(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) - The No. 1-ranked Thomas More College women's basketball team survived a second half rally by Piedmont College to win, 53-44, tonight (Friday, March 4, 2011) in a first round game of the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.

With the win, the Saints improve to 29-0 and advance to play No. 16-ranked University of Mount Union tomorrow night at 7 p.m. in a second round game at the Connor Convocation Center.  With the loss, the Lions end the season at 20-9.

Thomas More jumped out to a 10-2 lead when sophomore guard Chelsea Tolliver (Morning View, Ky./Simon Kenton) made a three-pointer with 15:05 to play in the opening half.  Piedmont answered with a 4-0 run to cut the lead to 10-6 at the 12:10 mark of the first half when Laura Simmons made a jumper.  The Saints closed out the half on a 21-8 run to take a 31-14 lead at halftime when freshman guard Katie Kitchen (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) made a lay-up with 31-seconds to play in the half.

The Saints opened the second half on a 4-2 run capped by a lay-up by sophomore guard Allison Long (Hebron, Ky./Conner) to extend the lead to 35-16 with 15:06 to play in the game.  Piedmont responded with a 21-6 run capped by a lay-up by Shanice Wheeler to cut the lead to 41-37 with 4:08 to play in the game.  Thomas More closed out the half on a 12-7 run capped by two free-throws by Long with eight-seconds to play in the game for the final score of 53-44.

Tolliver led the Saints in scoring with a game-high 16 points and Long just missed double-figures as she had nine points.  Sophomore forward/center Katie Kees (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) led the team on the boards with a game-high 12 rebounds, while freshman guard Devin Beasley (Burlington, Ky./Conner) led the team in assists with three and senior forward Amy Stultz (Amelia, Ohio/McNicholas) led the team in steals with four.