Crestview Hills, KY – Patriots women's basketball fell to Thomas More 89-77 on Saturday after UC's comeback effort fell just short in the final quarter. The loss evens the Patriot's conference mark to 6-6, falling to 19-7 overall. The Saints improve to 7-5 in the MSC, and 18-7 overall.

Silvia Veloso was the story for the Patriots on Saturday, the junior lit up the stat sheet scoring a career-high 35 points on 15-26 shooting while notching six steals and five assists. Carla Covane tallied 17 points going 4-8 from the field, also grabbing eight rebounds.

Neither team jumped out in front in the early going as Carla Covane and Veloso both managed layups in the opening minutes, answered both times by the Saints. Thomas More drained a pair of threes and two layups around the 7:00 mark as part of a 8-0 run to take a 15-6 lead. Despite a pair of jumpers from Veloso in the following minutes, the Saints remained steady in their offensive attack, stretching their lead to nine with 4:20 remaining. Abbi Douglas splashed a triple and a layup followed by a Veloso jumper with a minute left to bring the Patriots within three, making it 22-19. Thomas More answered with a three and a pair of free throws, closing out the first quarter with a 27-19 lead.

Veloso connected on a deep three in the opening minute of the second quarter to bring the Patriots within five before a pair of free throws from Carla Covane made it a three-point ballgame at 27-24. At the 4:44 mark, the Saints had stretched their lead back out to eight before Veloso drained another jumper to make it 36-30. Approaching 3:00 to go, the Saints strung together an 8-0 run that gave them the 44-34 lead heading into the final minutes of the half. Veloso made good on another three in the final minute as the Saints held on to lead 52-39 at the break.

The early minutes of the third belonged to the Saints as they would extend their lead to as much as 18 at the 7:30 mark. Both teams remained scoreless before Veloso would once again connect on a layup at the 4:41 mark, with the Patriots still trailing 61-45. To close out the quarter, the Patriots went on a 9-0 run that included buckets from Douglas, Veloso, and Carla Covane. The Patriots closed out the third quarter trailing 71-60.

UC scored three straight to open the final quarter via free throws from Veloso and Covane, bringing the Patriots within eight with 8:47 to go. At the 7:38 mark, Hannah Lawson nailed a deep three, followed by a Veloso jumper on the next possession to make it a two possession ballgame at 72-68. A three followed by a field goal from TMU at the 4:34 would extend the Saints lead to nine, before a Reagan Begole triple with 4:11 to play made it 79-73. The Patriots would come as close as two points in the comeback effort thanks to a scoop and score by Veloso with 3:30 to go. In the final three minutes, Thomas More held the Patriots scoreless, going on to win by a final score of 89-77.

The Patriots went 30-69 from the field for 43.5 percent while connecting on 12 of 17 free throws for 70.6 percent. UC outrebounded the Saints 34 to 31.

Cumberlands women's basketball will look to bounce back next Thursday, February 20^th, as they travel to Portsmouth to take on the ninth-ranked Bears of Shawnee State. Tip-off from Waller Gymnasium is slated for 6 PM.

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