(GROVE CITY, Pa.) – The No. 1-ranked Thomas More College women's basketball team won its 50th consecutive game tonight (Wednesday, January 27, 2016) as it defeated Grove City College, 92-37, in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) game at the Grove City College Arena in Grove City, Pennsylvania.
With the win, the Saints improve to 17-0 overall and 10-0 in the PAC. With the loss, the Wolverines fall to 7-11 overall and 5-6 in the PAC.
Thomas More jumped out to an early 8-2 lead when freshman guard Madison Temple (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) made a lay-up with 7:11 to play in the first quarter. Grove City answered with a 6-0 run to tie the game at 8-8 with 5:15 to play in the opening quarter when Kathryn Erbelding made two free-throws. The Saints closed out the quarter on a 14-2 run to take a 22-10 lead after one quarter when Temple made a jumper with six seconds to play in the quarter.
The Saints opened the second quarter on a 10-4 run to increase the lead to 32-14 when sophomore forward Nikki Kiernan (Cold Springs, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) made a jumper with 6:34 to play in the quarter. Grove City responded with a 6-2 run to cut the lead to 34-20 on a Lexi Arkwright jumper with 5:02 to play in the second quarter. Thomas More closed out the second quarter on an 18-3 run to extend the lead to 52-23 at halftime when senior guard/forward Sydney Moss (St. Albans, W.Va./Boone County (Ky.)) made a lay-up with two-seconds to play in the quarter.
Thomas More out-scored Grove City 22-7 in the third quarter to lead 74-30 after three quarters and 18-7 in the fourth quarter for the 92-37 victory.
Moss lead the team in scoring with 17 points, rebounding with six rebounds and assists with eight. She was joined in double-figure scoring by Kiernan with 16 points, Temple with 13 points and senior forward Alexa Santamaria (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) with 10 points. Sophomore guard Abby Owings (Independence, Ky./Simon Kenton) finished the game with seven assists, while senior guard Olivia Huber (Woodlawn, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) led the team in steals with three.
Thomas More returns to action on Saturday (January 30) when it opens a three-game homestand with a 1 p.m. tip-off against Westminster College inside the Connor Convocation Center. The College has a few activities planned for the game to commemorate the Saints' 50th-straight win tonight.