Thomas More women crush No. 2 Christopher Newport, 86-53; NKU women fall to Jacksonville

By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter

A trip to Hawaii is normally an enjoyable experience that produces a lifetime of memories.

The players and coaches from the Thomas More College women’s basketball team will certainly never forget their recent excursion to the island of Oahu, where the Saints walloped NCAA Division III powerhouse Christopher Newport University, 86-53, on Wednesday night in Honolulu.

Madison Temple scored 21 points and dished out five assists as the Saints — ranked No. 10 nationally in the Division III poll — and handed No. 2 Christopher Newport (9-1) its first loss of the season. Thomas More (10-1) outscored the Captains 30-13 in the third quarter to turn the expected showdown into a 66-38 rout at the Hoop N’ Surf Classic.

Temple scored 10 points to ignite the third-quarter spurt, while teammate Emily Schultz netted nine points during that stanza.

Nikki Kiernan added 16 points and five rebounds for Thomas More, which extended its winning streak to nine. The Saints shot 50 percent from the field and limited Christopher Newport to just 33.3 percent shooting.

Thomas More held Christopher Newport to 34.6 percent shooting in the first half and took a 36-25 lead into the break. Temple and Taylor Jolly each scored seven points in the first half.

Temple, who joined Thomas More’s 1,000-point club Tuesday night during a win against Willamette, also finished with five rebounds and three steals on Wednesday. Schultz chipped in 13 points and five rebounds for the Saints, while Abby Owings added 10 points and four steals.

Thomas More returns to action Jan. 3 with a home game against Westminster. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in the Connor Convocation Center.

NKU WOMEN FALL TO JU: Jacksonville forced NKU into 23 turnovers and finished with a 41-30 advantage in rebounds to post a 61-49 victory over the Norse on Wednesday at the UNF Holiday Classic in Jacksonville, Fla.

Kayla Gordon led Jacksonville (9-4) with 15 points and 11 rebounds. The Dolphins owned a 26-10 edge in points off turnovers and used their dominance on the glass for a 16-1 advantage in second-chance points.

Jacksonville built a 28-18 halftime lead and pushed its advantage to 15 points early in the fourth quarter.

Freshman Kailey Coffey scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds to pace NKU, which dropped to 1-9. Freshman Samari Mowbray added 12 points for the Norse, who shot 37 percent from the field.
NKU concludes the road trip Friday with a 2 p.m. game at East Tennessee State in Johnson City, Tenn.

WEYER KEYS BELLARMINE’S PERFECT 10: Newport Central Catholic product Ben Weyer continued his outstanding play over the weekend and helped Bellarmine remain unbeaten in an NCAA Division II showdown against nationally ranked Le Moyne (N.Y.).

Weyer scored 14 points, grabbed six rebounds and added two steals as No. 3 Bellarmine coasted to a 79-59 win over No. 20 Le Moyne on Saturday at Knights Hall in Louisville. Weyer knocked down four 3-pointers and chipped in a pair of steals as the Knights improved to 10-0. Le Moyne, expected to also challenge for the Division II national championship this season, dropped to 9-3.

Bellarmine opened the game with a 22-2 run against Le Moyone and later extended that lead to 34-7. The visitors from New York rallied and cut the Bellarmine advantage to 44-32 at intermission, but the Knights maintained a double-digit lead the entire second half and coasted to the big win.

For the season, Weyer averages 12.5 points per game and leads Bellarmine in 3-pointers made with 28. He is also shooting 54.4 percent from the field, including 53.8 percent from 3-point range. The NewCath graduate has scored in double figures seven times this season, with a high of 19 points against Lewis on Dec. 2.

Contact Don Owen at don@nkytrib.com