(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) - The No. 1-ranked Thomas More College women's basketball team finished the regular season undefeated as it defeated No. 15-ranked Saint Vincent, 73-48, today (Saturday, February 19, 2011) in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) game at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.
With the win, the Saints improve to 25-0 overall and 16-0 in the PAC and clinch the outright PAC regular season title and the No. 1 seed in next week's PAC Championship Tournament. With the loss, the Bearcats fall to 22-3 overall and 14-2 PAC and will be the No. 2 seed in next week's PAC Tournament.
Saint Vincent took an early 2-0 lead when Devin McGrath made jumper at the 19:24 mark of the first half. Thomas More responded with a 28-7 run capped by two free-throws by sophomore guard Allison Long (Hebron, Ky./Conner) to take a 28-9 lead with 6:48 to play in the first half. Saint Vincent closed out the half on an 11-5 run to cut the lead to 33-22 at halftime when Melissa Mansur made a lay-up with 53-seconds to play in the half.
The Saints opened the second half on a 20-3 run to extend the lead to 53-26 with 11:26 to play in the game when sophomore guard Chelsea Tolliver (Morning View, Ky./Simon Kenton) made a three-pointer. The Bearcats answered with a 16-8 run capped by a lay-up by Brittany Sedlock to cut the lead to 61-42 with 6:10 to play in the game. That would be as close as Saint Vincent would come as Thomas More closed out the game on a 12-6 run capped by two free-throws by senior forward Dana Bors (Lebanon, Ohio/Lebanon) with 53-seconds to play in the game for the final score of 73-48.
Senior forward Nicole Dickman (Park Hills, Ky./Notre Dame Academy) led five Saints in double-figure scoring as she recorded her 19th career double-double as she finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Joining her in double-figures were freshman guard Katie Kitchen (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) with 12 points, Long and freshman forward Moriah Corey (Louisville, Ky./Butler) with 11 points each and Tolliver with 10 points. Joining Dickman in double-figure rebounding was sophomore forward/center Katie Kees (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) with 12 rebounds and she added a game-high three blocked shots. Long led the team in assists with five, while Tolliver led the team in steals with four.
The Saints will open PAC Championship Tournament play on Tuesday (February 22) when they host eighth-seeded Thiel College at 7 p.m. inside the Connor Convocation Center.