University of St. Thomas Athletics
Saturday, February 4
St. Paul, Minn.
1:00 p.m. Central
8-15,3-10Summit League
51
vs
62
Denver
10-14,6-7Summit League
1
2
3
4
F
Denver
15
16
12
19
62
St. Thomas (MN)
4
15
14
18
51
Team Stats
Denver
UST
FG%
.435
.322
3FG%
.154
.235
FT%
.690
.818
RB
33
36
TO
16
19
STL
9
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
Photo by: Kylie Macziewski
Women’s Basketball unable to overcome early struggles in 62-51 loss to Denver
2/4/2023 3:47:00 PM | Women's Basketball
St. Paul, Minn. -- St. Thomas Women's Basketball faced an early scoring struggle Saturday afternoon during a 62-51 loss to Denver at Schoenecker Arena in St. Paul, Minn. The Tommies scored just four points in the first quarter, setting up an attempt to stage a second-half comeback, before falling to 8-15 overall and 3-10 in the Summit League.
The Purple began the game 0-of-16 from the floor, scoring on just two free throws, before Sammy Opichka converted on a layup with 30 seconds in the first quarter for their first field goal. The Tommies pulled down seven offensive rebounds, including Opichka's layup, as the Pioneers took a 15-4 lead into the second quarter.
Denver's lead was extended to a game-high 16 points, 22-6, less than three minutes into the second quarter before taking a 31-19 lead into halftime. Four different Tommies scored to start the second half, helping climb back to within six points, 34-28, following two free throws from Opichka.
St. Thomas gave the ball away on four turnovers during its next six possessions to give momentum back to Denver, who pushed the lead back to double digits, 43-33, heading into the fourth quarter. Jordyn Lamker and Jade Hill both converted field goals to start the fourth quarter, bringing the deficit back to single digits, before Denver scored on the ensuing possession and led by at least 10 for the rest of the way.
Hill and Maggie Negaard both led the Tommies with 12 points each, while Hill also led with six assists. Opichka chipped in nine points while Lamker led the team with six rebounds.
The Tommies shot 32.2 percent from the floor (19-59), 23.5 percent from long range (4-17), and 81.8 percent from the free throw line (9-11) compared to 43.5 percent from the field (20-46), 15.4 percent from 3-point range (2-13), and 69.0 percent from the free throw line for Denver. The Purple gave away 19 turnovers that led to 13 points for the Pioneers.
St. Thomas will travel for a three-game road trip, beginning Feb. 9 at Oral Roberts and Feb. 11 at Kansas City. The Tommies will look to earn a season sweep over both programs.
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 Purple began the game 0-of-16 from the floor, scoring on just two free throws, before Sammy Opichka converted on a layup with 30 seconds in the first quarter for their first field goal. The Tommies pulled down seven offensive rebounds, including Opichka's layup, as the Pioneers took a 15-4 lead into the second quarter.
Denver's lead was extended to a game-high 16 points, 22-6, less than three minutes into the second quarter before taking a 31-19 lead into halftime. Four different Tommies scored to start the second half, helping climb back to within six points, 34-28, following two free throws from Opichka.
St. Thomas gave the ball away on four turnovers during its next six possessions to give momentum back to Denver, who pushed the lead back to double digits, 43-33, heading into the fourth quarter. Jordyn Lamker and Jade Hill both converted field goals to start the fourth quarter, bringing the deficit back to single digits, before Denver scored on the ensuing possession and led by at least 10 for the rest of the way.
Hill and Maggie Negaard both led the Tommies with 12 points each, while Hill also led with six assists. Opichka chipped in nine points while Lamker led the team with six rebounds.
The Tommies shot 32.2 percent from the floor (19-59), 23.5 percent from long range (4-17), and 81.8 percent from the free throw line (9-11) compared to 43.5 percent from the field (20-46), 15.4 percent from 3-point range (2-13), and 69.0 percent from the free throw line for Denver. The Purple gave away 19 turnovers that led to 13 points for the Pioneers.
St. Thomas will travel for a three-game road trip, beginning Feb. 9 at Oral Roberts and Feb. 11 at Kansas City. The Tommies will look to earn a season sweep over both programs.
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.
Jade Hill School of Education Feature
Thursday, February 27
Press Conference: Tommie Women's Basketball Postgame vs ORU 02/26/25
Thursday, February 27
Press Conference: Tommie Women's Basketball Summit League Tournament Preview
Monday, March 04
Press Conference: Tommie Women's Basketball vs NDSU
Friday, February 23
