(WAYNESBURG, Pa.) - The 13th-ranked Thomas More College women's basketball team defeated Waynesburg University, 77-68, today (Saturday, December 1, 2012) in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) game at the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.
With the win, the Saints improve to 6-1 overall and 2-0 in the PAC. With the loss, the Yellow Jackets fall to 2-4 overall and 1-1 in the PAC.
Waynesburg took an early 9-0 lead with 17:25 to play in the first half when Brittany Spencer made a jumper. Thomas More answered with an 11-2 run capped by a three-pointer by junior guard Devin Beasley (Burlington, Ky./Conner) to tie the game at 11-11 with 12:56 to play in the opening half. The Yellow Jackets responded with an 8-4 run to take a 19-15 lead with 10:45 to play in the half on a Hayden Giuliani three-pointer. The Saints put together a 14-3 run to take a 29-22 lead when senior guard Jill Brunsman (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) made a three-pointer with 4:55 to play in the first half. Waynesburg cut the lead to 35-31 with 42-seconds to play in the opening half when Lauren Blair capped a 9-6 run with a lay-up. Junior guard Katie Kitchen (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) made two free-throws with 15-seconds to play in the half to give the Saints a 37-31 lead at halftime.
Thomas More opened the second half in a 7-4 run to extend the lead to 44-35 on two Kitchen free-throws with 16:17 to play in the second half. Waynesburg answered with a 14-8 run to cut the lead to 52-49 when Jessi Drayer made a jumper with 10:09 to play in the game. The Saints used an 8-1 run to build a 60-50 lead with 8:16 to play in the game when Brunsman made a three-pointer. The Yellow Jackets answered with a 13-9 run to cut the lead to 69-63 on a Gina Rievel three-pointer with 3:03 to play in the game. That would be as close as Waynesburg would come as the Saints closed out the game on an 8-5 run for the 77-68 victory.
Senior guard Allison Long (Hebron, Ky./Conner) led three Saints in double-figure scoring with a game-high 23 points. Joining her in double-figure scoring was freshman guard Sydni Wainscott (Erlanger, Ky./Simon Kenton) with 14 points and Kitchen with 11 points. Sophomore forward Jenny Burgoyne (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) led the team on the boards with nine rebounds, while Long added eight boards. Beasley led the Saints in assists with three and Long led the team in steals with four.
Thomas More returns home on Wednesday (December 5) to host PAC foe Chatham University. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. inside the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.