led the Saints with 23 points and five rebounds. Point guard Jacob Jones added 13 points with five rebounds and two assists. Mitchell Rylee added 10 rebounds to his eight points and three assists. Wyatt Vieth had eight points, four rebounds and an assist. Casey George added eight points.

For TMU Coach Justin Ray, this is his fourth conference championship game in his six seasons at Thomas More.

In the Tiffin game Friday, TMU shot 46.2 percent (24 of 52) from the field, 27.3 percent (three of 11) from three-point territory and 70.6 percent (12 of 17) from the line. But in the second half in earning the win, Thomas More hit 60 percent (15 of 25) from the field for 39 points after scoring just 23 in the first half and trailing, 30-23, at intermission.

Looking ahead to Walsh, TMU split the season series, winning 71-60 at home while losing 63-44 on the road.

SCORING SUMMARY

TIFFIN 30 32–62
THOMAS MORE 24 39—63

TIFFIN (18-11); Rivers 3-5 0-0 2-3 8, 7-13 0-1 0-0 14, Pruitt 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Lopez 1-6 0-5 0-0 2, Jordan 12-23 0-1 5-5 29, Brown 1-1 1-1 2-2 5, Swaby 1-3 0-1 2-2 4; TOTALS: 25-51 1-9 11-12 62.
THOMAS MORE (19-11): Jolly 9-15 1-1 4-4 23, Jones 5-12 0-1 3-5 13, George 4-6 0-0 0-0 8, Dudukovich 0-5 0-2 1-2 1, Rylee 3-5 0-0 2-4 8, Browne 1-2 0-1 0-0 2, Howard 0-3 0-2 0-0 0, Vieth 2-4 2-4 2-2 8; TOTALS: 24-52 3-11 12-17 63.

GMAC WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT: ASHLAND 67, THOMAS MORE 56

In a strong finish on the road in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference semifinals, the Thomas More women made a game of it at top-seeded Ashland in front of a crowd of 1,055 Friday, falling to the nation’s No. 2 Division II team, 67-56. The Saints got the early jump in this game, leading 14-8 after the first period.

TMU concludes its first NCAA Division II season in the GMAC at 18-11 overall. Sophomore Rylee Turner out of Newport Central Catholic continued her strong season finish with 16 points, six rebounds and four steals. Senior Maggie Jones scored eight points with four rebounds. Freshman Rylee Leonard added eight points off the bench.

SCORING SUMMARY
THOMAS MORE 14 4 20 18—56
ASHLAND 8 19 18 22—67
THOMAS MORE (18-11, 13-7 GMAC): Turner 4-12 0-2 8-9 16, Jones 3-7 2-4 0-0 8, Martin 1-6 0-0 2-2 4, Smith 1-7 1-5 1-2 4, Brenner 1-4 1-3 0-0 3, Leonard 1-4 1-3 0-0 3, Vickers 2-5 1-3 1-1 6, Tandy 2-2 0-0 0-0 4, M. Hunt 1-1 0-0 0-0 2, C. Hunt 0-0 0-0 0-0 0; TOTALS: 18-52 6-21 14-17 56.
ASHLAND (29-1, 20-0 GMAC): Spielman 2-5 0-2 3-6 7, Roshak 3-9 1-2 0-0 7, Miller 3-5 0-0 0-0 6, Yoder 1-5 1-4 0-0 3, Howe 1-3 0-1 1-2 4, Brockington 4-10 3-6 7-10 18, Daniels 5-7 4-5 0-0 14, McKee 2-3 1-1 0-0 5, Smith 1-4 1-1 1-2 4, Dever 0-2 0-2 0-0 0; TOTALS: 22-53 11-24 12-20 67.