2/26/07

Buckner receives PAC honor

Thomas More junior Brad Buckner (Milford, OH/Milford) was named honorable mention All-Presidents' Athletic Conference. He is the lone Saints player to receive this honor.

     Buckner led Thomas More (3-22, 3-9 PAC) with 9.1 points and 5.4 rebounds. Thomas More, in their first season under John Ellenwood, had a one-game improvement over last season.

2/20/07

Season Comes to End

WASHINGTON, PA - Washington & Jefferson scored the first 13 points of the second half en route to the 67-49 win over Thomas More in the opening round of the Presidents' Athletic Conference tournament.

     With the loss, Thomas More ends its first season under John Ellenwood at 3-23 - which is a one-game improvement over last season.

     Ellenwood attempted to change the TMC fate as freshmen Scottie Sibert (Cincinnati, OH/Finneytown) and Nick Boeckman (Ft. Loramie, OH/Ft. Loramie) made their first career starts. The moved seemed to have worked as Thomas More stayed in the contest for the first half, and with 11 minutes left in the period - the game was tied. However, the Presidents' scored eight straight to claim the biggest lead of the half, and the Saints would trail by just seven at the break.

     Junior Brad Buckner (Milford, OH/Milford) led the Saints with 14 points, while senior Ed Thornton (Cleveland, OH/Villa Angela-St. Joseph) added 10 points in his final collegiate game. Freshman Romell Salone (Cincinnati, OH/Walnut Hills) pulled down a career and team-high nine rebounds.

2/17/07

Sibert scores career-High

GROVE CITY, PA - Freshman Scottie Sibert (Cincinnati, OH/Finneytown) scored a career-high 16 points as Thomas More closed the regular season with a 101-65 loss to Grove City Saturday in the Grove City College Arena. It was the second straight game that Sibert eclipsed a career scoring best.

     The loss drops the Saints to 3-22 overall, 3-9 PAC, and they will travel to Washington & Jefferson Tuesday for the opening round of the Presidents' Athletic Conference tournament.

     Grove City took control of the contest with a 16-2 run midway through the first half, opening up a 14 point advantage. Thomas More couldn't get the bulge below double figures for the rest of the contest.

     Sophomore Jeremy Abell (Louisville/Trinity) added nine points, while freshman Nick Boeckman (Ft. Loramie, OH/Ft. Loramie) scored a career-high nine points.

2/15/07

Four reach double figures

WAYNESBURG, PA - Sophomore Matt Tierney (Louisville/Trinity) led four Thomas More players in double figures with 15 points, but Waynesburg avenged an earlier loss to Thomas More, beating the Saints 89-77 Thursday.

     Freshman Scottie Sibert (Cincinnati, OH/Finneytown) added a career-high 12 points and a game-high seven rebounds. Seniors Ed Thornton (Cleveland, OH/Villa Angela-St. Joseph's) and Michael Selm (Cincinnati, OH/LaSalle) rebounds 14 and 11 points, respectively.

     Thomas More looked dead as the host built a 30-point bulge. But reserves Selm and Sibert led the Thomas More charge back. The duo scored 14 straight points for the blue and white, trimming their deficit to 16. After freshman Nick Boeckman (Fort Loramie, OH/Fort Loramie) drained a three-pointer with 4:36 left, the Saints trailed by just nine. Difficulties from the stripe prevented TMC from getting closer as they went just 4-of-9 during this period.

     Unfortunately, the Saints couldn't get themselves any closer.

     Thomas More (3-21, 3-8) will close the regular season at Grove City 3 p.m. Saturday.

2/10/07

Bold Victory for Thomas More

GREENVILLE, PA - Sophomore Brandon Bolden (Radcliff/North Hardin) led three Thomas More Saints in double figures as the Saints won their third game of the season - beating Thiel, 71-64.

