NAIA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The top-ranked and top-seeded Thomas More University women’s baseball team defeated 14th-ranked and ninth-seeded Dakota State (S.D.) University, 72-47, Saturday in the NAIA Women’s Basketball Championship Quarterfinals at the Tyson Event Center in Sioux City, Iowa.

Dakota State scored the first basketball of the game eight-seconds into the game and led 2-0.

Thomas More then went on a 21-2 run to take a 21-4 lead after one quarter when junior guard Taylor Clos made a three-pointer with 48-seconds to play in the quarter.

The Saints opened the second quarter on a 9-5 run to extend the lead to 30-9 when sophomore guard Zoie Barth made a three-pointer with 6:11 to play in the quarter.

Ashlyn McDonald made two free-throws with 2:24 to play in the second quarter to cap a 9-2 run to cut the Saints’ lead to 32-18.

Undaunted Thomas More closed out the second quarter on a 10-2 run to take a 42-20 halftime lead when Clos made a three-pointer with five-seconds to play in the half.

Thomas More shot 44.4 percent (16-of-36) from the field in the first half, while holding Dakota State to 29.2 percent (seven-of-24) shooting.

Clos led the Saints with nine points.

Sophomore guard Summer Secrist added eight points.

Senior guard Briana McNutt had six points.

Sophomore guard Emily Simon pulled down seven rebounds and had four points.

Thomas More opened the third quarter on an 8-2 run to increase the lead to 50-22 when graduate forward Alexah Chrisman made a jumper with 6:19 to play in the quarter.

Courtney Menning made one-of-two free-throws with six seconds to play in the third quarter to cap a 15-9 run for Dakota State and cut the Saints’ lead to 59-37 after three quarters.

Dakota State opened the fourth quarter on a 7-4 run to cut the lead to 63-44 with 3:20 to play in the game.

That would be as close as Dakota State would come as Thomas More closed out the game on a 9-3 run to cruise to the 72-47 victory.

The Saints shot 34.6 percent (nine-of-26) in the second half, while holding Dakota State to 26.7 percent (eight-of-30) shooting.

Chrisman tallied six points and five rebounds in the second half.

Sophomore guard Courtney Hurst scored five points.

The Saints improve to 28-1 on the season and advance to the NAIA Women’s Basketball Championship Semifinals.

Dakota State ends the season at 27-4.

The Saints shot 40.3 percent (25-of-62) from the field.

Dakota State shot 27.8 percent (15-of-54) from the field.

Clos scored 12 points, dished out five assists, recorded three steals and had one rebound.

Secrist finished with 12 points, five rebounds, four steals and two assists.

McNutt added 10 points, eight rebounds, one block shot and one steal.

Chrisman had 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots.

Barth finished with nine points, four rebounds and two assists.

Hurst had eight points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal.

Simon added eight points, nine rebounds, seven assists and one steal.

The Saints will play seventh-ranked and fifth-seeded Morningside (Iowa) College at 6 p.m. Central/7 p.m. Eastern on Monday (March 22) in the national semifinals at the Tyson Event Center.