University of St. Thomas Athletics
Thursday, January 16
Tulsa, Okla.
7:00 p.m. CT
at
Oral Roberts
Photo by: Kylie Macziewski
Tommies look for first conference wins at ORU, Omaha
1/15/2025 9:39:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ST. PAUL, MINN. – The University of St. Thomas women's basketball team is officially through the first two weeks of Summit League play. After a challenging start to the 2024-25 conference slate, the Tommies are looking for their first Summit League "W"s of the season. This weekend, St. Thomas will look for those wins on the road, as they travel to Oklahoma and Nebraska to take on Oral Roberts Unviersity and the University of Nebraska Omaha in this week's conference slate.
The Tommies are looking for more than just their first conference win of the season on Thursday. Head coach Ruth Sinn still sits at 398 career victories with St. Thomas, two away from No. 400. In 20 seasons at the helm, Sinn has compiled an overall record of 398-150 with the Tommies and would become the first female coach in the department's history to reach the 400 career wins milestone. Former softball coach John Tschida was the first coach of a St. Thomas women's team to eclipse the 400 wins marker, while current volleyball coach Thanh Pham joined the club in 2023.
Additionally, Jade Hill inches closer and closer to the program's career assists record. Thanks to yet another multi-assist performance, Hill now owns 404 assists as a Tommie, the most of any player in the DI era. She is just three away from tying Teri Witcraft's all-time career record of 406.
Tipoff for Thursday's game in Tulsa, Oklahoma is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and Saturday's game is slated for 2:00 p.m. in Omaha, Nebraska. Fans who are unable to attend in person can watch both games on The Summit League Network through Midco Sports Plus and the Midco Sports Plus App. Live stats will be available through the host team's website. Fans can additionally follow the Tommies on social media (@tommiewbball) for live updates.
LAST TIME OUT: St. Thomas is hoping to snap its three game losing streak in conference play, as the Tommies are still winless against Summit League opponents after a 77-60 loss at South Dakota last Thursday. After being held to 60 points or fewer in just three games in nonconference play, St. Thomas' offense has sputtered in its first three conference games, as the Tommies were held to 59 and 60 points in their last two Summit League contests. Just three student-athletes scored 10+ points in St. Thomas' loss to the Coyotes on Thursday, and only two were a starter. Amber Scalia scored 22 points for the Tommies, but Jade Hill and Jo Langbehn were uncharacteristically quiet, scoring just six combined points in the game. Alyssa Sand scored a career-high 15 in her first collegiate start, while Phoebe Frentzel added 10.
THE OPPOSITION: If any team can challenge South Dakota State for the Summit League title, it might just be Oral Roberts. The Golden Eagles own the most productive offense in the Summit League to date, thanks to the play of their star players: Taleyah Jones, Jalei Ogelsby and Ruthie Udoumoh. The trio, along with Makyra Tramble, are all scoring double-digits for Oral Roberts, helping the team average well over 80 points per game this season. However, the Golden Eagles red hot offense sputtered against NDSU this past Saturday, as the Bison dealt Oral Roberts a 79-69 loss in Fargo, North Dakota.
Omaha is also off to a slow start in Summit League play. The Mavericks are 10-9 overall and 1-2 against conference opponents entering their weekend series against North Dakota State and St. Thomas. Omaha, though, is certainly battle tested, having faced four Power 4 opponents during its nonconference schedule. The Mavericks squared off against Nebraska, Kansas, Wisconsin and #10/11 Oklahoma before facing North Dakota in their first Summit League contest of 2024-25. Omaha won that game 71-66 but has subsequently dropped its last two games at South Dakota State (93-55) and South Dakota (71-66).
AN APPLE A DAY: Brings Jade Hill closer to breaking one of the longest standing program records. The senior recorded her fourth consecutive 4+ assist game on Thursday, bringing her career total to 404. Not only is she just the second Tommie all-time to tally 400+ assists in her career with the Purple, but she is also now three away from breaking Teri Witcraft's all-time record. Set in 1997, Witcraft has owned the career assists mark for 28 years, recording 406 career assists in four seasons with St. Thomas. She and Hill are the only Tommies credited with over 400 career assists and are two of five St. Thomas student-athletes to record 300+ in their respective careers. Also top-10 in career assists? Head coach Ruth Sinn, who ranks eighth all-time with 272.