     The win marked the fourth straight win over the Tomcats as Bolden scored 17 points and freshman Romell Salone (Cincinnati, OH/Walnut Hills) had 14. Junior Brad Buckner (Milford, OH/Milford) recorded his second double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

     Bolden scored eight points during a key early stretch in which the Saints took a 12-point lead. The Tomcats didn't go away as they trimmed the lead down to two points. However, sophomore Mark Lucas (Cincinnati, OH/Elder) had a four-point play and two free throws at the end of the first half, and the Saints had a eight-point halftime lead.

     Thomas More built a 14-point lead in the early portions of the half, before Thiel embarked on a 12-0 run to get back into the contest. But, when Bolden converted a three-point play, the TMC lead was back to eight.

     The Saints converted 10-of-11 at the free throw line - including 4-of-4 from sophomore Matt Tierney (Louisville/Trinity) - to seal the victory.

     TMC (3-20, 3-6 PAC) will travel to Waynesburg 7 p.m. Wednesday. Thomas More posted a 70-66 win over the Yellow Jackets earlier this season.

2/7/07

Saints fall on Senior Day

Thomas More had its visitors - Washington & Jefferson - connect on their first nine shots of the game en route to posting a 93-67 win.

     The game marked the final contest in the Connor Convocation Center for senior Michael Selm (Cincinnati, OH/LaSalle) and Ed Thornton (Cleveland, OH/Villa Angela-St, Joseph).

      By the time the Presidents missed a shot, their lead was 12 points, and it never got below double figures for the rest of the game.

     Sophomore Matt Tierney (Louisville/Trinity) and freshman Romell Salone (Cincinnati, OH/Walnut Hills) each scored nine points to lead Thomas More.

     Thomas More will be on the road for three straight games, starting 3 p.m. Saturday at Thiel.

2/3/07

Thomas More falls to Titans

Sophomore Matt Tierney (Louisville/Trinity) missed his first career double-double by one rebound, however, it was the long-range shooting of Westminster that was the difference as the Saints fell, 76-63, Saturday at the Connor Convocation Center.

     Westminster connected on 10 of its 13 three-pointers in the first half, including a stretch in which the Titans connected on three straight to take a 10-point lead. Thomas More trailed by just nine following another three-pointer at the halftime buzzer.

     Thomas More struggled offensively in the second half converting on just 20 percent from the field, and trailed by as much as 19 in the second half.

     Tierney was the lone Saint in double figure with 10 points and nine rebounds. Four players - sophomore Brandon Bolden (Radcliff/North Hardin), sophomore Jeremy Abell (Louisville/Trinity), freshman Romell Salone (Cincinnati, OH/Walnut Hills) and Aaron Miller (Lexington/Henry Clay) - all scored nine points for the Saints. Miller added eight rebounds for TMC.

     Seniors Ed Thornton (Cleveland, OH/Villa Angela-St. Joseph) and Michael Selm (Cincinnati, OH/LaSalle) will play in their final home games as Thomas More host Washington & Jefferson 6 p.m. Wednesday.

1/31/07

TMC zoned out in bethany

BETHANY, WV - For the second time this season, Bethany's switch to a zone proved fruitful as Thomas More fell on the road at Hummel Field House Wednesday, 74-65.

     Thomas More led by three at the break thanks to a huge rebounding edge. However, with the defensive change the Saints took more jump shots and the Bison were able to limit the TMC second chances. In addition, Bethany shots over 50 percent in the second half after Thomas More held them to 35 in the first. It was the first time in six games a team reached 70 points against the Saints.

     Part of the problem that contributed to the large point total were the 21 points off 21 TMC turnovers.

     Sophomore Jeremy Abell (Louisville/Trinity) led the Saints with 17 points, while freshman Aaron Miller (Lexington/Henry Clay) added nine points and a team-high six rebounds.

     Thomas More (2-17, 2-5) will host Westminster 3 p.m. Saturday.

1/27/07

Offense goes on Hiatus

No Thomas More player scored in double figures, but the Saints still had a chance late before falling to Saint Vincent Saturday in the Connor Convocation Center, 58-47.

