ADRIAN, Mich. -- The Siena Heights women's basketball team cruised to a 27-point win over St. Thomas (Fla.) on Sunday afternoon. The Saints finish their annual Thanksgiving Tournament with a 2-0 mark following the win. Demi Russell (Toledo, Ohio) led the Saints with a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double in the win and was named the tournament MVP for her performance.
THE BASICS
Final Score: Siena Heights 79, St. Thomas 52
Location: Adrian, Michigan (SHU Fieldhouse)
Records: Siena Heights 8-1, St. Thomas (Fla.) 4-4
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Saints hopped out to an early 8-1 lead in the opening 4:13 of the game. The Bobcats rallied back, sparking an 8-0 run that gave them the lead, 11-10 with 2:21 remaining in the first. All-Tournament selection Peyton Banks (Wadsworth, Ohio) hit a layup to recapture the lead, 12-11, at the 1:50 mark. A three-point jumper by Samaria August gave STU a 14-12 lead but Allye Minor (Bryan, Ohio) responded with a three-point shot of her own to give the Saints a 15-14 lead in the final minute of the opening quarter.
Siena dominated the second quarter by outscoring the Bobcats 19-4. Kelsey Wyman (Blissfield, Mich.) hit back-to-back layups in the opening three minutes of the quarter that sparked a 15-0 run by the Saints that gave Siena a 34-18 lead as the teams entered the locker room at the half.
SHU had runs of 8-2 and 9-0 in the third quarter to extend the lead to 53-27 with 5:09 left in the third stanza. The score sat at 59-35 as the final quarter of regulation started.
The Saints spent the fourth maintaining the lead and built a 32-point cushion, 71-39, with just north of five minutes remaining on the way to the win.
TOP SAINTS
• Russell shot 9-12 from the floor and 2-2 from the free-throw line to lead Siena in the win. She also contributed two assists, a steal, and a block.
• Banks struggled with her shot going 2-9 from the floor and missing both of her three-point attempts, but she helped in the rebounding category with 11. She also tied for the team-high in assists with four.
• Kiana Votava (Port Huron, Mich.) tallied 13 points, three rebounds, and four assists.
• Addyson Tomczak (Bay City, Mich.) hit three threes on her way to nine points in the game. She also contributed with a team-high two steals and two rebounds.
THE OPPOSITION
• Samaria August led the Bobcats with 14 points.
• Kylie Vogel pulled down eight boards.
• Gianni Domond had three blocks, four rebounds, and five points.
UP NEXT
The Saints remain at home to host Aquinas on Wednesday, December 4. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m., EST.
