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Tommies snap streak with 67-65 victory over Milwaukee
12/7/2023 11:48:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MILWAUKEE, WIS. – Wisconsin week is off to a strong start for the University of St. Thomas women's basketball team. The Tommies snapped their four-game losing streak on Thursday, earning a gutsy 67-65 win over the Milwaukee Panthers in nonconference plan. The win, the team's first since November 21, snaps a four game losing skid and helps St. Thomas improve its overall record to 4-5 to open December.
RECAP:
It was all Tommies from the get-go, as they put together one of their best all-around performances of the 2023-24 season. St. Thomas raced out to a 7-0 lead in the first and closed with a 16-10 lead over the host Panthers. Milwaukee, though, would whittle that lead to two points early in the second quarter, as the Panthers scored back-to-back baskets to make it 16-14 very quickly. The Tommies were not deterred in any way, shape or form, as they showed resiliency on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. A layup from Jo Langbehn (Elk River, Minn. / Elk River) bolstered St. Thomas' lead back to four points before Amber Scalia (Stillwater, Minn. / Stillwater) made it 20-14 at the 7:52 mark.
St. Thomas would lead by as many as eight points in the second quarter, as Jade Hill (Minneapolis, Minn. / South) and Sammy Opichka (Green Bay, Wis. / Notre Dame) got in on the scoring action. Opichka provided a spark off the Tommies bench, allowing them to carry a 30-24 lead into the locker room at halftime. St. Thomas would extend that lead to 10 points in the top of the third, as baskets from Langbehn and Scalia helped the Tommies hold a 34-24 advantage less than two minutes into the second half.
Milwaukee, though, would not give up the chase, as the Panthers went on a 12-4 run and cut the St. Thomas lead to 38-36. Fortunately, that Milwaukee run stirred something in the Tommies offense, as they seemingly secured a victory in the final four minutes of the third quarter. St. Thomas went on a dominant 12-4 run of its own to end the third, turning the tide on the Panthers by taking a 50-40 lead into the fourth and final quarter. That 10 point lead proved to be just enough to secure the victory, as the fourth quarter would prove to be the most dramatic of the night.
Despite St. Thomas' strong shooting efforts to end the third quarter, Milwaukee needed to be laid to rest in the fourth. The Panthers proved to be more like a teething child than expected, as they simply would not go quietly into the night. Every time the Tommies scored a basket, Milwaukee had an answer, though St. Thomas still had a 64-54 lead entering the final five minutes of play. That was when things got interesting. After Opichka's jumper at 4:21, St. Thomas would not score another basket in the game, instead scoring points only from the free throw line. The Panthers, meanwhile, continued to make basket after basket, eventually whittling St. Thomas' lead to 64-62 with 44 seconds remaining in regulation.
It was then that Jordyn Glynn (Grand Meadow, Minn. / Grand Meadow) hit the shots of the season. The fifth year senior came up clutch from the charity stripe, downing two free throws to extend the Tommies lad to 66-62. Hill would add another free throw at the nine second mark, before a huge defensive stop in the final second secured the 67-65 win for St. Thomas.
TOP TOMMIES
- Amber Scalia (Stillwater, Minn. / Stillwater) put together her third 20+ point scoring performance of the season, tallying 24 total points on 7-17 shooting from the floor.
- Jade Hill (Minneapolis, Minn. / South) and Jo Langbehn (Elk River, Minn. / Elk River) each scored 12 points apiece in Thursday's victory, while Langbehn and Jordyn Glynn (Grand Meadow, Minn. / Grand Meadow) led the team with seven rebounds each.
- Angelina Hammond (Hopkins, Minn. / Hopkins) recorded a season-high four blocks against Milwaukee and added four rebounds, four points and one steal.
UP NEXT
St. Thomas' road trip will continue, as the team travels to Indiana for another nonconference competition. The Tommies will square off against Purdue-Fort Wayne on Saturday, December 9, with tip off scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
