Crestview Hills, KY – Kassie Monday and Channing Lewis  combined for 42 points and eight rebounds but it wasn't enough as the #24 Patriots women's basketball  team fell to top-ranked Thomas More 94-74 Thursday night in their Mid-South Conference opener.  With the win the Saints improve to 4-0 on the season, while the Patriots move to 5-1 overall.

Monday led the way with 23 points, three rebounds, and three assists, while Lewis tallied a season-high 19 points to go along with five rebounds.  Victory Fredricks grabbed seven boards, while Kaylie Monday had six rebounds and a pair of assists.

Kassie Monday and Lewis combined for UC's first five points of the game, before Lewis found Casey Coleman for a bucket to put the Patriots in front 7-6.  Thomas More went on a 7-0 run to take a 13-6 lead, before Cumberlands converted five out of six from the charity stripe to pull within a point at 13-12. With 1:07 remaining.  Monday added a pair of free throws late in the period but UC found themselves down 19-14.

Thomas More extended their lead to 24-15 a minute into the second quarter, however a three-pointer by Kassie Monday brought the Patriots back within six points just over a minute in.  Thomas More went on a 10-2 run before Joy Kendrick drained a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 34-23 midway through the second period.  UC got buckets from four different scorers before Lewis grabbed a defensive rebound, raced up court, and laid it in to make it 43-31 with 54 seconds remaining.  Thomas More added a basket in the closing seconds to take a 45-31 halftime lead.

The Patriots opened the third quarter on a 5-0 run with baskets from Kassie Monday and Lewis.  Three possessions later, Kaylie Monday stole the ball and Lewis added her second layup of the quarter pulling UC within ten at 48-38.  Lewis added the next four Patriot points to chip away at the lead midway through the period.  A minute later, Kaylie Monday found Lakin Burke for a three-point play, while Lewis added five more points to make it 60-50 with 2:06 remaining.  Kassie Monday added a pair of free throws to close out the period, while Lewis finished the third quarter shooting 6-7 from the field for a team-best 13 points as the Saints took a 65-52 lead into the fourth.

The Saints open the fourth quarter on a 9-2 run, before Kassie Monday converted layup cutting the deficit to 74-56 three minutes in.  UC utilized a 7-2 run midway through the final quarter, however, still trailed by 17 points with 4:11 remaining.  Down the stretch, Mackenzie Babb converted a three-point play, while Jaiden Cox hit from behind-the-arc as Thomas More earned the 94-74 win.

Cumberlands went 18-22 from the charity stripe led by Kassie Monday's 9-9 performance.  UC also out rebounded the Saints 41-26 in the game.

The Patriots will return to the court Saturday, November 19, with their first home conference game of the season.  UC host conference newcomer Wilberforce at 1 p.m. with live video available here.

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