SANDS OF TIME: Just how good was Alyssa Sand in Thursday's loss? The first year set career highs in points (15) and rebounds (9) in the loss and joined rarified air in the process. Sand is just the fourth true freshman to start for Sinn in the DI era and is the only one to score double-digit points in her first collegiate start. The only other Tommies to even start as true freshmen: Jade Hill (5 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists), Faith Feuerbach (3/1/0), Sammy Opichka (2/2/3) and Jo Langbehn (9/4/0). Not even Amber Scalia started as a true freshman for Sinn, making her first collegiate start as a sophomore last season.
WHERE ARE YOU OFFENSE?: Why can't the Tommies find you? St. Thomas' offense was red hot entering the conference season, scoring 80+ points in back-to-back games for the first time this season. However, since opening conference play on January 2, the Tommies offense has struggled, averaging just 62.7 points in three games against Kansas City, NDSU and South Dakota. Entering the weekend series, the Tommies rank eighth in the conference in overall offense and seventh in team defense, having surrendered an overage of 75.3 points in three Summit League contests.
BASKETS FOR ALL!: Two teams rank below St. Thomas in team defense after the first two weekends of Summit League play. Those two teams just so happen to be Oral Roberts and Omaha, the Tommies upcoming opponents. Entering Thursday's contest in Tulsa, the Golden Eagles rank last in the conference in team defense, surrendering an average of 80.3 points to conference opponents this season. The Mavericks rank eighth, allowing opponents to score roughly 76.7 points in conference games this season. A plus for Oral Roberts: the Golden Eagles average 81.3 points per game in Summit League play, while Omaha is scoring just 64.0 points through three conference games.
MONKEY OFF THEIR BACKS?: St. Thomas' second quarter scoring woes are over. Maybe? Question mark? The Tommies outscored Eastern Michigan 26-18 in the second frame in their final nonconference game of the season before being held to just five points in the loss to Kansas City. St. Thomas then rebounded with a 21-point second quarter performance against NDSU but surrendered 26 points to the Bison in the process. However, the Tommies did score 20+ points in the quarter, marking the third time this season they've eclipsed the 20-point mark in the second frame against a DI opponent. Unfortunately, St. Thomas couldn't put together a repeat performance in Vermillion, scoring just 13 points compared to South Dakota's 21. Entering Thursday's game, St. Thomas has outscored a Division I opponent just twice in the second quarter and never in back-to-back games.
WE'RE SOARING! FLYING!: The Tommies split their season series with the Golden Eagles last season, winning at home in Schoenecker Arena and falling on the road in the season finale. However, both games came down to the wire, including a buzzer beater in Schoenecker Arena. Thanks to a clutch three-pointer from Jade Hill, St. Thomas upended Oral Roberts 73-72 in the series opener, improving to 3-1 in Summit League play for the first time in the DI era. The Golden Eagles then turned the tides one month later, earning a hard fought 80-73 game in the Mabee Center.
GRAB THE BULL BY THE HORNS: Twenty-eight days made a big difference for the Tommies in their two meetings with Omaha last season. In one of its best offensive games of the season, St. Thomas opened February with an 88-83 victory over the Mavericks, scoring 34 points in the third quarter to secure victory. However, the Tommies fortunes were not nearly as grand when they traveled to Omaha. Amid a five-game losing skid, St. Thomas fell to the Mavericks at Baxter Arena 79-62 despite double-digit scoring efforts from Jo Langbehn, Amber Scalia and Jade Hill.
HEATING UP!: Don't look now, but Amber Scalia just recorded her third 20+ point performance in four games. The junior led the Tommies scoring efforts in Vermillion, South Dakota last week, tallying a team-leading 22 points on 7-18 shooting to bring her season scoring average up to 14.3 points. Since opening Summit League play on January 2, Scalia has scored 20+ points against Kansas City and the Coyotes and is averaging 18.7 points per game against conference opponents. She currently ranks fifth in the Summit League in points per game entering Thursday's contest.
