University of St. Thomas Athletics
Sunday, November 27
Chicago, Ill.
2:00 p.m. Central
at
UIC
Photo by: Kylie Macziewski
Tommie Women’s Basketball takes on Flames Sunday, Nov. 27 in Chicago
11/25/2022 11:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
St. Paul, Minn. -- St. Thomas Women's Basketball heads to Chicago Sunday, Nov. 27 to take on UIC at Credit Union 1 Arena. The Tommies and Flames will play for the first time in the series history with tip-off at 2 p.m.
The Last Time Out
Sophomore Jade Hill played a balanced attack en route to tying a career-high 24 points and five steals Saturday, Nov. 19 as St. Thomas Women's Basketball took down Presbyterian, 67-41.
The Blue Hose opened scoring in the game followed quickly by a 6-0 run for the Tommies that would be the final lead of the night. The Purple's defense held PC to 3-of-17 shooting in the opening quarter, allowing St. Thomas to take a 16-9 lead into the second.
Hill came alive in the second quarter with nine points, including two 3-pointers, to nearly outscore Presbyterian single-handedly. The Tommie defense again held the Blue Hose to nine points in the quarter to take a 29-18 lead into halftime.
The lead continued into the 3rd quarter as the Tommies picked up the pace of the game. Following the media timeout, St. Thomas went on a 6-0 run to take a game-high 19-point lead, 43-24, with 2:39 left in the third.
Hill scored the majority of her points in the fourth quarter, totaling 13 points on 5-of-5 shooting with two 3s. Alexis Pratt added five points in the quarter, all by way of the free throw line.
Hill finished 8-of-15 shooting from the field, 4-of-6 from beyond the arc and 4-of-4 from the free throw line while adding five steals and four assists. Pratt also led the team with five steals and was the only other Tommie in double-digit scoring with 10 points.
The Tommies shot 41.8 percent from the field, 30.0 percent from 3-point range and 15-of-21 from the free-throw line. St. Thomas totaled 24 points off 25 PC turnovers and outscored the Blue Hose in fast break points, 21-0.
Scouting UIC
UIC is 5-1 overall coming off a 2-1 trip at the Hostillo Hoops Community Classic in Savannah, Ga. The Flames' first loss of the season came to Fairleigh Dickinson, 63-51, before rebounding with back-to-back wins over Davidson, 63-55, and Austin Peay, 62-59.
Josie Filer leads UIC with 14.3 points per game and is the only player averaging double digits. Jaida McCloud leads the team with 7.7 rebounds per game, including an 11-rebound effort in the season opener Nov. 7 against IUPUI.
The Flames rank 31st in the nation shooting 38.5 percent from 3-point range and 39th shooting 46.3 percent from the floor. UIC also ranks 53rd in the country and leads the Missouri Valley Conference allowing opponents to 55.3 points per game.
Series History
The Tommies and Flames have never played.
Ranking Among the Rest
The Tommies rank 33rd in the nation in 3-point shooting, coming into Sunday's game hitting 38.3 percent from 3-point range. St. Thomas also ranks 29th in the country allowing opponents to score 51.3 points per game.
Pulling Down the Boards
St. Thomas has outrebounded its opponents during all four games this season. The Tommies recorded more rebounds than their opponents eight times last season, going 4-4 in those games. The Purple have shown success limiting opponents' rebounds this season, ranking 25th in the nation with 31.3 rebounds allowed per game.
Running Point
Sophomore Jade Hill has scored in double digits every game this season and led the Tommies in scoring in two games. She tied a career-high 24 points in the Nov. 19 win over Presbyterian and set a season-high six assists Nov. 15 at Illinois State. Hill has led the team in assists in three of four games.
Sophomore Alexis Pratt recorded her first double-digit scoring game with the Tommies on 10 points against Presbyterian. She added three assists against PC, her second game with three assists.
Sammy 2-O
Sophomore Sammy Opichka went off for a career-high 20 points Nov. 15 at Illinois State. She was a perfect 6-of-6 from the field, 2-of-2 from 3-point range and 6-of-6 from the free throw line. She also pulled down a career-high eight rebounds, including three offensive rebounds that were converted for six second-chance points.
Opichka's previous career high was nine points set Jan. 15, 2022 at home against North Dakota, where she also set a career high six rebounds. Tuesday was just the third time in 19 games Opichka has scored over five points.
This is the first instance of a Tommie recording at least 20 points and 8 rebounds in a game since Macy Hatlestad recorded 26 points and nine rebounds Feb. 3, 2021 against Bethel. It's also the first time a Tommie went at least 6-of-6 from the field since Langbehn went 6-of-6 against Oral Roberts on Feb. 5, 2022.
