(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) - The No. 8-ranked Thomas More College women's basketball team clinched its sixth-straight outright Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) regular season title with a 92-46 win over Bethany College tonight (Wednesday, February 13, 2013) at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.
With the win, the Saints improve to 23-1 overall and 17-0 in the PAC. Thomas More has won at least a share of the PAC regular season for the eighth-straight year. With the loss, the Bison fall to 7-17 overall and 5-12 in the PAC.
Thomas More jumped out to a 6-0 lead when senior guard Katie Kitchen (Alexandria, Ky./Campbell County) made two free-throws with 16:12 to play in the half. Bethany responded with a 4-0 run capped by a Brianna Nuzum lay-up with 15:17 to cut the lead to 6-4. The Saints answered with a 35-7 run to extend the lead to 41-11 with 3:10 to play in the first half when sophomore guard Sydni Wainscott (Independence, Ky./Simon Kenton) made a jumper. The Bison closed out the half on a 6-4 run to cut the lead to 45-17 at halftime.
Thomas More opened the second half on a 24-4 run to extend the lead to 69-21 when freshman guard Olivia Huber (Woodlawn, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) made a jumper with 13:07 to play in the game. Bethany used a 19-6 run to cut the lead to 75-40 on a Taylor Verrico three-pointer with 8:20 to play in the game. That would be as close as Bethany would come as Thomas More closed out the half on a 17-6 run for the 92-46 victory.
Wainscott led all scorers with a career-high 24 points and sophomore forward Jenny Burgoyne (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) joined her double figures with 19 points, while senior guard Allison Long (Hebron, Ky./Conner) just missed double-figures with nine points. Sophomore guard Stephanie Krusling (Cincinnati, Ohio/McNicholas) led the team on the boards with seven rebounds and in steals with four.
The Saints close out the regular season on Saturday (February 16) when they travel to Latrobe, Pennsylvania to play Saint Vincent College at 2 p.m.