(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) – Senior forward Jalen Clark (Frankfort, Ky./Western Hills) made a three-pointer with 4.8-seconds to play in the game to propel the Thomas More College men's basketball team to a 79-76 win over traditional rival Wilmington College tonight (Tuesday, November 25, 2014) in a non-conference game at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.
With the win, the Saints improve to 2-3 and with the loss, the Quakers fall to 1-3.
Thomas More raced out to a 12-5 lead when sophomore guard Drew Mays (Union, Ky./Ryle) made one-of-two free-throws with 14:01 to play in the opening half. Wilmington answered with a 27-16 run to take a 32-28 lead with 5:41 to play in the half when R.J. Leppert converted an old fashion three-point play. The Saints responded with a 12-6 run capped by a Clark lay-up with 46-seconds to play in the first half to take a 40-38. The Quakers closed out the half on a 4-0 to take a 42-40 lead at halftime when Dwight Johnson made a jumper with five-seconds to play in the opening half.
Wilmington opened the second half on a 15-10 run to extend its lead to 57-50 with 11:57 to play in the game when Jonathan Bibbs made a lay-up. Thomas More used a 26-14 run capped by a Clark jumper with 1:10 to play in the game to take a 76-71 lead. The Quakers responded with a 5-0 run to tie the game at 76-76 when Law Williams made a three-pointer with 13-seconds to play. Clark then hit the three-pointer with 4.8-seconds to play in the game and the Quakers' shot at the buzzer was off the mark as Thomas More won the game 79-76.
The win was a 36-point turnaround from last season as Wilmington won 108-75 last season in Wilmington, Ohio.
Clark led all scorers with 24 points, while senior forward Drew Mumford (Louisville, Ky./Christian Academy) joined him in double-figure scoring with 20 points. Senior guard Eliot Pipes (Nashville, Tenn./Hillsboro) and sophomore guard/forward Nate McGovney (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) just missed double-figures as they each scored nine points. Mays led the team on the boards with seven rebounds and in assists with six.
Thomas More returns to action on Saturday (November 29) when it hosts in-state rival Centre College at 7 p.m. at the Connor Convocation Center.