Where Are My Upperclassmen At?
Graduate student Autam Mendez, and seniors Jordyn Glynn and Maggie Negaard are the only three upperclassmen on the team. The 2022-23 Tommies are comprised of three upperclassmen, eight sophomores, two redshirt freshmen and two true freshmen.
Glynn is the only member of the team who was with the program during its NCAA DIII days. She played in 24 games with 17 starts last season to average 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 points per game. Glynn is averaging 4.8 rebounds per game this season, totaling at least four in every game.
Negaard played her first season with the Tommies in 2021-22 after transferring in from Drake. She made 24 starts in 27 games played and averaged 5.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per contest. This season, Negaard has led the Tommies in scoring once, totaling 15 points in the win over South Carolina State.
Mendez makes her Tommie debut this season after playing at San Jose State from 2020-22 and at North Iowa Area Community College from 2018-20. Mendez pulled down two rebounds in nine minutes against South Carolina State.
NCAA Division I Year One in Review
Head Coach Ruth Sinn leads the Tommies into year two of NCAA Division I play after a 7-21 campaign, including a 4-14 mark in the Summit League, last season.
The Tommies bring back nine returners, including three starters, and welcome in six newcomers. Seniors Jordyn Glynn and Maggie Negaard, along with sophomore Jade Hill, were each consistent starters a year ago.
The first Summit League victory for St. Thomas came at home against Denver on Dec. 22, 56-48. The Tommies concluded their first Division I season with a 61-56 road win at Omaha.
Coming in Hot
Two Tommies were selected to the Summit League All-Newcomer Team last season, including sophomore Jade Hill and graduate transfer Erin Norling.
Hill played the most minutes per game of any women's freshman player in DI hoops in 2021-22. Hill averaged 36.15 minutes over 28 games. (Only one freshman DI men's player, Trey Townsend of Oakland at 36.24, had a higher per-game average.) Hill also led the entire Summit League in minutes per game.
Hill leads the Tommies this season with 12.7 points and 4.0 assists per game. She's shooting 32.5 percent from the field (13-40), 40.0 percent from 3-point range (4-10) and .667 from the free throw line (8-12).
Follow Along
For more information on St. Thomas Women's Basketball, follow along on Twitter and Instagram at @TommieWBBall
Join Us
To reserve your seat to be a part of the Tommies' 2022 season, click HERE to view ticketing information and purchase options.
The Last Time Out
Sophomore Jade Hill played a balanced attack en route to tying a career-high 24 points and five steals Saturday, Nov. 19 as St. Thomas Women's Basketball took down Presbyterian, 67-41.
The Blue Hose opened scoring in the game followed quickly by a 6-0 run for the Tommies that would be the final lead of the night. The Purple's defense held PC to 3-of-17 shooting in the opening quarter, allowing St. Thomas to take a 16-9 lead into the second.
Hill came alive in the second quarter with nine points, including two 3-pointers, to nearly outscore Presbyterian single-handedly. The Tommie defense again held the Blue Hose to nine points in the quarter to take a 29-18 lead into halftime.
The lead continued into the 3rd quarter as the Tommies picked up the pace of the game. Following the media timeout, St. Thomas went on a 6-0 run to take a game-high 19-point lead, 43-24, with 2:39 left in the third.
Hill scored the majority of her points in the fourth quarter, totaling 13 points on 5-of-5 shooting with two 3s. Alexis Pratt added five points in the quarter, all by way of the free throw line.
Hill finished 8-of-15 shooting from the field, 4-of-6 from beyond the arc and 4-of-4 from the free throw line while adding five steals and four assists. Pratt also led the team with five steals and was the only other Tommie in double-digit scoring with 10 points.
The Tommies shot 41.8 percent from the field, 30.0 percent from 3-point range and 15-of-21 from the free-throw line. St. Thomas totaled 24 points off 25 PC turnovers and outscored the Blue Hose in fast break points, 21-0.
Scouting UIC
UIC is 5-1 overall coming off a 2-1 trip at the Hostillo Hoops Community Classic in Savannah, Ga. The Flames' first loss of the season came to Fairleigh Dickinson, 63-51, before rebounding with back-to-back wins over Davidson, 63-55, and Austin Peay, 62-59.
Josie Filer leads UIC with 14.3 points per game and is the only player averaging double digits. Jaida McCloud leads the team with 7.7 rebounds per game, including an 11-rebound effort in the season opener Nov. 7 against IUPUI.