     The Saints trailed by seven with a little more than four minutes remaining and two chances to trim it deficit further. However, the Bearcats nailed back-to-back three-pointers to seal the victory.

     It was stout defense that kept TMC in contention from the outset as the Saints shot just 28 percent from the field. After allowing 78 points in the early stages of the season, opponents are averaging a mere 63.7 since the calendar turned to 2007.

     The game featured six ties and seven lead changes, and neither team could take control of the contest until a 15-4 spurt gave the Bearcats the game's first double-figure lead with 12 minutes remaining in the game.

     Thomas More couldn't take advantage of its 21 offensive rebounds, converting them into just 13 second-chance points. And eventhough TMC got 15 more shots in the second half, it was outscored by nine points.

     Sophomore Matt Tierney (Louisville/Trinity) and freshman Aaron Miller (Lexington/Henry Clay) led the Saints with seven points.

     TMC (2-17, 2-4 PAC) will travel to Bethany, W.Va, to take on the Bisons in PAC action. Thomas More lost to the Bisons, 70-64, on January 10.

1/24/07

Cool Hand Lucas

The Thomas More maturation process took another step forward Wednesday as the Saints overcame a 14-point deficit to post their second win of the season - beating Waynesburg in the Connor Convocation Center, 70-66. The game featured eight ties and 11 lead changes, most of which came in the second half.

     There were numerous opportunities for the youthful Saints to fold, but they converted seven-of-eight free throws down the stretch. More importantly, the free throws were drained after the visitors erased a six-point deficit in over a minute.

     "It's confidence," said head coach John Ellenwood. "(Sophomore Matt) Tierney (Louisvlle/Trinity) and Cleve (Ed Thornton) step up with confidence, and I am proud of them."

     It was redemption of sorts for Tierney, whose miss at the end of the Grove City contest left the door open for the Wolverines' buzzer-beater.

     Sophomore Mark Lucas (Cincinnati, OH/Elder) and senior Ed Thornton (Cleveland, OH/Villa Angela-St. Joseph) combined for 33 points in the victory. Lucas recorded four of the team's 14 offensive rebounds, and the Saints tripled up their visitors in second-chance points, 18-6. Thomas More also pounded away on the glass, owning a 44-28 advantage.

     Waynesburg, the PAC preseason favorite, utilized a 12-0 run to open up its largest lead of the contest. The momentum was halted by a brief TMC timeout, and the Saints answered with a spurt of their own. Thornton, Lucas and sophomore Jeremy Abell (Louisville/Trinity) each tallied markers as the Saints rattled off 14 straight to knot the game at 22. The Yellow Jackets threatened to seize control of the contest, but the game headed to the half tied at 31.

     Despite struggling on the offensive end, connecting on just 2-of-9 from the field, freshman Aaron Miller (Lexington/Henry Clay) turned in his best defensive performance of his career. The 6-3 forward hauled in a career-high 10 rebounds, nine defensive.

     Thomas More (2-16, 2-4 PAC) will host Presidents' Athletic Conference opponent Saint Vincent 3 p.m. Saturday. The game will not count toward conference standings the Bearcats are provisional NCAA Div. III members.

1/20/07

Buzzer Beater

Grove City scored as time expired to escape the Connor Convocation Center with the 49-48 win over Thomas More Saturday in Presidents' Athletic Conference acion.

      Thomas More had itself in position for the victory as sophomore Jeremy Abell (Louisville/Trinity) with 20 seconds remaining, and sophomore Matt Tierney (Louisville/Trinity) connected on 1-of-2 from the foul line giving TMC the lead with nine seconds remaining. The Wolverines raced down the court, but a block by junior Joe Langley (North Tonawanda, N.Y./North Tonawanda) with two seconds temporarily preserved the lead.

     Following a timeout, the Wolverines executed a lob play and the GCC player connected on a fade-away jump shot for the win after leading for just eight minutes in the game.

     Despite holding the lead for the majority of the contest, the Saints let Grove City back into the game by going nine minutes without a basket. During that stretch, Thomas More was outscored 12-1.

