University of St. Thomas Athletics
6-4,0-0Summit League
Idaho
6-2,0-0Big Sky
Tommies drop second Big Sky-Summit Challenge game in Idaho
12/7/2024 3:57:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MOSCOW, IDAHO – December has not necessarily been kind to the University of St. Thomas women's basketball team. The Tommies opened the month with a win over UIC before suffering a loss to Northern Colorado on Wednesday. St. Thomas looked to right the ship at the University of Idaho Saturday but was unable to leave the state with a victory. Though the Tommies battled, they were unable to defeat the Vandals on their home court, falling by a final score of 76-54. With the loss, St. Thomas is now 6-4 on the season.
RECAP:
Idaho controlled the majority of the first quarter, limited St. Thomas to just 14 first quarter points, six of which were scored by senior forward Jo Langbehn (Elk River, Minn. / Elk River). Other than Langbehn, only two other Tommies scored baskets in the first quarter: fellow seniors Jade Hill (Minneapolis, Minn. / South) and Sammy Opichka (Green Bay, Wis. / Notre Dame Academy). However, Hill and Opichka scored just one basket each, as the Vandals held St. Thomas top scorers, excluding Langbehn, to a combined five points in the opening 10 minutes of play.
St. Thomas worked to whittle the lead in the second, but the team's struggles continued against the Vandals. After scoring 14 points in the first, the Tommies scored just four in the second, allowing Idaho to hold a 43-18 lead at the half. St. Thomas picked things up in the third quarter, outscoring Idaho 17-15, but still trailed 58-35 entering the final ten minutes of play.
The Tommies took control in the fourth, as Jordyn Lamker (Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove) carried the team through the final 10 minutes of play. The senior scored 12 of her 14 points in the fourth quarter alone, helping St. Thomas cut the deficit to 66-51 with 2:31 remaining in regulation. The deficit was too much to overcome. Despite the Tommies flurry, they were unable to catch the Vandals, falling by a final score of 76-54.
TOP TOMMIES
- Jordyn Lamker (Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove) led the team in scoring for the first time this season, scoring 14 points on 6-8 shooting, including a 2-3 clip from three-point range. Lamker also tallied five rebounds, two blocks and two assists in the victory.
- Sammy Opichka (Green Bay, Wis. / Notre Dame Academy) closed the game with 11 points and a team-leading eight rebounds.
UP NEXT
St. Thomas will return to Schoenecker Arena for its next game, a showdown with former Summit League opponent Western Illinois. Tip off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in St. Paul, Minnesota. The team will celebrate Fa-la-la-la Days during the game, which includes a free Christmas themed t-shirt giveaway to the first 250 fans.
