The St. Thomas women’s basketball team pushed their season record to 8-0 after a 91-59 win against UNBSJ Seawolves on Sunday.
This was the first time the two teams met this season, but the Tommies knew what they were up against. UNBSJ likes to shoot for three, so STU tried to limit the Seawolves’ attempts from behind the three point line.
“We knew they had a real strong perimeter game,” said Tommies coach Fred Connors. “We knew they were going to spread the floor.”
While UNBSJ was able to make eight three-pointers, it wasn’t enough, as the Tommies took the win 91-59. Rebounds were a key factor, as the Tommies were able to bull down 21 offensive boards, often resulting in easy put backs. Third year player Katelynn Carver led the way for the Tommies with a game-high 24 points. Carissa McTague added 17 points while Kelly Vass had 14.
“I was in a slump for a while, but my teammates helped me out of it,” said Carver, who went eight for eight from the free throw line. Carver attributes her strong performance to the team’s ability to move the ball.
“Our team chemistry was really good. Everybody was passing the ball. We played as a team.”
The Tommies’ offense was consistent, resulting in 22 points in each of the first three quarters. UNBSJ had cut STU’s lead to 20 in the fourth quarter, but back-to-back steals for the Tommies resulted into fast-break layups. That put the game out of reach for the Seawolves.
Connors had been focused on defense in their practices throughout the week, and thinks it paid off.
“We made some adjustments on the defensive side and it really showed yesterday, and again in spurts today,” said Connors.
The Tommies played the game without Brittany Gilliss, Laura Anderson, and Maggie Murphy, who all sat out with injuries. Connors said that if it were a playoff game, Murphy and Anderson would have played. Connors hopes that all three will be ready to play after the Christmas break.
The team goes into the break undefeated, but need to remain focused to keep it up. The Tommies first games back are at a tournament that includes nationally-ranked teams. The tournament will help show where St. Thomas stands with the top teams.
“They’ll be ready. I know they will,” said Connors.
