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| Abby Owings will eventually be the face of the Thomas More women's basketball team. That time starts now, at least temporarily. Thomas More athletics file photo |
By Rob Knox
In the words of Boyz II Men, the Thomas More women’s basketball team is “Doin’ Just Fine” despite the unexpected adversity it has had to conquer.
Through three games it’s been business as usual for the top-ranked and reigning national champion.
In extending their winning streak to 36 consecutive games, the Saints (3-0 overall) have won their first three contests by an average of 17 points per outing. The dynamic sophomore tandem of Abby Owings and Nikki Kiernan has combined to burn opponents for 45.3 points per contest. However, their biggest contributions have occurred during practices and away from the floor.
By now, you’re probably aware that one significant name hasn’t appeared in any of the three game box scores for Thomas More: Sydney Moss, the 2014-15 national Player of the Year. Thomas More has taken the step of withholding her from games pending a review of NCAA compliance within the program.
“The College's decision to withhold Sydney from competition at this time should in no way be construed as an indication of a NCAA rules violation by Sydney,” a recent college news release read. “The College is unable to further comment on this matter during the period of the review. We look forward to publicly discussing the matter at the conclusion of the review.”
Moss has played two seasons at Thomas More after starting her career at the University of Florida. Moss has been able to practice while her situation is being reviewed.
Saints coach Jeff Hans has been keeping the team focused during this period and the games have actually been therapeutic for the team.
“We have gone about the task of taking care of business,” Hans said when asked about not having Moss in the beginning of the season. “We’re moving forward as a team. We can’t do anything about (the Moss) situation. We were fortunate to win the national championship last year and our goal is to try and get back again. The young ladies are prepared to work hard to return to our ultimate destination. Hopefully we’ll have that opportunity again.”
While having Moss in uniform would be awesome, the Saints still have an abundance of weapons and depth to play deep into March again. Not surprisingly, Owings is leading the Saints this season. She’s off to a rip-roaring start.
Owings was named preseason All-American honorable mention by D3hoops.com. She was named the Great Lakes Region Rookie of the Year last season by D3hoops.com, while also being named third team All-Region and first team All-Presidents' Athletic Conference.
Owings, who was named Presidents’ Athletic Conference Player of the Week, helped lead Thomas More to a 2-0 record last week in the 14th Annual Julie Costello Memorial Classic – presented by Barleycorn's. The 5-2 ball wizard averaged 27.5 points, 7.0 assists and 2.5 steals to go along with a block and four rebounds. She torched Hanover with a career-best 36 point performance in the Saints in an 89-66 come-from-behind win. Owings just missed a double-double with nine assists.
“We are doing well as a team,” Owings said. “Whatever’s going on, we know we can’t allow that to affect us. We have to focus on our game, play to our ability and keep getting better as a team each time we step onto the court.”
Meanwhile, Kiernan has had the post on lockdown through three games. Showcasing a flair for the dramatic, the 5-10 Kiernan dropped a career best 30 points against 15th-ranked Ohio Northern on her birthday. The following day in the win against Hanover, Kiernan just missed a triple-double as she swatted a career best nine blocked shots, grabbed nine rebounds and scored 10 points.
“We are focused on getting better for each other,” Kiernan said. “I feel I am stronger this season and more patient in the post. My teammates have helped with my confidence. When I am feeling down they have picked me up. They are a really good support system.”
The support shouldn’t be surprising for the Saints, who are close-knit team that likes having fun with one another. Freshman Madison Temple has fit in beautifully with the Saints averaging 11.3 points per game in her fledgling career. She scored a career best 16 points against Hanover. Overall, the Saints have nine players averaging at least 10 minutes per game.
Senior Alexa Santamaria had 12 points against Hanover. Other seniors providing leadership have been Samantha Cady, who notched eight points in her opening game of the season against Denison, Olivia Huber and Kiley Bartels.
They don’t feel the weight of being the No. 1 ranked team in the country or knowing that they will receive everybody’s top game this season. Since the Saints are surrounded by successful athletic programs at their college, they have embraced the challenge of pursuing a matching national championship banner.
“It’s a great feeling,” Owings said. “It’s an honor to go against the best team in the nation in practice and it makes me happy to do that. Not every college girl gets to experience a national championship, so it’s been awesome to be here.”
Wylie breaking out
Widener senior captain Brianna Wylie is making an early case for the nation’s most improved player. She has dominated the Pride’s first five games by posting four double-doubles during that span. Wylie had five double-doubles all last season.
The Pride are off to a 4-1 start behind Wylie, who is averaging 20.2 points and 11.4 rebounds per outing. The 5-9 communications major from Mount Laurel, N.J. leads the MAC Commonwealth in scoring (20.2 ppg), is second in rebounding (11.8 pg) and field goal percentage (.691) through the weekend.
The affable Wylie and future event-planner extraordinaire is controlling the post despite playing against opponents who are much taller than she is.
Of course, it wasn’t all that way for Wylie, who used to be one of the biggest people on the court when she started playing in first grade.
“I started playing in the local rec league and here’s a funny story,” Wylie said. “I was the tallest one on the court and I was a ball hog because I would get all of the rebounds. I would pass the ball to every teammate before I got the rebound.”
Now, Wylie devours everything and everybody in her path while she’s chasing the ball. According to veteran head coach Alisa Kintner, Wylie is still a ballhog, but in a great way. Wylie rips rebounds from her teammates’ hands. Whenever a rebound occurs, Wylie goes after the ball as if her life depended on it.
