(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) - The Thomas More College men's basketball team fell, 82-79, to Miami University-Middletown tonight (Saturday, December 29, 2012) in the final game of the Coach Jim Connor Scholarship Classic at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.

With the loss, the Saints fall to 9-3.  With the win, the ThunderHawks improve to 13-4.

Thomas More took an early 3-0 lead when senior shooting guard Ross Renken (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) made a three-pointer at 19:55 to play in the first half.  Miami-Middletown responded with a 15-7 run to take a 15-10 lead with 12:55 to play in the half when Antonio Ferrell, Jr. made a jumper.  The Saints answered with an 8-4 run capped by a lay-up by junior point guard D'Carlo Hayes (Louisville, Ky./Male) to cut the lead to 19-18 with 9:53 to play in the opening half.  The ThunderHawks put together a 22-11 run to build a 41-29 lead with 2:31 to play in the first half when Max Zukowitz made a lay-up.  Thomas More closed out the half on an 8-3 run to cut the lead to 44-37 at halftime when junior point guard Eliot Pipes (Nashville, Tenn./Hillsboro) made a three-pointer with 1:00 to play in the half.

Miami-Middletown opened the second half on an 8-6 run to extend the lead to 52-43 with 15:44 to play in the game with DeWayne Martin made a jumper.  Thomas More answered with a 22-8 run to take a 65-60 lead when sophomore shooting guard Jalen Clark (Frankfort, Ky./Western Hills) converted an old fashion three-point play with 7:30 to play in the game.  The ThunderHawks responded with a 16-6 run to take a 76-71 lead on a Zukowitz lay-up with 2:26 to play in the game.  The Saints cut the lead to 80-79 with 15-seconds to play in the game when junior shooting guard Cameron Clemons (Louisville, Ky./Doss) capped an 8-4 run with a lay-up.  Miami-Middletown's Zukowitz made two free-throws with 12-seconds to play in the game for the 87-79 victory.

Thomas More had three players finish in three double-digit scoring as Clark had 16 points, Hayes had 12 points and Pipes had 10 points.  Hayes and junior power forward Josef Marshall (Dayton, Ohio/Trotwood Madison)led the team on the boards with seven rebounds each.  Marshall and senior point guard Ryan Hamm (Maysville, Ky./Mason County) led the team in assists with four each.

Thomas More returns to action on Wednesday (January 2, 2013) when it travels to Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania to play Geneva College at 7:30 p.m.