(WAYNESBURG, Pa.) – Senior forward Drew Mumford (Louisville, Ky./Christian Academy) scored a game-high 22 points to lead the Thomas More College men's basketball team to an 84-74 win over Waynesburg University tonight (Wednesday, December 3, 2014) in both teams' Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) opener at the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.
With the win, the Saints improve 3-4 overall and 1-0 in the PAC. With the loss, the Yellow Jackets fall to 1-5 overall and 0-1 in the PAC.
Thomas More jumped out to a 6-1 lead when Mumford made a lay-up with 17:36 to play in the first half. Waynesburg answered with a 10-4 run to take an 11-10 lead with 15:18 to play in the half when BJ Durham made a lay-up. The Saints responded with a 19-11 run capped by a lay-up by sophomore guard/forward Nate McGovney (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) to take a 29-22 lead with 6:25 to play in the opening half. The Yellow Jackets closed out the half on a 17-5 run to take a 39-34 lead at halftime.
Waynesburg opened the second half on an 8-3 run to increase the lead to 47-37 with 17:27 to play in the game when Jacob Fleege made a three-pointer. Undaunted, the Saints answered with a 36-12 run capped by a Mumford lay-up with 4:54 to play in the game to give Thomas More a 73-59 lead. Waynesburg used a 12-6 run to cut the lead to 79-71 with 1:00 to play when Thomas Ellis made a three-pointer. That would be as close as the Yellow Jackets would come as Thomas More closed out the game on a 5-3 run for the 84-74 victory.
Mumford was joined in double-figure scoring by three other Saints as McGovney and freshman guard Daniel Williams (Louisville, Ky./Jeffersontown) each had 16 points and senior guard Jalen Clark (Frankfort, Ky./Western Hills) finished with 13 points. Clark just missed a double-double as he led the team on the boards with nine rebounds, while sophomore guard Drew Mays (Union, Ky./Ryle) led the team in assists with five. Mumford and McGovney led the team in steals with three each.
Thomas More returns to action on Saturday (December 6) when it hosts Westminster College at 3 p.m. at the Connor Convocation Center.