(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – The Thomas More College men's basketball team opened the 2014-15 campaign today (Saturday, November 15, 2014) with a 76-64 win over Capital University in a non-conference game at The Capital Center in Columbus, Ohio.
With the win, the Saints open the season at 1-0 and with the loss, the Crusaders are 0-1.
Thomas More jumped out to an early 14-12 lead when sophomore guard Sawyer Pauly (Crescent Springs, Ky./Covington Catholic) made a three-pointer with 10:46 to play in the opening half. Capital answered with a 14-5 run capped by a Charles English lay-up to take a 26-19 lead with 2:52 to play in the first half. The Saints closed out the half on a 10-2 run and took a 29-28 lead at halftime when senior forward Drew Mumford (Louisville, Ky./Christian Academy) made two free-throws with 24-seconds to play in the half.
The Saints opened the second half on a 16-6 run to extend the lead to 45-34 with 14:30 to play in the game when Pauly made a jumper. The Crusaders used a 9-2 run to cut the lead to 47-43 when Andrew Bolka made a lay-up with 11:47 to play in the second half. Freshman center Louis Maniacci (Burlington, Ky./Cooper) made a lay-up with 8:24 to play in the game to cap an 8-4 run which increased Thomas More's lead to 55-47. Capital cut the lead to 55-52 when AJ Dixon's lay-up cap a 5-0 run with 7:41 to play in the game. That would as close as the Crusaders would come as Thomas More closed out the game on a 21-12 run for the 76-64 win.
Five Saints finished in double-figure scoring as they were led by sophomore Drew Mays (Union, Ky./Ryle) with 16 points. Joining him in double-figure scoring was Mumford with 14, freshman guard Daniel Williams (Louisville, Ky./Jeffersontown) with 13, sophomore guard/forward Nate McGovney (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) with 12 and senior forward Jalen Clark (Frankfort, Ky./Western Hills) with 11. Mumford led the team on the boards with five rebounds, while McGovney and Mumford led the team in assists with three each.
Thomas More returns to action on Wednesday (November 19) when it travels to Hanover, Indiana to play Hanover College at 7:30 p.m.