University of St. Thomas Athletics
Wednesday, January 3
St. Paul, Minn.
7:00 p.m. Central
9-6,2-0Summit League
70
vs
52
Sacramento State
1-11,0-2Big Sky
1
2
3
4
F
Sacramento St.
11
16
13
12
52
St. Thomas (MN)
16
20
20
14
70
Team Stats
SacSt
UST
FG%
.436
.449
3FG%
.313
.368
FT%
.929
.792
RB
23
29
TO
27
19
STL
4
8
Game Leaders
Pts
22
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
9
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's BasketballC
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
Photo by: Rebecca Twite
Tommies take first game in Big Sky-Summit Challenge
1/3/2024 9:53:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ST. PAUL, Minn. - The University of St. Thomas women's basketball team faced Sacramento State on Wednesday night in the first game of the Big Sky-Summit Challenge. After an outstanding start in Summit League play last week, the Tommies stayed hot Wednesday evening, as they upended the visiting Hornets 70-52. Amber Scalia (Stillwater Minn./ Stillwater) led the team with 22 points, going 9-10 behind the line to improve her season free throw percentage to .888. Jade Hill (Minneapolis Minn./ South) added 15 points with three assists in the victory, helping St. Thomas win its fourth consecutive game and improve to 9-6 overall this season.
RECAP
It was Sacramento State that got off to a hot start, as the Hornests jumped out to a 5-4 lead after three minutes of play. Scalia was able to knock down her first three of the game to put the Tommies up by two at 7-5. From there, Jo Langbehn (Elk RIver, Minn./ Elk River) helped push the St. Thomas lead to 9-5. However, the Tommies could never quite escape the Hornets, who responded to Langbehn's basket with a pesky three of their own. That sting jump started something for St. Thomas, as the Tommies closed out the quarter on a 7-0 run to hold a 16-11 lead after the first.
Hill started the second quarter strong with a driving layup before Scalia added another three to extend the St. Thomas lead to 21-13. However, Sacramento State continued to hang around, as the Hornets went on a 10-4 run to whittle the Tommies lead to 23-21 with 3:56 remaining in regulation. Five points by Hill and back-to-back three-pointers from Sammy Opichka (Green Bay, Wis./ Notre Dame Academy) sparked a St. Thomas run in the closing minutes of the half, allowing the Tommies to walk into the locker room with a 36-27 halftime lead.
Hill and Scalia continued their shooting streak with the first eight points of the third quarter, extending the St. Thomas lead to 44-32 just three minutes into the second half. That was all she wrote for the Hornets, as the Tommies continued to pour on the points in the third quarter. Opichka, Scalia, Hill and Langbehn all joined in the scoring efforts, allowing St. Thomas to hold a 56-40 lead entering the fourth and final quarter.
The fourth quarter was all Tommies, as more student-athletes joined the scoring barrage. Jordyn Lamker (Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove) and Zoey Washington (Mahtomedi, Minn. / St. Croix Lutheran) scored a combined seven points off the bench in the fourth quarter alone, keeping the St. Thomas lead well out of arms reach for Sacramento State. The Tommies finished the game strong, earning a 70-52 victory to take their first game of the Big Sky-Summit Challenge.
TOP TOMMIES
RECAP
It was Sacramento State that got off to a hot start, as the Hornests jumped out to a 5-4 lead after three minutes of play. Scalia was able to knock down her first three of the game to put the Tommies up by two at 7-5. From there, Jo Langbehn (Elk RIver, Minn./ Elk River) helped push the St. Thomas lead to 9-5. However, the Tommies could never quite escape the Hornets, who responded to Langbehn's basket with a pesky three of their own. That sting jump started something for St. Thomas, as the Tommies closed out the quarter on a 7-0 run to hold a 16-11 lead after the first.
Hill started the second quarter strong with a driving layup before Scalia added another three to extend the St. Thomas lead to 21-13. However, Sacramento State continued to hang around, as the Hornets went on a 10-4 run to whittle the Tommies lead to 23-21 with 3:56 remaining in regulation. Five points by Hill and back-to-back three-pointers from Sammy Opichka (Green Bay, Wis./ Notre Dame Academy) sparked a St. Thomas run in the closing minutes of the half, allowing the Tommies to walk into the locker room with a 36-27 halftime lead.
Hill and Scalia continued their shooting streak with the first eight points of the third quarter, extending the St. Thomas lead to 44-32 just three minutes into the second half. That was all she wrote for the Hornets, as the Tommies continued to pour on the points in the third quarter. Opichka, Scalia, Hill and Langbehn all joined in the scoring efforts, allowing St. Thomas to hold a 56-40 lead entering the fourth and final quarter.
The fourth quarter was all Tommies, as more student-athletes joined the scoring barrage. Jordyn Lamker (Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove) and Zoey Washington (Mahtomedi, Minn. / St. Croix Lutheran) scored a combined seven points off the bench in the fourth quarter alone, keeping the St. Thomas lead well out of arms reach for Sacramento State. The Tommies finished the game strong, earning a 70-52 victory to take their first game of the Big Sky-Summit Challenge.
TOP TOMMIES
- Sophomore Amber Scalia (Stillwater, Minn. / Stillwater) led the team with 22 points and 9-10 behind the line. She also added five assists, two steals, and two rebounds for the team.
- Junior Jade Hill (Minneapolis, Minn. / South) had 15 points, going 2-3 from the line, with three assists and one steal.
- Sammy Opichka (Green Bay, Wis. / Notre Dame) scored 11 points on the night, for a season high. She also shot 2-5 from behind the arc for a season high three-pointers made. She also had six rebounds and one steal.
UP NEXT
The Tommies face Portland State at Viking Pavilion in Portland, Oregon on Saturday, January 6th at 4 p.m. CT for their second match up of the Big Sky-Summit Challenge.
The Tommies face Portland State at Viking Pavilion in Portland, Oregon on Saturday, January 6th at 4 p.m. CT for their second match up of the Big Sky-Summit Challenge.
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