University of St. Thomas Athletics
Wednesday, February 26
St. Paul, Minn.
7:00 p.m. CT
vs
Oral Roberts
Photo by: Wesley Dean
Tommies face top Summit League competition in regular season finale
2/25/2025 8:33:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ST. PAUL, MINN. – The final weekend of the regular season is here. After four months of practices and competition, the University of St. Thomas women's basketball 2024-25 regular season will end against the toughest competition in the Summit League. The Tommies will host Oral Roberts University in their final game at Schoenecker Arena before trekking to Brookings, South Dakota to face South Dakota State University in their regular season finale.
This certainly isn't the end for St. Thomas, which locked up a top-5 seed at the Summit League Tournament with its win over South Dakota last Saturday. It is, however, the last time fans can see the Tommies, and their first DI signing class, play in Schoenecker Arena. With the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena set to open in fall 2025, this will be St. Thomas' final game on its home court before it moves across campus last season. It's also the last time fans can watch Jade Hill (Minneapolis, Minn. / South), Gabby Johnson (Freedom, Wis. / Freedom), Jordyn Lamker (Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove), Phoebe Frentzel (Pewaukee, Wis. / Arrowhead), Sammy Opichka (Green Bay, Wis. / Notre Dame) and Jo Langbehn (Elk River, Minn. / Elk River) at home, as the Tommies will close the regular and postseason in South Dakota.
Of course, Oral Roberts isn't the only team St. Thomas will face this week. After hosting the No. 2 team in the Summit League, the Tommeis will travel to Brookings, South Dakota for a rematch with South Dakota State. St. Thomas had the No. 1 Jackrabbits on the ropes in the last meeting between these two teams, with the Tommies even holding a fourth quarter lead over the Summit League perennial power. However, South Dakota State outscored St. Thomas 25-14 in the final 10 minutes of play to secure the 83-76 victory.
Saturday's game in St. Paul will tipoff at 7:00 p.m., and tickets are still available for the final game in Schoenecker Arena. All fans in attendance will receive a commemorative ticket as St. Thomas celebrates 15 years in Schoenecker Arena. Tickets can be purchased at www.tommiesports.com/tickets.
Additionally, Saturday's game at SDSU will start at 1:00 p.m. Fans who cannot watch the games in person can watch live on The Summit League Network and follow along via live stats.
LAST TIME OUT: St. Thomas honored its first Division I signing class in the best way possible last weekend: with a win over South Dakota. The script itself was perfect. Down 10 at the half, the Tommie seniors rallied the troops to defeat the Coyotes 66-57 and win their 16th game of the season, the most single-season wins for St. Thomas in the DI era. Jade Hill led both teams in scoring, tallying 22 points, including 15 in the third and fourth quarters, while Jo Langbehn and Amber Scalia added 18 and 12 points respectively. Scalia additionally recorded her first double-double of the season, closing the game with 12 points and a career-high 13 rebounds.
THE END OF AN ERA: The Tommies time in Schoenecker Arena will officially come to an end on Wednesday. Opened in 2010, Schoenecker Arena has been the home of Tommie Basketball for 15 seasons, hosting a multitude of conference championship and NCAA Tournament games before St. Thomas made the leap to Division I in 2021. In 15 years in the venue, the Tommies and head coach Ruth Sinn have compiled an overall record of 167-38, winning 81% of games played in Schoenecker Arena. Additionally, Sinn has led St. Thomas to five* perfect records on its home court, including 17-0 marks in 2011-12, 2014-15, 2016-17, 2018-19 and 2020-21. This year, the Tommies have compiled their best DI era record at Schoenecker Arena, entering Wednesday's contest with a 10-4 record at home this season.
THE AVENGERS: Few can forget Jade Hill's heroics against the Golden Eagles in 2023-24, as the then junior's buzzer beater secured a 73-72 upset victory over Oral Roberts. The Golden Eagles turned the tides on St. Thomas on January 16. After Alyssa Sand tied the game at 68-68, Oral Roberts had the ball with 10 seconds remaining in regulation. The Tommies stingy defense did not give the Golden Eagles a good look inside, forcing Taleyah Jones to take a long three as time expired. It went in with a swish, and this time, it was Oral Roberts who walked away with a 71-68 win at the buzzer.
DEFENSE VS OFFENSE: Who will win? Wednesday's game is a classic match up of top-3 offense vs. top-3 defense. Oral Roberts currently leads the Summit League in scoring, averaging 84.5 points per game against its conference foes. On the flip side, St. Thomas ranks third in the conference in scoring defense, holding opponents to 70.1 points in 14 Summit League games. What will be the difference maker? Perhaps the Tommies offense. St. Thomas and South Dakota State are the only teams in the Summit League to rank top-3 in both offense AND defense, as the Tommies own the third best points per game average at 72.0. On the flip side, the Oral Roberts defense ranks eighth in the conference in points per game, surrendering an average of 74.9 to its conference foes.
