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Bulldogs cage Tommies in season opener
11/6/2023 8:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Five student-athletes score in double-digits for St. Thomas
DES MOINES, IOWA – The University of St. Thomas women's basketball team certainly did not take it easy to open the 2023-24 season. The Tommies took on a 2022-23 conference champion and NCAA Tournament team in Drake University, opting to test the team's tenacity and grit against one of the top projected teams in Division I basketball. St. Thomas kept pace with the Bulldogs for three quarters; however, first quarter struggled resulted in a 94-69 loss to the Tommies, as they open the season with a 0-1 record.
RECAP:
St. Thomas knew going in that consistency, both offensively and defensively, would be key to victory Monday night, along with getting out to an early lead. Drake, though, had other ideas. The Bulldogs used their length and size to hold the Tommies at bay through their first few offensive possessions and jumped out to a 6-0 lead with back-to-back threes. St. Thomas was not to be deterred, as baskets from Jordyn Glynn (Grand Meadow, Minn. / Grand Meadow) and Jo Langbehn (Elk River, Minn. / Elk River) to tie the game at 6-6. Drake was red hot from beyond the arc in the opening 10 minutes of play and would outscore St. Thomas 20-2 in the final five minutes of the first quarter.
Down 28-6 after one, it looked like the Tommies were down and out for the count after just 10 minutes of play. St. Thomas rallied twice in the second to make things interesting, as back-to-back threes by Amber Scalia (Stillwater, Minn. / Stillwater) and Faith Feuerbach (Sycamore, Ill. / Sycamore) made it 39-25 with 4:26 remaining in the quarter. Despite spurts of offensive brilliance, though, inconsistency plagued the Tommies in the closing minutes of the second quarter, as Drake nearly doubled its lead over the course of two minutes, racing out to a 45-27. Like St. Thomas, the Bulldogs went cold at the end of the half, allowing St. Thomas to sneak back into the game and close the 20-point gap. Another three by Feuerbach and a layup by Angelina Hammond (Hopkins, Minn. / Hopkins) helped the Tommies cut the lead to 48-30 by halftime.
St. Thomas had its work cut out for it in the second half, but the team seemed up to the task, as it immediately went to work whittling away Drake's lead. Feuerbach stayed hot from the arc, making the first shot of the third quarter to make it 48-33 and pull the Tommies just a little closer to the Bulldog lead. However, that 22 point deficit was too much for St. Thomas to overcome. Despite double-digit scoring performances from five different Tommies, including 16 from Langbehn, and a 10 rebound night for Jade Hill (Minneapolis, Minn. / South), Drake's first quarter proved to be too much to overcome as St. Thomas eventually fell by final score of 94-69.
TOP TOMMIES
- St. Thomas saw five different student-athletes score double-digit points Monday night, a first for the program in the Division I era. Jo Langbehn (Elk River, Minn. / Elk River) led the way with 16 points on 8-10 shooting and added five rebounds and a steal. Jordyn Glynn (Grand Meadow, Minn. / Grand Meadow) added 13, Amber Scalia (Stillwater, Minn. / Stillwater) 12 and Faith Feuerbach (Sycamore, Ill. / Sycamore) opened the season with an 11 point scoring effort.
- Jade Hill (Minneapolis, Minn. / South) recorded her first double-double of the season, scoring 13 points and pulling in a career-high 10 rebounds in the loss. She additionally led the team with six assists and two steals.
NOTABLES
The Tommies saw five different student-athletes score 10+ points Monday afternoon for the first time in program history. The last time St. Thomas saw more than two student-athletes score 10+ points was on February 19, 2023. Four Tommies scored 10+ points in a 75-70 victory over Oral Roberts, and three of those four players are on the current roster. Langbehn led the team with 19 points, while Hill and Feuerbach each added 12 a piece.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Langbehn and Glynn scored in double-digits for the second consecutive game, dating back to the 2022-23 Summit League Tournament. In a second round loss to South Dakota State, Glynn led the way with an 18 point performance, a career-high for the then senior playing in potentially her final game with St. Thomas. Langbehn also scored in double-digits in the loss, tallying 16 points against the Jackrabbits.
UP NEXT
The home opener is up next for the Tommies, as they are set to host UW-River Falls in the first home contest of 2023-24. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at Schoenecker Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota.
