(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) - All 12 Saints scored in the Thomas More College women's basketball team's 78-36 win over Geneva College today (Saturday, January 21, 2012) in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) game at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.
With the win, the Saints improve to 13-4 overall and 9-1 in the PAC. With the loss, the Golden Tornadoes fall to 3-14 overall and 2-8 in the PAC.
Thomas More raced out to an early 34-6 lead with 8:20 to play in the first half when junior forward Rebecca Leffel (Troy, Ohio/Miami East) made a jumper. Geneva responded with a 7-0 run capped by a Mary Keen jumper to cut the lead to 34-13 with 6:16 to play in the first half. The Saints closed out the first half on a 10-1 run to take a 44-14 lead at halftime when freshman forward Kelli Dixon (Walton, Ky./Walton-Verona) made a lay-up with 30-seconds to play in the half.
Geneva opened the second half on a 4-2 run to cut the lead t 46-18 with 18:19 to play in the game when Beth DeLuca made a jumper. Thomas More answered with a 15-5 run to extend the lead to 61-23 when junior center Katie Kees (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) made a lay-up with 9:34 to play in the game. The Golden Tornadoes put together a 6-0 run capped by a Samantha Fisher jumper to cut the lead to 61-29 with 7:45 to play in the game. That would be as close as Geneva would come as Thomas More closed out the game on a 17-7 run for the 78-36 victory.
Sophomore guard Devin Basley (Burlington, Ky./Conner) led three Saints in double-figure scoring with a career-high and game-high 14 points. Joining her in double-figures was sophomore guard Katie Kitchen (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) with 11 and Dixon with 10. Kitchen and junior guard/forward Lauren Hargett (Verona, Ky./Walton-Verona) led the team on the boards with four rebounds each, while Beasley led the team in assists with seven.
Thomas More returns to action on Wednesday (January 25) when it travels to Grove City, Pennsylvania for a 6 p.m. game with Grove City College.