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Tommies thrill in 84-81 OT victory
11/4/2024 9:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ST. PAUL, MINN. - The University of St. Thomas women's basketball team could not have asked for a better, or more dramatic, start to the 2024-25 season. The Tommies took drama to new heights in Monday's season opener against Milwaukee, which featured historic scoring from Jade Hill (Minneapolis, Minn. / South), 10 lead changes and one overtime period. Down 67-60 with 1:49 remaining in regulation, St. Thomas used a furious fourth quarter rally to force overtime and eventually upend the Panthers 84-80. It's the first season-opening win for the Tommies in the DI era, and Hill set the DI era record for single-game scoring in the victory.
RECAP:
There was no stopping St. Thomas' offense, as the Tommies came out firing on all cylinders to open the 2024-25 season. While Milwaukee hung with St. Thomas early on, the Panthers simply could not keep pace, as back-to-back threes from Hill and Sammy Opichka (Green Bay, Wis. / Notre Dame) gave the Tommies a 21-14 lead with two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The duo would score the final 10 points of the first quarter for St. Thomas, which led 25-16 after the opening 10 minutes of play.
The second quarter, and the third for that matter, was owned by Milwaukee. The Panthers outscored the Tommies 17-13 in the second quarter, whittling St. Thomas' lead to 38-33 at the half. Then, despite early baskets from Jo Langbehn (Elk River, Minn. / Elk River) and Amber Scalia (Stillwater, Minn. / Stillwater), Milwaukee looked in control in the third, slowly but surely dismantling the Tommies lead and eventually taking a two point advantage at 49-47. Still, St. Thomas hung with the Panthers, eventually regaining a 50-49 lead in the closing minute on a free throw from Hill.
Milwaukee held all the momentum in the fourth quarter. While the Tommies offense went cold, the Panthers got hot and jumped to a 61-55 lead with 6:07 remaining in regulation. Thanks to the efforts of Hill and Co, St. Thomas continued to hang around, closing the gap to 63-60 with three minutes left in the game. However, the Panthers seemingly destroyed any hope of a comeback, scoring four unanswered points to lead 67-60 with 1:49 on the clock.
Then, Jade Hill happened. The senior singlehandedly went on a 7-0 scoring run, tying the game at 67-67 and sending it to overtime. However, it looked like her efforts might be for naught, as Milwaukee led for the first three minutes of overtime. The final two, though, belonged to the Tommies. Layups from Hill and rebounds from Opichka and Langbehn kept the Panthers in check, allowing Phoebe Frentzel (Pewaukee, Wis. / Arrowhead) to come up with the play of the game. The senior stripped the ball from Kacee Baumhower, and Opichka delivered a clutch tip in layup to make it 78-78 over four minutes into the overtime period.
In the closing 46 seconds, St. Thomas outscored Milwaukee 6-3, and it was none other than Hill herself who secured the victory for the Tommies. The senior scored her 34th and 35th points of the night from the charity stripe, setting the Division I era record for single-game points in the process. Frentzel also went 2-2 from the free throw line in the closing seconds of the game, and Opichka came up with the final rebound on the defensive end of the court, securing the 84-81 victory for St. Thomas.
TOP TOMMIES
- Jade Hill (Minneapolis, Minn. / South) was unstoppable in Monday's season opening victory. The senior set the DI era record for single game points, scoring 35 total on 12-21 shooting, including a 9-12 mark from the free throw line. She also dished out three assists and posted a career-high two blocks in the victory.
- Jo Langbehn (Elk River, Minn. / Elk River) closed the game with 17 points on 6-9 shooting and added four rebounds, four assists and one steal to her stat line.
- Sammy Opichka (Green Bay, Wis. / Notre Dame) tallied her first double-double of the season, closing the game with 12 points and 13 rebounds in 33 minutes of play.
UP NEXT
The Tommies will look to go 2-0 to open the 2024-25 season on Thursday, when they host Crown College. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Schoenecker Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota.
