University of St. Thomas Athletics
9-9,1-4Summit League
Omaha
9-9,1-4Summit League
Tommies down Omaha for first Summit League victory
1/18/2025 6:46:00 PM | Women's Basketball
OMAHA, Neb. – The University of St. Thomas women's basketball has officially earned its first Summit League victory. The Tommies led from start to finish in their first conference win of the 2024-25 season, walking into Baxter Arena and defeating the University of Nebraska Omaha 67-53 Saturday afternoon. With the win, St. Thomas improves to 9-9 overall and 1-4 in Summit League play. Head coach Ruth Sinn also moves one away from career win 400, now owning an all-time record of 399-151 with the Tommies.
RECAP:
It was off to the races for the Tommies and the Mavericks, as the two teams combined to score 35 points in the first 10 minutes of play. A well-balanced attack by St. Thomas gave the visitors an early lead, as five different Tommies scored in the opening quarter, setting the tone for the remainder of the game. Jade Hill (Minneapolis, Minn. / South) and Amber Scalia (Stillwater, Minn. / Stillwater) accounted for 13 of the team's 20 first quarter points, helping St. Thomas hold a 20-15 advantage over Omaha have the first quarter of play.
Unfortunately, the Tommies second quarter scoring troubles reemerged Saturday afternoon. St. Thomas scored eight quick points, jumping ahead 28-18 and seemingly taking control of things in Omaha. However, the Tommies would only score one more basket in the quarter, watching as the Mavericks slowly but surely chipped away at their double-digit lead. Even a late basket by Alyssa Sand (Albany, Minn. / Albany) couldn't stop the Omaha scoring barrage, as the Mavericks managed to cut the St. Thomas lead to 30-26 by halftime.
St. Thomas, though, never faltered, outscoring the Mavericks 14-13 in the third quarter to maintain its lead going into the fourth and final quarter of play. Early and timely baskets from Sand to open the third quarter helped the Tommies maintain the lead and kicked off an 8-3 scoring run that eventually helped St. Thomas extend its lead to 40-29. Still, Omaha would simply not go away, as the Mavericks managed to pull within five by the end of the third quarter. Eighteen seconds into the fourth, Omaha made things very interesting, as a layup by Ja Harvey pulled the Mavericks within a possession of the Tommies, cutting the lead to 44-41.
That was, in fact, the closest Omaha would come to catching St. Thomas. Though the two teams would trade baskets early in the quarter, the Mavericks simply could not match the Tommies fire power. A fourth quarter scoring barrage from Jo Langbehn (Elk River, Minn. / Elk River) in particular helped put the game away from St. Thomas, as the senior jump started a late scoring push for the Tommies. The St. Thomas defense was also stifling through the final 4:49 of play. After surrendering a basket to Harvey, allowing the Mavericks to pull within five at 58-53, the Tommies defense did not allow Omaha to score another point, dominating en route to their 67-53 victory.
TOP TOMMIES
- Jo Langbehn (Elk River, Minn. / Elk River) led St. Thomas in scoring, tallying 18 points on 7-12 shooting with five rebounds and one steal.
- Jade Hill (Minneapolis, Minn. / South) and Alyssa Sand (Albany, Minn. / Albany) scored 13 and 12 points respectively, while Amber Scalia (Stillwater, Minn. / Stillwater) added 10 in the win.
- Jordyn Lamker (Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove) came off the bench and led the team with eight rebounds.
NOTEABLES
Thanks to Saturday's victory, head coach Ruth Sinn pulled within one of her 400th career win. The 20 year veteran coach now owns a career record of 399-151 and could earn No. 400 at home next week. Sinn will be the fifth coach in athletic department history to earn 400 career wins with the Tommies, joining Steve Fritz, Dennis Denning, John Tschida and Thanh Pham. She will also be the first female head coach to earn 400 career wins in department history.
UP NEXT
St. Thomas is back home for its next Summit League contest, as the Tommies are scheduled to host (RV) South Dakota State on Wednesday, January 22. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in St. Paul, Minnesota.