COUNTDOWN TO 400: Ruth Sinn won her 398th game as St. Thomas' head women's basketball coach against Eastern Michigan, bringing her one step closer to 400 career wins. Already the winningest coach in program history, Sinn surpassed Ted Riverso's previous record of 337 career wins in 2019-20 and looks to become the first coach in Tommie women's basketball history to win 400 games with the program. Additionally, Sinn would join former St. Thomas men's basketball coach and athletic director Steve Fritz, current volleyball coach Thanh Pham, former baseball coach Dennis Denning and former softball coach John Tschida as the only head coaches in St. Thomas history with over 400 wins with their respective programs.
The Tommies are looking for more than just their first conference win of the season on Thursday. Head coach Ruth Sinn still sits at 398 career victories with St. Thomas, two away from No. 400. In 20 seasons at the helm, Sinn has compiled an overall record of 398-150 with the Tommies and would become the first female coach in the department's history to reach the 400 career wins milestone. Former softball coach John Tschida was the first coach of a St. Thomas women's team to eclipse the 400 wins marker, while current volleyball coach Thanh Pham joined the club in 2023.
Additionally, Jade Hill inches closer and closer to the program's career assists record. Thanks to yet another multi-assist performance, Hill now owns 404 assists as a Tommie, the most of any player in the DI era. She is just three away from tying Teri Witcraft's all-time career record of 406.
Tipoff for Thursday's game in Tulsa, Oklahoma is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and Saturday's game is slated for 2:00 p.m. in Omaha, Nebraska. Fans who are unable to attend in person can watch both games on The Summit League Network through Midco Sports Plus and the Midco Sports Plus App. Live stats will be available through the host team's website. Fans can additionally follow the Tommies on social media (@tommiewbball) for live updates.
LAST TIME OUT: St. Thomas is hoping to snap its three game losing streak in conference play, as the Tommies are still winless against Summit League opponents after a 77-60 loss at South Dakota last Thursday. After being held to 60 points or fewer in just three games in nonconference play, St. Thomas' offense has sputtered in its first three conference games, as the Tommies were held to 59 and 60 points in their last two Summit League contests. Just three student-athletes scored 10+ points in St. Thomas' loss to the Coyotes on Thursday, and only two were a starter. Amber Scalia scored 22 points for the Tommies, but Jade Hill and Jo Langbehn were uncharacteristically quiet, scoring just six combined points in the game. Alyssa Sand scored a career-high 15 in her first collegiate start, while Phoebe Frentzel added 10.
THE OPPOSITION: If any team can challenge South Dakota State for the Summit League title, it might just be Oral Roberts. The Golden Eagles own the most productive offense in the Summit League to date, thanks to the play of their star players: Taleyah Jones, Jalei Ogelsby and Ruthie Udoumoh. The trio, along with Makyra Tramble, are all scoring double-digits for Oral Roberts, helping the team average well over 80 points per game this season. However, the Golden Eagles red hot offense sputtered against NDSU this past Saturday, as the Bison dealt Oral Roberts a 79-69 loss in Fargo, North Dakota.
Omaha is also off to a slow start in Summit League play. The Mavericks are 10-9 overall and 1-2 against conference opponents entering their weekend series against North Dakota State and St. Thomas. Omaha, though, is certainly battle tested, having faced four Power 4 opponents during its nonconference schedule. The Mavericks squared off against Nebraska, Kansas, Wisconsin and #10/11 Oklahoma before facing North Dakota in their first Summit League contest of 2024-25. Omaha won that game 71-66 but has subsequently dropped its last two games at South Dakota State (93-55) and South Dakota (71-66).
AN APPLE A DAY: Brings Jade Hill closer to breaking one of the longest standing program records. The senior recorded her fourth consecutive 4+ assist game on Thursday, bringing her career total to 404. Not only is she just the second Tommie all-time to tally 400+ assists in her career with the Purple, but she is also now three away from breaking Teri Witcraft's all-time record. Set in 1997, Witcraft has owned the career assists mark for 28 years, recording 406 career assists in four seasons with St. Thomas. She and Hill are the only Tommies credited with over 400 career assists and are two of five St. Thomas student-athletes to record 300+ in their respective careers. Also top-10 in career assists? Head coach Ruth Sinn, who ranks eighth all-time with 272.
SANDS OF TIME: Just how good was Alyssa Sand in Thursday's loss? The first year set career highs in points (15) and rebounds (9) in the loss and joined rarified air in the process. Sand is just the fourth true freshman to start for Sinn in the DI era and is the only one to score double-digit points in her first collegiate start. The only other Tommies to even start as true freshmen: Jade Hill (5 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists), Faith Feuerbach (3/1/0), Sammy Opichka (2/2/3) and Jo Langbehn (9/4/0). Not even Amber Scalia started as a true freshman for Sinn, making her first collegiate start as a sophomore last season.
