COLUMBUS, Ind. – The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College men's basketball team secured its second consecutive NAIA National Tournament berth with a dominant 100-72 win over IU-Columbus on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 15).
The victory not only punched the Pomeroys a ticket to the national stage but also earned them the 2025 River States Conference Regular Season Championship. SMWC (22-4, 12-2 RSC) will now host every round of the River States Conference Tournament in which it will compete.
The game, played at the Circle K Fieldhouse at NexusPark, saw the Pomeroys turn in a strong offensive showing, led by
Shon Tupuola's 27 points and 10 rebounds.
Greg Jenkins also had a stellar performance with 24 points and six assists, as SMWC shot 49.3% from the field overall.
The Pomeroys jumped out to an early 5-0 lead thanks to a pair of baskets from
Caleb Iheukwu, including a 3-pointer at 19:06. IU-Columbus responded briefly with a layup from Damontae Thompson to trim the lead to 5-2, but SMWC quickly regained control, extending their advantage through a balanced offensive attack.
Tupuola, who dominated in the paint, contributed two free throws and a dunk to help SMWC push the margin to 10-4 with just under 17 minutes left. The Pomeroys continued to build their lead, hitting a series of shots, including a 3-pointer by
Greg Jenkins that put them up 15-6 at the 16:10 mark. The Pomeroy's defense also played a crucial role, forcing several turnovers and capitalizing on second-chance opportunities.
IU-Columbus, led by Owen Law and Thompson, tried to claw back into the game. Law hit a jumper and a 3-pointer, and Thompson followed with a layup, but the Pomeroys' offensive depth and defensive pressure left them with little room to close the gap. By the 9:34 mark, St. Mary led 36-20 after a pair of free throws from Tupuola.
Despite efforts from the home team, including a 3-pointer by Ben Sylva to make it 49-29, the Pomeroys finished the half strong. A dunk from
Taeron Hogg and a jumper from Jenkins put the visitors up by as many as 24 points at the break, 58-34.
The second half was marked by consistent scoring and defense from SMWC, with several players contributing to the blowout. After leading 58-36 at halftime, the visitors quickly increased their lead with a 17-2 run to start the half. Key performances came from Tupuola, who added multiple dunks, and
Caleb Iheukwu, who played a pivotal role in transition.
IU-Columbus showed brief flashes of offense, particularly through Law, who managed to score multiple times, including a 3-pointer and several layups. However, their efforts were not enough to keep pace with the fast-moving SMWC squad. Law finished with a solid scoring performance but was unable to prevent the visitors from maintaining control.
SMWC wrapped up the game in the final minutes, with free throws from Andre Irvin and a dunk by Tansmore putting the finishing touches on a dominant win.
Top Performances:
The Pomeroys were unstoppable inside, outscoring IU Columbus 42-24 in the paint. The team's 25 second-chance points were also key, as SMWC's tenacity on the glass led to multiple offensive rebounds and extra possessions.
With the victory, SMWC will now turn their focus to Tuesday, February 18, when they host Oakland City (Ind.) at 5:30 p.m. (ET) inside Knoerle Center.
