SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. — The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Pomeroys advanced to the semifinals of the River States Conference Tournament after a dominant 102-62 victory over Alice Lloyd (Ky.) on Tuesday evening inside Knoerle Center. With the win, SMWC improves to 24-5 on the season and will host Brescia (Ky.) in the RSC Semifinals on Saturday, March 1. Tip-off for the semifinals is set for 1 pm (ET).
The Pomeroys were led by senior guard
Greg Jenkins, who had a standout performance with 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting. Jenkins also added 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 block. Joining Jenkins in the scoring frenzy was
DaMeriz Merriweather, who contributed 22 points, including 4-of-5 from three-point range, and
Shon Tupuola, who grabbed 18 rebounds to go along with 17 points.
St. Mary-of-the-Woods dominated every aspect of the game, shooting an impressive 57.4% from the field, including 42.9% from beyond the arc. The Pomeroys also out-rebounded the Eagles 48-25 and controlled the paint with 52 points scored inside. The team's depth was on full display as their bench contributed 16 points, and they finished the game with 22 second-chance points.
Alice Lloyd (19-9) was led by
Koji Anderson with 15 points, while
Ben Soumahoro and
Desmier Hatchett each added 15 points for the Eagles. Despite their efforts, Alice Lloyd struggled with shooting accuracy, finishing the game with a 35.5% field goal percentage and only 20% from three-point range.
The Pomeroys were strong from the free-throw line as well, finishing 15-of-18 (83.3%), compared to Alice Lloyd's 76.5%. SMWC's high-powered offense put together a 45-point first half and an even more impressive 57-point second half, securing the 40-point victory.
SMWC got on the board first with a pair of free throws from
Caleb Iheukwu at 19:13. The first significant run came from the home side, who put together a 6-0 spurt after a jumper from
Greg Jenkins and a layup by Merriweather. Alice Lloyd's Desmier Hatchett hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 6-3, but the home team responded with a three-pointer by Iheukwu, making it 9-3 at 17:23.
The teams exchanged baskets for the next few minutes, with Ben Soumahorio and Koji Anderson helping keep Alice Lloyd within striking distance. But the strong play of Jenkins and Tupuola kept the St. Mary-Woods offense flowing, as they stretched their lead to 16-8 with 12:47 remaining.
Midway through the half, Alice Lloyd's offense came alive with a three-pointer from Anderson at 10:46 and a layup by Soumahorio at 10:17, narrowing the gap to 19-16. However, the home team responded with another run, highlighted by a dunk from Tupuola and key baskets by Jenkins, who finished with 10 first-half points.
The final minutes saw a flurry of scoring, including a three-pointer from Hatchett that pulled Alice Lloyd back within 38-26. But St. Mary-Woods' aggressive defense and solid offensive execution helped maintain their lead. The half ended with a dunk by Iheukwu, and Jenkins' free throw pushed the lead to 45-34.
The second half began with SMWC maintaining a solid lead, fueled by key performances from Dameriz Merriweather and
Greg Jenkins. Merriweather hit two quick three-pointers early in the second half, extending the St. Mary-Woods lead to 51-34 with 19:01 remaining.
Despite some scoring efforts from Alice Lloyd, including a three-pointer from Desmier Hatchett and a layup from Koji Anderson, St. Mary-Woods remained in control. At the 15:19 mark, Jenkins dunked to push the lead to 62-42.
Alice Lloyd struggled to keep pace as SMWC dominated in the paint, with multiple dunks and fast-break layups. Tupuola Shon and Jenkins were key contributors, each contributing to a series of high-flying dunks and effective shooting from close range.
Merriweather kept up the scoring barrage for the Pomeroys while Jenkins tallied several assists and a solid defensive presence. A pivotal moment came at the 9:53 mark when
Malik Tansmore's layup extended the St. Mary-Woods lead to 78-48.
As the game neared its final minutes, Alice Lloyd's efforts faded under the pressure, and SMWC capitalized with a series of fast-break points and defensive steals. With 1:19 left, Tansmore capped the scoring with a fast-break layup, making it 102-62.
Next Game:
The Pomeroys will return to action on Saturday, March 1, as they host
Brescia (Ky.) in the semifinals of the River States Conference Tournament at Knoerle Center. Tip-off is set for 1 pm (ET).
