After everyone watched last year's national champions put on a defensive clinic, St. Thomas has upped its game on the defensive side of the ball. Photo by Caleb Williams, d3photography.com

By Brian Lester
D3sports.com

The St. Thomas women’s basketball program has always been committed to defense. But last year, even though the Tommies were in the top 10 for fewest points allowed per game, that commitment wasn’t good enough.

It moved to a higher plane after last season’s Final Four in Minnesota, one where the Tommies were spectators instead of participants. They had lost in the second round to East Texas Baptist, falling 61-58 in overtime.

Last year’s national champion, Amherst, allowed just 38.8 points per game, and their trip to the Final Four no doubt provided some in-person inspiration about how to defend.

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“When you sit on the side and aren’t participating, it’s a different lens you look at it from,” said Ruth Sinn, St. Thomas head coach. “From that point forward, we’ve been very specific in what things we have to do to get to that level. Our defensive numbers last year weren’t that of a championship team. That is where we faltered last year. We really committed to the defensive end all the way through this year.”

That commitment was on display this past weekend in the sectionals, in games in which the Tommies held Amherst to 33 percent shooting in a 61-58 overtime win, and defeated Wartburg 85-56. It was a big turnaround from the last time the Tommies played Wartburg, on the second to last day of 2018. The game wasn’t close. The Knights blasted the Tommies 60-40.

“Our defense wasn’t there. We went away from our concepts and I told them defense has to be our mainstay,” Sinn said. “We also didn’t prepare well that day. I reminded them we are getting everyone’s best shot. We learned from that game.”

Fast forward to March. The Tommies have just picked up their 20th consecutive win, defeating Wartburg in convincing fashion with an 85-56 win, avenging their only defeat of the year and punching a ticket to the Final Four this weekend in Salem.

“That first game was a tough point in our season,” senior guard Kaylie Brazil said. “In the locker room, we were determined to get back on the court and hoped for another chance to play them. Our energy shifted following that loss. We had to be present with every movement, every practice and make every rep count.”

The Tommies have done that and are back in the Final Four for the second time in three years.

Defense has been their ticket to success. There have been only two games since the loss to Wartburg in which the Tommies have allowed 60 or more points.

St. Thomas has seen the commitment pay off. It is holding teams to 50 points per game, a little over three points less than a season ago (53.3) and it has forced 493 turnovers, 24 more than the previous season.

Seven players had more than 10 steals a year ago. This season, nine players are in that category. Center and D3hoops.com All-America selection Hannah Spaulding leads the way with 50, while also blocking 2,3 shots per game.

Brazil has come up with 36 steals and has learned the value of playing great defense over the course of her career.

A 2,000-point scorer in high school, it took her time to adapt to playing defense at an elite level in college.

“(Defense) was something coach wanted me to focus on in college and a lot of potential in me on that end of the floor,” Brazil said. “My quickness and coachability allowed me to progress my defensive game.”

Sinn said it’s players like Brazil that have helped set the tone for younger players when it comes to being a great defender. Spaulding, Brazil, Lucia Renikoff and Bobbi Brendefur have all played a part in that. All four have at least 15 steals on the season.

Ruth Sinn has preached defense from her first days at St. Thomas. Photo by Caleb Williams, d3photography.com

“It’s our collective effort on the defensive end that works for us,” Brazil said. “We communicate well no matter who is out there. We are a team and do what it takes to be great on defense.”

Not only is St. Thomas on top of its game defensively, the Tommies are sharp shooters from beyond the arc. They lead the nation in 3-point percentage (40.6) and have made 249, five more than a year ago. Seven players have made at least 10, including Renikoff, who has drilled 70 on the season.

The success isn’t by accident.

“It’s about two things,” Sinn said. “No. 1, the players put in the work to become great shooters. The ladies are in the gym all the time on their own shooting the ball, so they have that earned confidence. And they are willing to share the ball and they make sure they take good shots.”

Brazil has knocked down 34 3-pointers and said at times the shots are too good of looks not to make.

“The 3-pointers seem wide open, but it takes a lot of effort beforehand to get to that point,” Brazil said. “We look to create shots for others first, so they have easy, wide-open shots.”

But if the shots aren’t falling, it’s not the end of the world. The Tommies know they can lean on their defense.

“Our defense leads to offense, and even if shots aren’t falling the way we want them to, we know we can rely on our defense” Brazil said. “We trust we can get it done on that end.”

Sinn reminds her team that defense is something the team can always lean on.

“There are going to be times where we can’t throw the ball into the ocean, but there is never a time where you can’t defend,” Sinn said. “I put an emphasis on making sure defense is something we can count on night in and night out.”

The Tommies face a Bowdoin team in the national semifinals Friday that is putting up 84.4 points per game. The Polar Bears rolled past the Tommies 80-68 in November 2017.

“They took it to us last year,” Sinn said. “We gave up 32 points in the first quarter against them. They are a great offensive team and we have to do everything we can to slow them down.”

Brazil agrees. She’s also trying to slow down time.

“This is our last week together. We want to make every rep count and have fun the last few days,” Brazil said. “We have to treat the next couple of games like any other and not get too worked up. We want to stay calm, stay in our routine and trust ourselves.”