     Freshman Aaron Miller (Lexington/Henry Clay), in his second career start, tied a career-high 14 points, while Brad Buckner (Milford, OH/Milford) added nine points and six boards.

     Thomas More (1-16, 1-4 PAC) will host preseason favorite Waynesburg 7:30 Wednesday.

1/17/07

TMC falls behind early

WASHINGTON, PA - Thomas More fell behind quickly by double figures and never recovered, falling to Washington & Jefferson Wednesday at the Henry Center, 69-53.

     Freshman Romell Salone (Cincinnati, OH/Walnut Hills), in his second career start, scored a career-high 12 points with three rebounds, three assists and no turnovers to lead the Saints. In three conference games, the point guard has 10 assists and just one turnover.

     The Saints shot 40 percent in the first half and trailed by just six points at the break. However, they went cold coming out of the break - and managed 28 percent shooting. Leading scorer, Brad Buckner (Milford, OH/Milford) was held to just one point in the game.

     Thomas More (1-15, 1-3 PAC) will host Grove City 3 p.m. Saturday.

1/13/07

Saints Get Defensive In Victory

Thomas More held the conference's leading scorer to just two points and earned head coach John Ellenwood his first collegiate coaching victory with a 59-45 win over Thiel in Presidents' Athletic Conference action Saturday.

     Forwards Joe Langley (North Tonawanda, NY/North Tonawanda) and Matt Tierney (Louisville/Trinity) were responsible for the rough night of Thiel's Joe Herrmann, who came into today's games with a 18.6 scoring average.  

     "We set a challenge to them," said Ellenwood. "(Herrmann) is a good player. We challenged them to shut down the best scorer in the conference."

     Not only did Langley and Tierney lock down on Herrmann, it was collective defensive effort for the Saints. Only three scorers found their way into the scorebook in the first half, while four players scored total. The Thomas More reserves held a huge advantage over their Tomcats counterparts, 34-0. In additions, thanks to 14 offensive rebounds, Thomas More held a 12-4 lead in second chance points.

     Two free throws with 16:02 gave the Tomcats their last lead of the game as Thomas More scored 16 of the game's 18 points to open up a double-digit bulge. Senior Ed Thornton (Cleveland, OH/Villa Angela-St. Joseph) capped a late 10-2 run with a lay-up at the buzzer, and the Saints had a 19-point halftime lead.

     Thomas More's lead grew to as much as 23 points, and Thiel never was able to get back to within double figures.

     Sophomore Jeremy Abell (Louisville/Trinity) led the Saints with 14 points, while nine other Saints tallied markers.

     "Scorers get all the credit, but it was a total team effort," said Ellenwood. "We got four offensive rebounds by Joe and Romell (Salone) had four assists and just one turnovers. He didn't score today, but he got us into what we wanted to do."

     It was the first career start for Salone (Cincinnati, OH/Walnut Hills) as he recorded his career-high with the four dimes. He has seven assists and one turnover in the last two games.

     Thomas More (1-14, 1-2) will travel to Washington, PA to grapple with the Presidents' of Washington & Jefferson 6 p.m. Wednesday.

1/10/07

Halftime Lead Evaporates in loss

For only the second time this season, the Thomas More Saints were able to take a lead into the half. Unfortunately, Wednesday's game ended like that one and every other game this season - with a loss - as TMC fell to Bethany Wednesday, 70-64, in Connor Convocation Center.

     "It's another thing to build on," said head coach John Ellenwood. "It's the first time all season we had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio."

     Bethany switch to a zone - something it haven't used all season - proved to be the key.

     With Thomas More holding a nine-point lead, and getting easy shots, Bethany went to a full-court zone press that turned into a half-court zone. The Thomas More offense became stagnant, and the Bisons pulled to within one.

     "They didn't allow us to throw it inside," said Ellenwood. "They hardly play zone, and in a way its a compliment to what we were doing. We didn't attack (the zone), and as coaches and players, we have to get better."

