(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) - The third-ranked Thomas More College women's basketball team rallied from a three-point haltime deficit to defeat Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) rival Washington & Jefferson College, 58-52, tonight (Wednesday, January, 5, 2011) at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.

With the win, the Saint improve to 12-0 overall and 4-0 in the PAC.  With the loss, the Presidents fall to 4-8 overall and 2-2 in the PAC.

Thomas More raced out to a 15-7 lead with 12:58 to play in the first half when freshman forward Moriah Corey (Louisville, Ky./Butler) made one-of-two free-throws.  W&J responded with a 10-0 run to take a 17-15 lead with 8:20 to play in the opening half when Catlyn Kriston made a three-pointer.  The Saints answered with a 7-2 run capped by a free-throw by freshman guard Katie Kitchen (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) to take a 22-19 lead with 3:08 to play in the first half.  The President closed out the half on a 6-0 run to take a 25-22 lead at halftime when Emily Abraham made a jumper with three-seconds before the half.

W&J opened the half on a 4-2 run to extend the lead to 29-24 when Ashley Kirkpatrick made two free-throws with 18:53 to play in the game.  Undaunted the Saints responded with a 29-14 run to take a 53-43 lead with 4:43 to play in the game when sophomore guard Allison Long (Hebron, Ky./Conner) made a lay-up.  The Presidents used a 7-2 run to cut the lead to 55-50 with 1:23 to play in the game when Blair Cotton made two free-throws.  That would be as close as the Presidents would come as the Saints closed out the game on a 3-2 run for the 58-52 victory. 

Three Saints finished in double-figure scoring as sophomore guard Chelsea Tolliver (Morning View, Ky./Simon Kenton) scored a game-high 17 points, senior center Nicole Dickman (Park Hills, Ky./Notre Dame Academy) added 13 and Long finished with 10.  Dickman led the team on the board with 11 rebounds to finish with a double-double.  Long led the team in assists with three, while Tolliver led the team with three steals.

Thomas More returns to action on Saturday (December 8) when it travels to Waynesburg, Pennsylvania to play Waynesburg University at 1:30 p.m.