(BLUFFTON, Ohio) - Sophomore guard Katie Kitchen (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) recorded her first career double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead the No. 25 Thomas More College women's basketball team to a 69-44 win over Bluffton University tonight (Tuesday, December 20, 2011) in a non-conference game at Founders Hall in Bluffton, Ohio.

With the win, the Saints improve to 8-1 overall and with the loss, the Beavers fall to 2-7.

Thomas More jumped out to 9-4 lead when Kitchen made two free-throws with 16:50 to play in the first half.  Bluffton answered with a 5-0 run capped by a three-pointer by Rachel Daman to tie the game at 9-9 with 15:09 to play in the first half.  The Saints closed out the first half on a 24-8 run to extend the lead to 33-17 at halftime when sophomore guard Devin Beasley (Burlington, Ky./Conner) made a lay-up with six-seconds to play in the half.

The Saints opened the second half on a 12-5 run to extend the lead to 45-22 when junior forward/center Katie Kees (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) made two free-throws with 13:05 to play in the game.  Bluffton responded with a 10-4 run capped by a three-pointer by Beth Yoder to cut the lead to 49-32 at the 9:48 mark of the second half.  That would be as close as the Beavers would come as Thomas More closed out the game on a 20-12 run for the 69-44 victory.

Joining Kitchen in double-figure scoring was junior guard Allison Long (Hebron, Ky./Conner) with 10 points and Beasley added a career-high eight points.  Just missing double-figure rebounding was sophomore forward Moriah Corey (Louisville, Ky./Butler) with nine rebounds and Long with a eight.  Long led the team in steals with four.

The Saints are idle until after Christmas when they travel to Las Vegas, Nevada to play in the D3hoops.com Classic on December 28 and 30.  On the 28th, the Saints will play No. 17-ranked University of Wisconsin-River Falls at 12 p.m. Eastern and then play Simpson College on 30th at 2 p.m. Eastern.