“I just go get the ball,” Wylie said. “I feel like I am athletic. I know I don't boxout as much as I should. I know I have good hands and a good read on where the ball is going to go. I just and go get it. It’s rewarding to get the ball and finishing. Also, it’s funny because I take the ball out of my teammates’ hands because I want it so badly a lot of the times.”
Kintner paid Wylie the ultimate compliment.
“She’s a great kid,” Kintner said. “She’s great with her academics and an all-around pleasant person. However, nobody would never know that when the ball gets tipped. It’s nice to have those types of personalities on your team. She doesn’t take a play off and she’s always giving great effort.”
In the Pride’s 73-55 win over Wesley, Wylie scored 19 of her 27 points in the second half. Widener also outscored the Wolverines by 27 points over the final three quarters.
Widener’s fast start has changed expectations for Kinter, who gave birth to a baby girl earlier this year. The Pride were 11-14 last season. Kinter knew the Pride would be better. Earlier this season, Wylie was named MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week after averaging a double-double with 23 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. She also shot 72.7 percent from the field in the two victories over Swarthmore and PSU-Brandywine.
She had 17 points and 14 rebounds in a 61-58 triumph over Swarthmore before adding 29 points in a 77-58 rout of Penn State Brandywine. Wylie also shot a blistering 9-of-11 from the floor and 11-of-13 from the charity stripe while grabbing nine boards in the win over the Nittany Lions.
“I think I am staying more composed and staying around the rim,” Wylie said. “I am taking the same types of shots I took last year, but the difference has been that I am finishing more consistently. I didn't do anything different during the summer other than work on my game.”
Widener’s fast start has raised Kintner’s expectations.
“Returning from maternity leave, I wasn't sure what type of team I had,” Kintner said. “However, once I got on the court and saw them, it changed my attitude. These young ladies have given effort. We have two seniors that are playing significant minutes and leading the team. That's why we’ve been successful.”
In addition to Wylie, senior guard Ally Ferrucci, who set a school record for assists in a season with 148 last year, has returned and picked up where she has left off. Ferrucci had 12 assists against Swarthmore and has 34 dimes through five games. Ferrucci was a member of Widener’s Elite 8 team as a sophomore.
Sophomore Allison Gallagher leads Widener with 10 3-pointers and is second on the team in scoring (11.2). She scored a season-high 22 points against TCNJ, which was Widener’s first during the 2015-16 season.
“I’ve been playing with Allie for a while and we click on the court,” Wylie said. “My teammates have helped to make me better. We play hard together. We're confident as a team, but we have room to improve. We're not content and we're going to keep getting better.”
Benedictine buzzing
There’s a rare face in this week’s D3hoops.com Top 25 men’s poll — Benedictine.
Benedictine didn’t just appear in this week’s poll, it made a giant splash by going from not ranked in the preseason poll to being ranked 12th this week, the highest ranking in school history. When two of your first three wins are on the road against nationally-ranked programs including eighth-ranked Elmhurst, well heads are going to turn.
Benedictine is making a nice habit of knocking off top 10 teams. Elmhurst is the highest ranked opponent that Benedictine has bested since a home victory over fourth-ranked Illinois Wesleyan in last year's season opener
According to the Benedictine website, the first edition of the D3hoops.com Top 25 came out in the 1999-2000 season. Benedictine has been ranked in only one season previously, cracking the poll for six weeks in the 2004-05 season. Benedictine peaked at 17th in the ninth week of the poll and was last ranked 25th in the final regular season poll of the 2004-05 season.
Balanced Benedictine has five players averaging double-figures led by Tahron Harvey and Michael Blaszcyk, who are each averaging 16 points per outing. Lucas Johnson (13.7 points per game), Adam Reynolds (12.7) and John Dodson (12.0) have also some outstanding moments early in the season. Tim Reamer has supplied energy and instant offense off the bench, averaging 8.0 points per contest.
The season started with a bang for Benedictine as Johnson put home a Dodson miss on a long rebound at the buzzer to send Benedictine to an 88-86 win, moments after Illinois Wesleyan hit a three to tie the game. In its win against Elmhurst, Benedictine sprinted to a 47-19 halftime bulge before holding off the Blue Jays, 94-86.
Benedictine was picked to finish second in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference preseason poll.
Help me
I am serving as the national columnist this season for D3hoops.com for a second season. To help with telling the best stories, delivering fun and insightful nuggets while providing teams the recognition they deserve, please add me to your email list for press releases and postgame releases at rob.knox@d3sports.com. Don’t worry about flooding my inbox. I am also going to try to get as many names into my column as possible and will do so in the weekly shout-out portion.
Also, feel free to follow me on Twitter @knoxrob1.
Around the Nation was writen by Rob Knox during the 2015-16 season. A former Division III Sports Information Director at Lincoln University, Rob Knox also worked at Coppin State, ESPN, Kutztown and at the Delaware County (Pa.) Daily Times. He was inducted into the Lincoln University Athletics Hall of Fame, named the CoSIDA Rising Star Award College Division winner and won three writing awards for various game stories including the 2007 D-III sectional triple-OT game between Guilford and Lincoln. In the past, he has also written articles for SLAM magazine and the Philadelphia Inquirer. He is a die-hard Philadelphia sports fan, a graduate of Lincoln and is from Chester, Pa.
