(DANVILLE, Ky.) - Sophomore guard Katie Kitchen (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) scored a single-game school record 39 points to lead the 18th-ranked Thomas More College women's basketball team to an 80-79 season-opening overtime win over Centre College tonight (Tuesday, November 22, 2011) at Alumni Gymnasium in Danville, Kentucky.

With the win, the Saints hand head coach Jeff Hans his first career win at the collegiate level.  With the loss, the Colonels fall to 3-1.

Thomas More raced out to a 6-0 with 17:21 to play in the first half when junior guard Jill Brunsman (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy).  Centre responded with a 17-6 run capped by a jumper by Paige Baechle to take a 17-12 lead with 9:28 to play in the half.  The Saints answered with a 20-11 run to take a 32-28 lead with 59-seconds to play in the opening half when Kitchen made two free-throws.  The Colonels cut the lead to 32-30 at halftime as Baechle made a jumper with 43-seconds to play in the half.

Centre opened the second half on a 16-8 run to take a 46-40 lead with 13:47 to play in the second half when Baechle made a jumper.  Thomas More came right back with a 6-2 run capped by a three-pointer by junior guard Allison Long (Hebron, Ky./Conner) with 12:59 to play in the game. Centre then took a 59-49 lead when Baechle made a jumper to cap an 11-3 run with 8:41 to play in the second half.  Kitchen made a jumper at the 5:18 mark to cap a 12-2 run to tie the game at 61-61. Centre then went on a 5-2 run to take a 66-63 lead with 1:20 to play in regulation when Chelsea Beham made two free-throws.  Thomas More used a 3-0 run to tie the game at 66-66 with 28-seconds to play in the regulation when Kitchen made one-of-two free-throws.  Centre then used a 3-0 to take a 69-66 lead with three-seconds to play in regulation when Beham made one free-throw.  The Saints forced overtime when Long made a three-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game at 69-69.

In overtime, Centre took a 79-77 lead with 16-seconds to play when Maggie Hartlage made a lay-up.  Kitchen came down the court and made lay-up and added a free-throw to give the Saints an 80-79 lead with four-seconds to play and then Centre's jumper at the buzzer was off the mark.

Joining Kitchen in double-figure scoring was Long with 19 points and freshman forward Kelli Dixon (Walton, Ky./Walton-Verona) with 10.  Junior forward/center Katie Kees (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) and sophomore forward Moriah Corey (Louisville, Ky./Butler) led the team on the boards with six rebounds each, while Brunsman led the team in assists with four.

Thomas More returns to action on Saturday (November 26) when it hosts Capital University at 4 p.m. on the first day of the Julie Costello Memorial Classic at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.