SHUT 'ER DOWN: Remember how we mentioned Taleyah Jones on page one? Well, the Golden Eagle junior currently ranks second in the Summit League in points per game, averaging 20.9 entering Wednesday's contest. That will be interesting for the St. Thomas defense, which has faced the top scorers in the conference the last two weeks. Those three student-athletes (Grace Larkins, Alayna Contreras, Jordan Jones) averaged 24.5 points per game against the Tommies, with Larkins and Jordan Jones scored 30+ points against St. Thomas at least once this season. However, after scoring 15 points in the first half of Saturday's game, the Tommies defense limited Larkin to just six points in the second half. In the first meeting of the 2024-25 season, St. Thomas held Taleyah Jones to just 11 points, though her final three-point basket certainly stung more than the previous eight points scored.
QUEEN OF... EVERYTHING: Jade Hill may have staked her claim as the Queen of, well, Everything in Saturday's win. The senior became the first player in program history to record over 1500 points, 450 assists and 170 steals and ranks top-10 in program (yes, program, not just DI era) in all three categories. Thanks to her 22 point performance against South Dakota on Saturday, Hill now ranks fourth all-time in career points with 1519 and needs just 38 to surpass Missy Pederson (1557) for third all-time. Hill additionally owns the program record (again, program, not just DI era) in career assists, dishing out 466 helpers in per career, and with her six-assist performance on Saturday recorded her 24th consecutive multi-assist game.
THE SAMMY EFFECT: While Jade Hill, Jo Langbehn and Amber Scalia have made headlines often this season, the Tommies unsung hero may be none other than Sammy Opichka. Since returning to the starting line up on January 16, Opichka has helped St. Thomas to a 7-3 record and zero double-digit losses. That's right. With Opichka in the line up, the Tommies have yet to lose a game by more than 10 points, falling to the Summit League's top-3 teams by one or two possessions max. What makes Opichka so good? She is arguably one of the top defensive players in the Summit League, averaging over 1.0 blocks and steals per game. In fact, the senior is the only player in the Summit League to rank top-15 in the conference in both statistics, as Opichka enters the weekend ranked second in blocks (1.2) and 12th in steals (1.1) per game vs. Summit League opponents.
REBOUNDS ARE IMPORTANT : It seems obvious, right? The more rebounds you get, the better chance you have at winning? Well, St. Thomas continues to prove that theory, improving to 10-4 this season and 7-2 against Summit League opponents when outrebounding its DI opponents. Excluding the forfeit win over Kansas City, the Tommies are 3-7 this season when being outrebounded, which includes a 0-4 mark in Summit League play. In last Thursday's loss to the Roos, St. Thomas nabbed just 26 rebounds compared to Kansas City's 43, allowing the Roos to score 15 seconds chance points and 42 total points in the paint.
This certainly isn't the end for St. Thomas, which locked up a top-5 seed at the Summit League Tournament with its win over South Dakota last Saturday. It is, however, the last time fans can see the Tommies, and their first DI signing class, play in Schoenecker Arena. With the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena set to open in fall 2025, this will be St. Thomas' final game on its home court before it moves across campus last season. It's also the last time fans can watch Jade Hill (Minneapolis, Minn. / South), Gabby Johnson (Freedom, Wis. / Freedom), Jordyn Lamker (Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove), Phoebe Frentzel (Pewaukee, Wis. / Arrowhead), Sammy Opichka (Green Bay, Wis. / Notre Dame) and Jo Langbehn (Elk River, Minn. / Elk River) at home, as the Tommies will close the regular and postseason in South Dakota.
Of course, Oral Roberts isn't the only team St. Thomas will face this week. After hosting the No. 2 team in the Summit League, the Tommeis will travel to Brookings, South Dakota for a rematch with South Dakota State. St. Thomas had the No. 1 Jackrabbits on the ropes in the last meeting between these two teams, with the Tommies even holding a fourth quarter lead over the Summit League perennial power. However, South Dakota State outscored St. Thomas 25-14 in the final 10 minutes of play to secure the 83-76 victory.
Saturday's game in St. Paul will tipoff at 7:00 p.m., and tickets are still available for the final game in Schoenecker Arena. All fans in attendance will receive a commemorative ticket as St. Thomas celebrates 15 years in Schoenecker Arena. Tickets can be purchased at www.tommiesports.com/tickets.
Additionally, Saturday's game at SDSU will start at 1:00 p.m. Fans who cannot watch the games in person can watch live on The Summit League Network and follow along via live stats.
LAST TIME OUT: St. Thomas honored its first Division I signing class in the best way possible last weekend: with a win over South Dakota. The script itself was perfect. Down 10 at the half, the Tommie seniors rallied the troops to defeat the Coyotes 66-57 and win their 16th game of the season, the most single-season wins for St. Thomas in the DI era. Jade Hill led both teams in scoring, tallying 22 points, including 15 in the third and fourth quarters, while Jo Langbehn and Amber Scalia added 18 and 12 points respectively. Scalia additionally recorded her first double-double of the season, closing the game with 12 points and a career-high 13 rebounds.
