(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) - Six Thomas More College men's basketball players scored in double-figures as the Saints defeated Wilberforce University, 106-76, tonight (Monday, December 27, 2010) during the first day of the Coach Connor Classic at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.

With the win, the Saints improve to 6-3 on the season.  With the loss, the Bulldogs fall to 0-9 on the season.

Thomas More jumped out to a 36-17 lead when junior center Clay Naiser (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) made a lay-up at the 9:59 mark of the first half.  Wilberforce came right back with a 10-2 run to cut the lead to 38-27 with 7:19 to play in the half when Christopher Olafioye made a lay-up.  The Saints answered with a 6-0 run to extend the lead to 44-27 when senior center Robert Wilson (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe) made a lay-up with 5:21 to play in the half.  Wilberforce closed out the half on an 11-7 run capped by two free-throws by Timothy Giles with 17-seconds to play in the half to cut the lead to 51-38 at halftime.

The Bulldogs opened the second half on a 12-8 run to cut the lead to 59-50 with 16:28 to play in the game when Darius Foster made a jumper.  Undaunted the Saints responded with a 21-4 run to extend the lead to 81-54 when junior point guard Daniel Whelan (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier) made a lay-up with 11:10 to play in the second half.  Wilberforce used a 10-4 run capped by a lay-up by Giles with 8:07 to play in the game to cut the lead to 85-64.  Thomas More then closed out the game on a 21-12 run capped by a three-pointer by K. Dylan Hamilton (Brooksville, Ky./Bracken County) with 43-seconds to play in the game for the final score of 106-76.

Reaching double-figures in scoring for the Saints was freshman point guard Spencer Berlekamp (Cincinnati, Ohio/Kings) with a team-high 14 points, Whelan, junior shooting guard Todd Krohman (Florence, Ky./Boone County) and junior center Colt Stafford (Groveport, Ohio/Bishop Hartley) with 13 points each, freshman point guard D'Carlo Hayes (Louisville, Ky./Male) with 11 and freshman shooting guard Willis Fleming (Cincinnati, Ohio/Fairfield) with 10.  Wilson lead the team on the boards with six rebounds, while Whelan and Berlekamp led the team in assists with three each and Fleming lead the team in steals with two.

The Saints return to action tomorrow (Tuesday, December 28, 2010) when they play Marian (Ind.) University at 5 p.m. on the final day of the Coach Connor Classic at the Connor Convocation Center.