Men’s hoops clinches share of MIAC title, defeats Augsburg

Despite trailing 26-25 at halftime, center Tommy Hannon’s game-high 18 points and eight rebounds helped push the No. 2 St. Thomas men’s basketball team past Augsburg 66-56 Saturday in Minneapolis.

The win gave the Tommies a share in the MIAC title for a record eighth-straight season. St. Thomas (20-1 overall, 15-1 MIAC) trailed most of the first half. Two free throws put Augsburg (15-5 overall, 10-5 MIAC) up at the break by one.

St. Thomas used a 13-3 run to open the second half and built a lead as large as 12. The Auggies came within five points with four minutes to play, but the Tommies’ clutch free-throw shooting sealed the 10-point victory. St. Thomas, which is expected to jump to No. 1 in the national polls after current-No.1 Rochester’s (N.Y.) loss Jan. 30, will host Bethel at 7:30 p.m. Monday.  

Hannon remains second on the team in scoring with his 10.8 points per game average, and is proud of the way the regular season has gone.

“It has been an honor to carry on the winning tradition of so many alumni before us,” Hannon said. “Now we are battling for home court in the (MIAC) playoffs and the NCAA tournament. We need to keep playing at a high level.”

Strong first half pushes women’s hoops past Augsburg

All five starters, including forward Taylor Young with her team-high 16 points, scored double digits in the women’s basketball team’s 80-60 victory over Augsburg Saturday.

The Tommies (15-5 overall, 13-4 MIAC) scored on their first eight possessions of the game and took a 40-17 lead into halftime.

St. Thomas forced 20 Augsburg (7-13 overall, 5-12 MIAC) turnovers, resulting in 27 Tommie points. The Tommies will try to extend their win streak to three when they visit Bethel at 7:30 p.m. Monday.

Men’s tennis opens season, thumps UW-La Crosse

St. Thomas men’s tennis’ No. 1 singles player Brendan O’Connell bounced back after a tough 3-6 second set loss to secure his team’s 9-0 shutout win over Wisconsin-La Crosse Saturday at home.

The Tommie singles lineup took four of six matches in three sets. Brian McCarthy (6-1, 6-4) and Mitchell Blackey (6-1, 7-6 ((8-6)) won in two sets.

Brady Radermacher, the only new face to the Tommie lineup in the team’s season-opener, closed off a tight No. 4 singles match against La Crosse’s Tony Mirsola and partnered with O’Connell on the doubles court to defeat their opponents 8-3.

St. Thomas (1-0) hosts Northwestern (Minn.) Feb. 21 at the Anderson Fieldhouse.

Women’s tennis strong in season opener, downs DII Upper Iowa

Brittany Alexander did not drop a game in her singles (6-0, 6-0) or doubles (8-0) matches Saturday to help the St. Thomas women’s tennis team start its season by blowing past Division II Upper Iowa 5-0 Saturday in the Anderson Fieldhouse.

St. Thomas (1-0) swept doubles play with No. 1 doubles team of Shelby Henderson and Mary Allen posting an 8-4 win. The No. 2 doubles duo of Bridget Noack and Kara Lefsrud and No. 3 doubles pair of Alexander and Claire Elkin did not surrender a game (8-0, 8-0).

Alexander and Liz Ternent secured identical straight set wins (6-0, 6-0) at No. 5 and No. 6 singles to clinch the team victory.

St. Thomas battles Bethel Feb. 16 at the University of Minnesota’s Baseline Tennis Center.

Berg’s big day fuels women’s track & field

All-American Taylor Berg’s two event wins helped St. Thomas place third out of six teams at the Wartburg (Iowa) Select Meet Saturday.

Berg posted wins in the mile (5:00.73) and the 1,000-meter (2:59.48). The Tommies also collected wins from Gabrielle Pepin in the 3,000-meter (10:39.32) and Bailey Cook in the high jump (5-4, 1-4). Erin Statz finished second in the 1,000-meter (3:04.27) and third in the mile (5:05.51).

St. Thomas hosts the UST Invite Saturday in the Anderson Field House.

Men’s track & field places third at Wartburg Invite

All-American Eyo Ekpo won two jumping events, helping St. Thomas clinch a third-place finish out of five teams at the Wartburg Select Meet Saturday.

Ekpo won the long jump (21-11 3-4) and the high jump (6-7 1-4). The Tommies also received first place finishes from Bryan Thell in the weight throw (57-8 1-4), Cody Jerabek in the 60 meters (6.89), Maxwell Dunne in the heptathlon (5,025 points) and Doug Thoresen in the 800-meter (1:57.19).

St. Thomas returns home Saturday for the UST Invite at the Anderson Field House.

Men’s hockey splits weekend series with Royals

Forward Connor McBride’s third period goal wasn’t enough as the St. Thomas men’s hockey team dropped a 4-1 decision over Bethel Friday, but his goal in Saturday’s game against the Royals played a part in a 5-1 bounce back for the Tommies.

The split weekend decision helped tighten St. Thomas’ (11-10-2 overall, 8-5-1 MIAC) grip as the MIAC’s second-place team.

Saturday provided a lift of success for the team. The Tommies fell behind early 1-0, but received goals from five different players to avoid a four-game losing streak.

St. Thomas resumes play Feb. 14 against Augsburg at home for its final regular season series.

Women’s hockey splits pair with Bethel

Forward Tara Baago’s two goals against Bethel Friday put the women’s hockey team’s win streak at six with the 5-2 victory, but it didn’t hold long as the Royals trumped the Tommies 4-1 Saturday.

The split weekend series with Bethel gave the Tommies a slender lead for second place in the MIAC.

The women face St. Catherine in a weekend series Friday and Saturday.

Men’s swimming and diving sharp in Conference Invite

Swimmer Maxwell Hamilton placed first in both the 100 breaststroke and 400 medley relay amidst the St. Thomas men’s swimming and diving teams’ 12 top-2 finishes at the two-day, multi-team Conference Invitational at the Anderson Athletic Recreation Center Aquatic Center Friday and Saturday.

No team scores were kept at the event, which is the last swimming meet before the MIAC championships (Feb. 14-16). Ryan Panure (253.75) and Nick Johnson took 1-2 in the one-meter dive with Johnson also taking first (289.60) in the 3-meter dive. The Tommies also took the 400 free relay, 800 free relay and the 400 medley relay.

David Bailly, who took fourth (17:55.27) in the 1650 free, said it was important to have a strong performance in preparation for the MIAC Championships.

“Obviously winning as many meets as we did was great for us as a team,” Bailly said. “Knowing that we can compete with the best teams in the conference is a huge confidence boost.”

Women’s swim and dive lands 8 firsts

Swimmers Hayley Trace and Emily Punyko each tallied four first-place finishes as part of the St. Thomas women’s swimming and diving team’s eight event wins at the two-day, multi-team Conference Invite at the Anderson Aquatic Center Saturday.

Team scores were not kept in what was the last swimming competition before the MIAC Championships (Feb. 14-16). The Tommies scored wins in the 200 free relay, the 50 free, the 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay, 400 free relay, the 100 free, the 100 breaststroke and the 1650 free. St. Thomas also had three second place finishes.

Erin Hogan, who’s 200 free relay and 400 medley relay teams took first, said it was critical to have a good showing at the conference invite.

“It is important to have a strong performance going into the MIAC Championship,” Hogan said. “As the season comes to a close, it is also important to have the tenacity and determination of all the girls on the relay, we have all worked hard for where we are and come through for each other.”

Ross Schreck can be reached at schr8250@stthomas.edu.