University of St. Thomas Athletics
8-7,0-2Summit League
North Dakota State
9-5,1-0Summit League
Bison outpace Tommies in Summit League loss
1/4/2025 3:44:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ST. PAUL, MINN. – It was the tale of two halves for the University of St. Thomas women's basketball Saturday afternoon. The Tommies hosted Summit League power North Dakota State University in Schoenecker Arena, still looking for their first conference win of 2024-25. While St. Thomas kept place with NDSU through the first half, the Bison proved to have too much firepower down the stretch, as they dealt the Tommies a 73-59 loss. Entering the second weekend of conference play, St. Thomas' record now stands at 8-7 and 0-2 in Summit League play.
RECAP:
The first quarter was not the prettiest quarter St. Thomas has played this season, but the Tommies did race out to an early 6-0 lead over NDSU. Jordyn Lamker (Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove) and Amber Scalia (Stillwater, Minn. / Stillwater) opened the game with back-to-back threes, giving St. Thomas the early lead over the Bison. The Tommies defense also put together some stellar moments. Blocks by Faith Feuerbach (Sycamore, Ill. / Sycamore) and steals by several St. Thomas players held North Dakota State to a sub .300 shooting percentage in the first quarter, allowing the Tommies to hold an 13-11 lead after the opening 10 minutes of play.
Things were very different, for both teams, in the second. It was off to the races, with both St. Thomas and NDSU scoring over 20 points in the quarter while shooting well over .500 from the floor. While the Bison's attack was well balanced, with several different student-athletes scoring during the barrage, the Tommies offense was led by Jo Langbehn (Elk River, Minn. / Elk River), who was the top overall scorer in the first half. The senior scored 14 total in the first and second quarter, helping St. Thomas hang with NDSU, though the Bison did lead 37-34 at the half.
The third quarter was not kind to the Tommies, as NDSU continued to own the hot hand and momentum. The Bison opened the third with a 10-2 run, jumping out to a 48-38 lead by the five minute mark. However, St. Thomas hung around, slowly but surely chipping away at NDSU. The seniors primarily led the charge, as Langbehn and Jade Hill (Minneapolis, Minn. / South) accounted for seven of St. Thomas' 11 third quarter points, eventually pulling the Tommies within six at 51-45 entering the fourth.
St. Thomas hung around in the fourth, as the Bison struggled at the free throw line to keep the Tommies hopes of a comeback in play. However, St. Thomas was unable to take advantage of defensive stops and struggled on the glass. NDSU's success with offensive rebounds took the wind out of the Tommies sails, as the Bison extended their lead to 58-45 three minutes into the fourth. Baskets from Hill and a three from Scalia kept St. Thomas within striking distance, but NDSU proved to be too much, as the Tommies fell by a final score of 73-59.
TOP TOMMIES
- Jo Langbehn (Elk River, Minn. / Elk River) led the team and the game in scoring, tallying 20 points on 8-10 shooting in the loss. The senior also led the team with four rebounds and recorded five assists and two steals.
- Jade Hill (Minneapolis, Minn. / South) and Amber Scalia (Stillwater, Minn. / Stillwater) both scored in double-digits for St. Thomas. Hill scored 14 points and added seven assists, while Scalia scored 11 with one assist and two steals.
UP NEXT
St. Thomas will look for its first Summit League win of 2024-25 on the road, as the Tommies head to Vermillion, South Dakota to take on the University of South Dakota. Tip off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 9.
