(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) – The Thomas More College men's basketball team opened the season with a 94-83 win over Rust College tonight (Friday, November 20, 2015) on the opening day of the Coach Jim Connor Classic at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.

With the win, the Saints open the season at 1-0.  With the loss, the Bearcats fall to 1-1.

Thomas More opened the game on a 31-18 run capped by two free-throws by sophomore guard Corey Howard (Gahanna, Ohio/Gahanna Lincoln) with 9:28 to play in the first half.  Rust answered with an 11-4 run to cut the lead to 35-29 with 5:31 to play in the opening half when Pat Brown had a dunk.  The Saints closed out the half on a 10-6 run to build a 45-35 lead at halftime.

The Saints used a 17-6 run in the beginning of the second half to extend the lead to 62-41 when sophomore forward Austin Young (Campbellsburg, Ky./Henry County) made a lay-up with 13:49 to play in the game.  The Bearcats responded with a 38-26 run to cut the lead to 88-79 with 1:12 to play in the game when Brown made one-of-two free-throws.  Thomas More closed out the game on a 6-4 run to win the game 94-83.

Four Saints finished in double-figure scoring as junior forward/center Simon Clifford (Louisville, Ky./DuPont Manual) had 22 points, sophomore guard Daniel Williams (Louisville, Ky./Jeffersontown) had 21, freshman guard Brandon Horne (Louisville, Ky./Male) had 12 and freshman guard Damion King (Winchester, Ky./George Rogers Clark) finished with 11.  The Saints were led on the boards by sophomore forward Cameron Fitts (Spencer County, Ky./Spencer County) with seven rounds and in assists by junior guard Sawyer Pauly (Crescent Springs, Ky./Covington Catholic) with five.

Thomas More will host Birmingham-Southern College tomorrow at 4 p.m. on the final day of the Coach Jim Connor Classic.