     However, the youthful Saints quickly responded. The lead grew to six before the veteran-powered Bisons locked down the TMC scoring machine.

     A late 15-4 BC run proved all the reigning PAC champions needed to escape the CCC with the conference victory.

     Sophomore Jeremy Abell (Louisville/Trinity) and freshman Aaron Miller (Lexington/Henry Clay) each tallied 11 points, while freshman Eddie Tyree added 10 tallies for TMC. Tyree, along with junior Brad Buckner (Milford, OH/Milford), recorded six boards - a team-high.

     Thomas More (0-14, 0-2 PAC) will host Thiel 3 p.m. Saturday in President' Athletic Conference action.

1/6/07

Buckner nets 24 in loss

NEW WILMINGTON, PA - Junior Brad Buckner (Milford, OH/Milford) scored a career-high 24 points as Thomas More fell to Westminster 89-79 Saturday at Buzz Ridl Gymnasium.

Slow Start hampers TMC

SANTA BARBARA, CA - Johns Hopkins, ranked 13th in the country, scored the game's first 12 points en route to the 72-50 victory over Thomas More in the consolation game of the 31st annual Tom Byron Classic at Westmont College.

12/29/06

Selm scores Team-High 11

SANTA BARBARA, CA - Senior Michael Selm (Cincinnati, OH/LaSalle) scored all of his team-high 11 points in the second half as Thomas More fell to host Westmont in the opening round of the Tom Byron Classic, 77-47, Friday.

Saints fall to UC-Clermont

Thomas More shot 45 percent from the field, but couldn't overcome 23 turnovers and 60 percent shooting from its opponents as the Saints fell to Cincinnati-Clermont, 88-66, Thursday in Connor Convocation Center.

12/18/06

TMC falls to Centre

Junior Brad Buckner (Milford, OH/Milford) led the Saints with 18 points and four rebounds as Thomas More fell to Centre Monday, 76-56.

Saints making Strides

What a difference two weeks make.

     After taking a week off for exams, the Thomas More Saints took Transylvania to the wire before falling the non-conference game, 77-72, Saturday. The Pioneers walked away with a 36-point win in Lexington two weeks ago.

12/9/06

Abell drops career-high in loss

LATROBE, PA - Sophomore Jeremy Abell (Louisville/Trinity) scored a career-high 23 points with five rebounds as Thomas More fell in its Presidents' Athletic Conference opener to Saint Vincent, 67-61.

12/2/06

Transy too much for Saints

LEXINGTON, KY - Junior Brad Buckner (Milford, OH/Milford) led the Saints with 11 points and six boards Saturday as Thomas More lost to Transylvania, 100-64, in non-conference action.

11/30/06

Fast Start Fizzles in loss

The execution and emotion was there at the beginning.

     However, Thomas More suffered through two prolonged scoring droughts which enabled the Wilmingon Quakers to leave Connor Convocation Center with the 77-57 non-conference victory Thursday.

11/25/06

Norse hand TMC non-conference loss

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS - Eventually the size of Northern Kentucky and their athleticism wore on the Thomas More Saints allowing the Norse to post a 86-61 win Saturday.

11/22/06

Buckner secures double-double in loss

For 32 minutes, the Thomas More Saints handled its rival Mount St. Joseph.

     However, an eight-minute stretch late in the first half was all the Lions needed to post the 74-68 win in the 2006 Bridge Shootout Wednesday at the Connor Convocation Center.

 11/18/06

Thomas More drops decision to Anderson

DEFIANCE, OH - Thomas More fell behind early and never recovered as Anderson scored the first 10 points of the game, and 20 of the first 25 en route to the 76-59 win Saturday.

11/17/06

Saints fall to Defiance

DEFIANCE, OH - Freshman guard Eddie Tyree (Canal Winchester, OH/Groveport Madison) scored a team-high 10 points as Thomas More kicked off the 2005-06 campaign with a 76-48 loss to Defiance Friday.