Greenville, Pa. (February 17, 2010) -- The Thiel College women's basketball team fell at the hands of the Thomas More Saints, 68-81, on Wednesday.

During the early stages of the first half, the Tomcats, through a strong defensive effort, kept within striking distance of the Saints' lead.  This would only last so long, however, as Thomas More's pressing defense began to befuddle the women of Thiel, causing 11 first half turnovers.  The Saints would capitalize on Thiel's offensive struggles, going on a 19-6 run.

Thomas More would carry the momentum to the halftime buzzer, going into the locker room with the 48-32 lead.

In the second half, the Saints, led by a 16-point half by Nicole Dickman, pushed their lead to as much as 20 points.

The Tomcats, however, refused to go down quietly as they amassed a 13-2 run, bringing the Saints lead to a mere nine points with 5:47 remaining on the clock.  Leading the late charge for the 'Cats was the duo of, Kelly Muffley (Salsburg, Pa./Western Reserve Academy) and Ashley Davis (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel), who combined for 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting in the second half.

Defensively, the Tomcats turned on the pressure, as they forced eight second half turnovers, while surrendering just three on the offensive end.

In the end, the Saints lead proved to be too much, as Thiel could only bring the lead down to eight points before Thomas More's final run pushed the lead to 13, sealing the 'Cats fate.

Davis finished the day with 21 points and seven rebounds, while Muffley added 21 points of her own, to go along with two steals.  Kelly Barzak (Warren, OH/Howland) contributed 12 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots.

For their season finale, the women of Thiel head to Chatham University to face the Cougars on Saturday, Feb. 20 for a 2 p.m. match up.