Tommies battle as season ends in Summit League semi

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – It is the end of an era for the University of St. Thomas basketball team. The Tommies battled in every sense of the word Saturday afternoon, looking to upend the top-seeded North Dakota State Bison in the Summit League Tournament Semifinals. St. Thomas gave NDSU all it had, staying within striking distance through most of the game, but ultimately fell by a final score of 63-51.

With the loss, the Tommies season comes to an end, as they close 2025-26 with an overall record of 16-16 and an 8-8 mark in Summit League play. Head coach Ruth Sinn additionally closes her career with a trip to the Summit League Tournament Semifinal, the first in program history, and a career record of 423-172.

QUICK HITS:

Jada Hood (St. Paul, Minn. / Roseville Area) led the team in scoring with 17 points in her final game with St. Thomas and tallied five rebounds and two assists.
Alyssa Sand (Albany, Minn. / Albany) scored 15 points on 6-13 shooting with a team-leading seven rebounds.
Faith Feuerbach (Sycamore, Ill. / Sycamore) closed her Tommie career with nine points, three rebounds and three blocks.

SCORING SUMMARY:
First Quarter: It was a defensive standoff between St. Thomas and NDSU in the first quarter, as the two teams struggled to find any offensive rhythm. Sand provided the bulk of the Tommie offense, scoring nine points in the first quarter alone. Two threes from Jada Hood (St. Paul, Minn. / Roseville Area) bolstered the St. Thomas lead, as the Tommies held a 15-12 advantage over the Bison after the first quarter.

Second Quarter: Offensively, NDSU came out firing to start the second, outscoring St. Thomas 6-0 to gain an 18-15 lead. However, strong defensive play from the Tommies kept them within striking distance, as another three from Hood pulled them back within one at 21-20. The Bison, though, won the quarter offensive, allowing them to take a 24-22 into the locker room at halftime.

Third Quarter: Again, St. Thomas struggled to find offensive rhythm coming out of the locker room at halftime. NDSU, meanwhile, streaked out to a 30-22 leading, again opening a quarter with a 6-0 run. The efforts of Sand, Feuerbach and Hood kept the Tommies hopes alive, as they pulled St. Thomas back within four. Despite late turnovers, the Tommies were still able to take advantage of Bison miscues on defense and only trailed 42-37 entering the fourth quarter.

Fourth Quarter: Another slow start to the fourth quarter spelled doom for St. Thomas, as NDSU wasted no time extending its lead to 50-37. While the Tommies battled, they never offensively recovered. A late steal from Sand and layup from Laura Hauge (West St. Paul, Minn. / St. Croix Lutheran) put life back in St. Thomas' sails, but it wasn't enough, as the Tommies fell by a final score of 63-51.

SINN-SATIONAL:
St. Thomas bid farewell to head coach Ruth Sinn, who announced her retirement on February 10, 2026. Sinn closes her career with the Tommies with an overall record of 423-172. Her 423 wins are the wins in program history, as she led St. Thomas through its Division I transition and became the first female coach in the history of the department to win 400 games.

Tommies battle as season ends in Summit League semi

Team Stats

Jada Hood

Alyssa Sand

Faith Feuerbach

Mikayla Werner

Players Mentioned

Faith Feuerbach

Laura Hauge

Jada Hood

Alyssa Sand

University of St. Thomas Athletics