The St. Thomas men and women’s basketball programs both saw substantial improvements to their records in their second Division I seasons. Both teams benefitted from experience garnered from their first season of Division I as well as the addition of talented newcomers. Both teams made statements, showing the Summit League and the NCAA that the Tommies are here to compete at the highest level of collegiate sports.
The men’s team put the nation on watch early in the season after a close loss to then No. 9 Creighton. They continued into conference play, finishing exactly .500 in conference and finishing at a tie for fourth in the regular season standings.
The women’s team improved to a 13-17 record on the season and finished 7-11 in the Summit League, earning them eighth place in the Summit League. The Tommies finished the season with an exclamation point, winning five of their last seven games.
Men’s basketball
The men’s team’s overall record was 19-14, nine more wins than the previous season. In their Summit League tournament debut, the Tommies made it all the way to the semi-finals before falling to Oral Roberts.
Throughout the season, the team’s strong play was marked by a star-studded first-year class and an experienced group of seniors. The first-year guard tandem of Andrew Rohde and Kendall Blue averaged 17.5 and 7.3 points per game respectively. The four active members of the first-year class played 43% of the available minutes for the Tommies and scored 42% of all of the team’s points.
After the season ended, Rohde announced that he had made the decision to enter the transfer portal and pursue playing basketball at a different university. Rohde let the St. Thomas community know that he was thankful for the opportunities he had while playing for the Tommies.
“I will always cherish the relationships with my brothers on this team and I will never forget the special season we had together. It has been an honor to play at such a great school and for an even better coaching staff,” Rohde posted to his personal Twitter account.
Rohde earned Summit League Freshman of the Year as well as a spot on the All-League First Team. He ranked third in scoring among the nation’s first-years and was a finalist for the Kyle Macy Freshman of the Year Award during his season for the Tommies.
As for the team veterans, graduate guard Riley Miller ended his St. Thomas career with the most games played in program history, second in made threes in program history, and was top ten in made threes across Division I in his last two seasons. Graduate forward Parker Bjorklund came to St. Thomas and originally had no intention of even playing basketball, but ended his final season as a member of the All-League Second Team. He averaged 15.9 points per game on an efficient 50.2% from the field.
All four of the seniors began their careers as Division III players and were thrust into Division I when St. Thomas athletics made the unprecedented leap. For many reasons, including the recent transition, the Tommies were predicted to finish eighth in the Summit League, but ended with a tie at fourth.
St. Thomas is ninth all-time in wins for the first two seasons of any basketball team reclassifying to Division I, however all of those other teams came from Division II and had at least a few scholarship players to build upon. Of the 11 teams reclassifying to Division I, the Tommies had the best record.
Women’s basketball
The women’s season was highlighted by their first-ever Summit League tournament victory when they beat Western Illinois in the play-in round. Senior guard Maggie Negaard scored 18 points on 50% from three-point range in the 61-50 victory. The Tommies’ came to an end in their next game when they lost 87-59 to the eventual Summit League champion South Dakota State despite another 18 point performance, from senior guard Jordyn Glynn, who shot 100% from the field.
“The Summit League does it well… It was really enjoyable and really great for our girls to get to experience that venue and to experience that stage, so they really enjoyed the postseason and all it brought,” coach Ruth Sinn said.
The Tommies were a young team this past season, consisting of entirely underclassmen except for two seniors and one graduate student. Glynn, the only remaining player in her class, and the only one to have played for St. Thomas when they were Division III, was joined by Negaard and graduate guard Autam Mendez.
“Jordyn Glynn, you can’t say enough. She’s such a glue player for us and she was always there. It was so fun for her to finish the way she did,” Sinn said.
Negaard’s 14.4 points and 4.2 assists per game during conference play earned her a selection to the All-Summit League second team. She was the first all-conference player for the women’s team during the Division I era.
“Maggie’s been fantastic for us throughout the year, just really consistent,” Sinn said, “Not even what she produced and her output, but the way she did it. She just had this relentless pursuit of high standards.”
Four stand-outs from the sophomore class showed out this season, holding their own against experienced conference opponents and offering Tommie fans glimpses at future potential. Guard Jade Hill averaged 11.3 points and led the team in assists and steals. Center Jo Langbehn’s 11 points per game proved that her and Hill are a duo that the Summit League needs to watch out for in future seasons. The pair of six-foot forwards: Sammy Opichka and Jordyn Lamker gave the Tommies both offensive production and rim protection in the paint.
First-year guard Amber Scalia got consistent minutes in all 30 games for St. Thomas, giving her the opportunity to garner experience at the Division I level.
11 of the team’s 14 players were in either their first or second year of eligibility, signaling a bright future for St. Thomas women’s basketball.
“We want to continue our own race and make sure that we’re making progress and developing every single day, that we’re getting one percent better and we’re continuing to improve,” Sinn said.
Further funding for Lee & Penny Anderson Arena
On January 17, the university announced a $75 million naming gift for the new Lee & Penny Anderson Arena. Since then, $12 million more has been raised through anonymous donations, bringing the total fundraising to $87 million in two months.
Scheduled to open in the fall of 2025, Lee & Penny Anderson Arena will be the home to St. Thomas men’s and women’s basketball and hockey. In addition to operating as the athletic hub of campus, the arena will host community and university events.
Adam Mueller can be reached at muel7541@stthomas.edu.