Thomas More men notch 11th straight victory; TMC women extend current win streak to 20

By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter

Make it 11 straight wins for the Thomas More College men’s basketball team.

Damion King scored 20 points as Thomas More posted a 76-60 victory at Westminster (Pa.) on Wednesday night. The Saints shot 52.1 percent from the field and improved to 18-4 overall, 14-1 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference.

Brandon Horne and Ryne Callahan added 14 points apiece for Thomas More, which built a 37-25 halftime advantage and coasted to its 11th consecutive win. The longest winning streak in Thomas More history is 12, set during the 2012-13 season.

The Saints are also still unbeaten (11-0) in 2018, with their last defeat coming on Dec. 30 against Mount St. Joseph.

Thomas More held Westminster (15-7 overall, 9-6 PAC) to just 34.4 percent shooting from the field. The Saints also finished with a 41-27 advantage in rebounds, with Ralph Stone pulling down eight boards.

King, a junior guard from Winchester, Ky., now has 992 career points. He has earned PAC Player of the Week honors three consecutive times.

Thomas More goes for its 12th straight victory Saturday when Waynesburg (Pa.) visits the Connor Convocation Center at 3 p.m.

TMC WOMEN VICTORIOUS: Five players scored in double figures to lead the Thomas More women to a 90-33 victory at Westminster (Pa.) on Wednesday night.

Madison Temple netted a game-high 18 points for Thomas More, which used a 35-1 spurt in the third quarter to turn a 45-25 halftime lead into an 80-26 cushion going into the final frame. The Saints — who extended their current winning streak to 20 — shot 51.6 percent from the field and held Westminster to 27.8 percent.

Thomas More (21-1 overall, 15-0 in the PAC) also forced 38 turnovers and outscored Westminster 47-8 off those miscues.

Nikki Kiernan added 14 points for Thomas More, which is ranked No. 4 nationally in the NCAA Division III poll. Abby Owings and Emily Schultz each scored 13 points, while Shelby Rupp chipped in 12 points, four steals and two blocks.

Westminster dropped 7-15 overall, 3-12 in the PAC.

Thomas More has now defeated PAC foes in 130 consecutive games. The Saints have not lost to a conference opponent since a 68-65 setback at Saint Vincent (Pa.) College on Jan. 14, 2012.

The NCAA forced Thomas More to vacate every win during the 2014-15 season due to an eligibility issue, wiping out 20 victories against PAC schools.

Thomas More plays host to Waynesburg (Pa.) at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Connor Convocation Center.