(TIFFIN, Ohio) - Senior point guard Daniel Whelan (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier) and senior center Colt Stafford (Groveport, Ohio/Bishop Hartley) each scored a career-high today (Saturday, November 19, 2011) to lead the Thomas More College men's basketball team to an 84-63 win over Heidelberg University in the Heidelberg Alumni Classic at Seiberling Gymnasium in Tiffin, Ohio.
With the win, the Saints improve to 3-0 and with the loss, the Student Princes fall to 1-1.
Heidelberg jumped out to a 14-6 with 15:48 to play in the first half when Victor Fortkamp made a lay-up. Thomas More answered with a 25-9 run to take a 31-25 with 4:59 to play in the half when Whelan made two free-throws. The Student Princes used a 6-3 run to cut the lead to 34-31 on a Darion Capers jumper with 2:41 to play in the first half. The Saints responded with an 8-1 run capped by two Whelan free-throws with 22-seconds to play in the half to increase the lead to 42-32. Fortkamp made a lay-up at the halftime buzzer to cut the lead to 42-34.
Thomas More opened the second half on a 10-6 run to take a 52-40 lead with 16:00 to play in the game when Stafford made a lay-up. Heidelberg answered with a 9-3 run capped by a Capers' lay-up to cut the lead to 55-49 with 13:55 to play in the game. The Saints came right back with a 28-8 run to take their biggest lead of the game at 83-57 with 4:29 to play in the game when junior point guard Ryan Hamm (Maysville, Ky./Mason County) made a three-pointer. Heidelberg closed out the game on a 6-1 run, but it wasn't enough as Thomas More went onto the 84-63 victory.
Whelan and Stafford led four Saints in double-figures with their career-highs as Whelan had 28 points and Stafford had 23 points. Joining them in double-figure scoring was junior strong forward Phil Feinburg (Phoenix, Ariz./Corona Del Sol) with 15 and sophomore point guard Spencer Berlekamp (Cincinnati, Ohio/Kings) with 13. Stafford led the team on the boards with a game-high-tying nine rebounds, while Whelan led the team in assists with five.
Whelan was named the Heidelberg Alumni Classic Most Valuable Player for his play in the team games in the classic and Stafford and Feinburg joined him on the All-Tournament Team.
The Saints return to action on Wednesday (November 23) when they travel to Cincinnati, Ohio to play across-the-river rival, the College of Mount St. Joseph in the Bridge Shootout. The game will tip-off at 7:30 p.m. inside the Harrington Center.