(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) – The top-ranked Thomas More University women's basketball team defeated 18^th-ranked and in-state rival Transylvania University, 89-74, tonight (Friday, March 8, 2019) in the Sectional Semifinals of the 2019 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.  The Saints remain undefeated at 30-0 and the Pioneers end the season at 27-3.

FIRST HALF:

• The Saints jumped out to a 22-13 lead after one quarter and led 42-26 at halftime.
• Thomas More shot 50 percent (16-of-32) from the field in the opening half.
• The Saints had a 26-12 advantage in the paint and 6-0 on fast breaks.
• First-year guard Asyah Mitchell (Kenton County/Cooper) led the team in scoring at the break with 11 points.
• Senior guard Madison Temple (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) tallied 10 points, six rebounds and four assists.
• Senior forward Shelby Rupp (Milan, Ind./Batesville) scored eight points and pulled down six rebounds.

SECOND HALF:

• Thomas More led 68-51 after three quarters and then posted the 89-74 victory.
• The Saints shot 53.8 percent (14-of-26) from the field, including 50 percent (five-of-10) from behind the three-point arc in the second half.
• Temple scored 11 points and had seven rebounds in the closing half.
• Mitchell scored 10 points in the half.
• Junior guard Kaela Saner (Florence, Ky./Boone County) tallied eight points in the second half.

NOTABLES:

• Thomas More shot 51.7 percent (30-of-58) from the field in the game.
• The Saints out-scored Transylvania 40-28 in the paint, 6-0 on fast breaks and Thomas More's bench had a 26-4 advantage.
• Temple finished with a double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds, while dishing out six assists, blocking one shot and recording one steal.
• Mitchell tallied 21 points and had one assist, one block and two steals.
• Rupp scored 14 points, had eight rebounds, while dishing out two assists, blocking two shots and having one steal.
• Saner finished the game with 12 points, one assist and one steal.
• Junior forward Emily Schultz (Melbourne, Ky./Bishop Brossart) had 11 points, three rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal.

UP NEXT:

• Thomas More advances to play No. 22-ranked Washington University in St. Louis, who was a 63-46 winner over No. 12-ranked University of Mary Hardin-Baylor tonight, tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. in a sectional final game at the Connor Convocation Center.
• The winner will advance to the National Semifinals "Final Four" next week in Salem, Virginia.