WHERE ARE YOU OFFENSE?: Why can't the Tommies find you? St. Thomas' offense was red hot entering the conference season, scoring 80+ points in back-to-back games for the first time this season. However, since opening conference play on January 2, the Tommies offense has struggled, averaging just 62.7 points in three games against Kansas City, NDSU and South Dakota. Entering the weekend series, the Tommies rank eighth in the conference in overall offense and seventh in team defense, having surrendered an overage of 75.3 points in three Summit League contests.
BASKETS FOR ALL!: Two teams rank below St. Thomas in team defense after the first two weekends of Summit League play. Those two teams just so happen to be Oral Roberts and Omaha, the Tommies upcoming opponents. Entering Thursday's contest in Tulsa, the Golden Eagles rank last in the conference in team defense, surrendering an average of 80.3 points to conference opponents this season. The Mavericks rank eighth, allowing opponents to score roughly 76.7 points in conference games this season. A plus for Oral Roberts: the Golden Eagles average 81.3 points per game in Summit League play, while Omaha is scoring just 64.0 points through three conference games.
MONKEY OFF THEIR BACKS?: St. Thomas' second quarter scoring woes are over. Maybe? Question mark? The Tommies outscored Eastern Michigan 26-18 in the second frame in their final nonconference game of the season before being held to just five points in the loss to Kansas City. St. Thomas then rebounded with a 21-point second quarter performance against NDSU but surrendered 26 points to the Bison in the process. However, the Tommies did score 20+ points in the quarter, marking the third time this season they've eclipsed the 20-point mark in the second frame against a DI opponent. Unfortunately, St. Thomas couldn't put together a repeat performance in Vermillion, scoring just 13 points compared to South Dakota's 21. Entering Thursday's game, St. Thomas has outscored a Division I opponent just twice in the second quarter and never in back-to-back games.
WE'RE SOARING! FLYING!: The Tommies split their season series with the Golden Eagles last season, winning at home in Schoenecker Arena and falling on the road in the season finale. However, both games came down to the wire, including a buzzer beater in Schoenecker Arena. Thanks to a clutch three-pointer from Jade Hill, St. Thomas upended Oral Roberts 73-72 in the series opener, improving to 3-1 in Summit League play for the first time in the DI era. The Golden Eagles then turned the tides one month later, earning a hard fought 80-73 game in the Mabee Center.
GRAB THE BULL BY THE HORNS: Twenty-eight days made a big difference for the Tommies in their two meetings with Omaha last season. In one of its best offensive games of the season, St. Thomas opened February with an 88-83 victory over the Mavericks, scoring 34 points in the third quarter to secure victory. However, the Tommies fortunes were not nearly as grand when they traveled to Omaha. Amid a five-game losing skid, St. Thomas fell to the Mavericks at Baxter Arena 79-62 despite double-digit scoring efforts from Jo Langbehn, Amber Scalia and Jade Hill.
HEATING UP!: Don't look now, but Amber Scalia just recorded her third 20+ point performance in four games. The junior led the Tommies scoring efforts in Vermillion, South Dakota last week, tallying a team-leading 22 points on 7-18 shooting to bring her season scoring average up to 14.3 points. Since opening Summit League play on January 2, Scalia has scored 20+ points against Kansas City and the Coyotes and is averaging 18.7 points per game against conference opponents. She currently ranks fifth in the Summit League in points per game entering Thursday's contest.
COUNTDOWN TO 400: Ruth Sinn won her 398th game as St. Thomas' head women's basketball coach against Eastern Michigan, bringing her one step closer to 400 career wins. Already the winningest coach in program history, Sinn surpassed Ted Riverso's previous record of 337 career wins in 2019-20 and looks to become the first coach in Tommie women's basketball history to win 400 games with the program. Additionally, Sinn would join former St. Thomas men's basketball coach and athletic director Steve Fritz, current volleyball coach Thanh Pham, former baseball coach Dennis Denning and former softball coach John Tschida as the only head coaches in St. Thomas history with over 400 wins with their respective programs.
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