The Flames rank 31st in the nation shooting 38.5 percent from 3-point range and 39th shooting 46.3 percent from the floor. UIC also ranks 53rd in the country and leads the Missouri Valley Conference allowing opponents to 55.3 points per game.
Series History
The Tommies and Flames have never played.
Ranking Among the Rest
The Tommies rank 33rd in the nation in 3-point shooting, coming into Sunday's game hitting 38.3 percent from 3-point range. St. Thomas also ranks 29th in the country allowing opponents to score 51.3 points per game.
Pulling Down the Boards
St. Thomas has outrebounded its opponents during all four games this season. The Tommies recorded more rebounds than their opponents eight times last season, going 4-4 in those games. The Purple have shown success limiting opponents' rebounds this season, ranking 25th in the nation with 31.3 rebounds allowed per game.
Running Point
Sophomore Jade Hill has scored in double digits every game this season and led the Tommies in scoring in two games. She tied a career-high 24 points in the Nov. 19 win over Presbyterian and set a season-high six assists Nov. 15 at Illinois State. Hill has led the team in assists in three of four games.
Sophomore Alexis Pratt recorded her first double-digit scoring game with the Tommies on 10 points against Presbyterian. She added three assists against PC, her second game with three assists.
Sammy 2-O
Sophomore Sammy Opichka went off for a career-high 20 points Nov. 15 at Illinois State. She was a perfect 6-of-6 from the field, 2-of-2 from 3-point range and 6-of-6 from the free throw line. She also pulled down a career-high eight rebounds, including three offensive rebounds that were converted for six second-chance points.
Opichka's previous career high was nine points set Jan. 15, 2022 at home against North Dakota, where she also set a career high six rebounds. Tuesday was just the third time in 19 games Opichka has scored over five points.
This is the first instance of a Tommie recording at least 20 points and 8 rebounds in a game since Macy Hatlestad recorded 26 points and nine rebounds Feb. 3, 2021 against Bethel. It's also the first time a Tommie went at least 6-of-6 from the field since Langbehn went 6-of-6 against Oral Roberts on Feb. 5, 2022.
Where Are My Upperclassmen At?
Graduate student Autam Mendez, and seniors Jordyn Glynn and Maggie Negaard are the only three upperclassmen on the team. The 2022-23 Tommies are comprised of three upperclassmen, eight sophomores, two redshirt freshmen and two true freshmen.
Glynn is the only member of the team who was with the program during its NCAA DIII days. She played in 24 games with 17 starts last season to average 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 points per game. Glynn is averaging 4.8 rebounds per game this season, totaling at least four in every game.
Negaard played her first season with the Tommies in 2021-22 after transferring in from Drake. She made 24 starts in 27 games played and averaged 5.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per contest. This season, Negaard has led the Tommies in scoring once, totaling 15 points in the win over South Carolina State.
Mendez makes her Tommie debut this season after playing at San Jose State from 2020-22 and at North Iowa Area Community College from 2018-20. Mendez pulled down two rebounds in nine minutes against South Carolina State.
NCAA Division I Year One in Review
Head Coach Ruth Sinn leads the Tommies into year two of NCAA Division I play after a 7-21 campaign, including a 4-14 mark in the Summit League, last season.
The Tommies bring back nine returners, including three starters, and welcome in six newcomers. Seniors Jordyn Glynn and Maggie Negaard, along with sophomore Jade Hill, were each consistent starters a year ago.
The first Summit League victory for St. Thomas came at home against Denver on Dec. 22, 56-48. The Tommies concluded their first Division I season with a 61-56 road win at Omaha.
Coming in Hot
Two Tommies were selected to the Summit League All-Newcomer Team last season, including sophomore Jade Hill and graduate transfer Erin Norling.
Hill played the most minutes per game of any women's freshman player in DI hoops in 2021-22. Hill averaged 36.15 minutes over 28 games. (Only one freshman DI men's player, Trey Townsend of Oakland at 36.24, had a higher per-game average.) Hill also led the entire Summit League in minutes per game.
Hill leads the Tommies this season with 12.7 points and 4.0 assists per game. She's shooting 32.5 percent from the field (13-40), 40.0 percent from 3-point range (4-10) and .667 from the free throw line (8-12).
Follow Along
For more information on St. Thomas Women's Basketball, follow along on Twitter and Instagram at @TommieWBBall
Join Us
To reserve your seat to be a part of the Tommies' 2022 season, click HERE to view ticketing information and purchase options.
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