THE END OF AN ERA: The Tommies time in Schoenecker Arena will officially come to an end on Wednesday. Opened in 2010, Schoenecker Arena has been the home of Tommie Basketball for 15 seasons, hosting a multitude of conference championship and NCAA Tournament games before St. Thomas made the leap to Division I in 2021. In 15 years in the venue, the Tommies and head coach Ruth Sinn have compiled an overall record of 167-38, winning 81% of games played in Schoenecker Arena. Additionally, Sinn has led St. Thomas to five* perfect records on its home court, including 17-0 marks in 2011-12, 2014-15, 2016-17, 2018-19 and 2020-21. This year, the Tommies have compiled their best DI era record at Schoenecker Arena, entering Wednesday's contest with a 10-4 record at home this season.
THE AVENGERS: Few can forget Jade Hill's heroics against the Golden Eagles in 2023-24, as the then junior's buzzer beater secured a 73-72 upset victory over Oral Roberts. The Golden Eagles turned the tides on St. Thomas on January 16. After Alyssa Sand tied the game at 68-68, Oral Roberts had the ball with 10 seconds remaining in regulation. The Tommies stingy defense did not give the Golden Eagles a good look inside, forcing Taleyah Jones to take a long three as time expired. It went in with a swish, and this time, it was Oral Roberts who walked away with a 71-68 win at the buzzer.
DEFENSE VS OFFENSE: Who will win? Wednesday's game is a classic match up of top-3 offense vs. top-3 defense. Oral Roberts currently leads the Summit League in scoring, averaging 84.5 points per game against its conference foes. On the flip side, St. Thomas ranks third in the conference in scoring defense, holding opponents to 70.1 points in 14 Summit League games. What will be the difference maker? Perhaps the Tommies offense. St. Thomas and South Dakota State are the only teams in the Summit League to rank top-3 in both offense AND defense, as the Tommies own the third best points per game average at 72.0. On the flip side, the Oral Roberts defense ranks eighth in the conference in points per game, surrendering an average of 74.9 to its conference foes.
SHUT 'ER DOWN: Remember how we mentioned Taleyah Jones on page one? Well, the Golden Eagle junior currently ranks second in the Summit League in points per game, averaging 20.9 entering Wednesday's contest. That will be interesting for the St. Thomas defense, which has faced the top scorers in the conference the last two weeks. Those three student-athletes (Grace Larkins, Alayna Contreras, Jordan Jones) averaged 24.5 points per game against the Tommies, with Larkins and Jordan Jones scored 30+ points against St. Thomas at least once this season. However, after scoring 15 points in the first half of Saturday's game, the Tommies defense limited Larkin to just six points in the second half. In the first meeting of the 2024-25 season, St. Thomas held Taleyah Jones to just 11 points, though her final three-point basket certainly stung more than the previous eight points scored.
QUEEN OF... EVERYTHING: Jade Hill may have staked her claim as the Queen of, well, Everything in Saturday's win. The senior became the first player in program history to record over 1500 points, 450 assists and 170 steals and ranks top-10 in program (yes, program, not just DI era) in all three categories. Thanks to her 22 point performance against South Dakota on Saturday, Hill now ranks fourth all-time in career points with 1519 and needs just 38 to surpass Missy Pederson (1557) for third all-time. Hill additionally owns the program record (again, program, not just DI era) in career assists, dishing out 466 helpers in per career, and with her six-assist performance on Saturday recorded her 24th consecutive multi-assist game.
THE SAMMY EFFECT: While Jade Hill, Jo Langbehn and Amber Scalia have made headlines often this season, the Tommies unsung hero may be none other than Sammy Opichka. Since returning to the starting line up on January 16, Opichka has helped St. Thomas to a 7-3 record and zero double-digit losses. That's right. With Opichka in the line up, the Tommies have yet to lose a game by more than 10 points, falling to the Summit League's top-3 teams by one or two possessions max. What makes Opichka so good? She is arguably one of the top defensive players in the Summit League, averaging over 1.0 blocks and steals per game. In fact, the senior is the only player in the Summit League to rank top-15 in the conference in both statistics, as Opichka enters the weekend ranked second in blocks (1.2) and 12th in steals (1.1) per game vs. Summit League opponents.
REBOUNDS ARE IMPORTANT : It seems obvious, right? The more rebounds you get, the better chance you have at winning? Well, St. Thomas continues to prove that theory, improving to 10-4 this season and 7-2 against Summit League opponents when outrebounding its DI opponents. Excluding the forfeit win over Kansas City, the Tommies are 3-7 this season when being outrebounded, which includes a 0-4 mark in Summit League play. In last Thursday's loss to the Roos, St. Thomas nabbed just 26 rebounds compared to Kansas City's 43, allowing the Roos to score 15 seconds chance points and 42 total points in the paint.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's BasketballJade Hill School of Education Feature
Thursday, February 27
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Thursday, February 27
Press Conference: Tommie Women's Basketball Summit League Tournament Preview
Monday, March 04
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Friday, February 23
