SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. — The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College women's basketball team claimed a decisive 69-56 victory over Ohio Christian University (OCU) in a non-conference women's basketball game at Knoerle Center on Thursdaty evening (Feb. 6). With the win, the Pomeroys improved to 13-10 on the season, while OCU fell to 12-12.
The Pomeroys were led by
Irye Gomez, who scored a team-high 19 points, including five 3-pointers, and added two rebounds and two assists.
Diamond Bryant contributed 8 points and 6 assists, while
Brooklynn Jones chipped in with 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.
SMWC set the tone early, outscoring OCU 15-7 in the first quarter and extending their lead to 37-23 at halftime. Despite a strong third-quarter push by Ohio Christian, the Pomeroys' defense and efficient shooting kept the Trailblazers at bay. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods closed out the game with a solid fourth quarter, holding off Ohio Christian for the 13-point win.
The Pomeroys shot 38.1% from the field (24-63), including 9-of-15 from beyond the arc (60.0%), and 12-of-15 from the free-throw line (80.0%). SMWC also dominated in fast break points (9-8) and points off turnovers (14-11).
Top Performers for SMWC:
The Pomeroys dominated the opening period, with
Brooklynn Jones setting the tone. After missing her first attempt, Jones connected on back-to-back jumpers, giving SMWC an early 4-0 lead. Ohio Christian struggled to find rhythm, missing several shots from the field, while the Pomeroys capitalized on offensive rebounds and turnovers.
Irye Gomez extended SMWC's lead to 7-0 with a fastbreak three-pointer assisted by
Diamond Bryant at the 8:07 mark. Despite several missed opportunities by OCU, including multiple three-point attempts by Ashley Deweese and Lily Shepard, SMWC kept up the pressure. Bryant added a layup and
Samara Douglas hit a jumper to increase the margin to 9-2 midway through the quarter.
OCU's Emma Koons finally put the Trailblazers on the board with a fastbreak layup at the 4:55 mark, cutting the deficit to 11-4. However, SMWC continued to answer with key plays, including a free throw by Gomez to push the lead back to 13-4 with just over four minutes remaining.
The Pomeroys' defense stifled OCU's offense, forcing several turnovers and limiting second-chance opportunities. Despite a late three-pointer by Koons, SMWC finished the quarter with a 15-7 advantage, fueled by strong rebounding and efficient scoring.
After a slow start for both teams in the secodn quarter, SMWC came out hot in the second, extending their lead from 15-7 to 19-7 in the opening minutes.
Irye Gomez hit a three-pointer at the 8:21 mark, assisted by
Brooklynn Jones, pushing the lead to 12 points. The Pomeroys' defense continued to stifle OCU's offense, forcing several missed shots from Ashley Deweese and Lily Shepard, while their offense flowed with key contributions from
Diamond Bryant and
Samara Douglas.
Gomez added another three-pointer at the 6:41 mark, extending the lead to 24-13. The Trailblazers struggled to keep pace as the Pomeroys capitalized on turnovers. At the 5:22 mark, Douglas scored on a fastbreak layup, followed by a free throw to make it 27-16 in favor of SMWC.
Ohio Christian's efforts to close the gap were thwarted by more turnovers and missed shots, while SMWC continued to execute in transition.
Destiny Thomas hit a three-pointer with 3:42 remaining, pushing the Pomeroys' lead to 30-16. SMWC also capitalized at the free-throw line, with Bryant, Thomas, and others converting to increase their margin.
The Pomeroys' defense was relentless, forcing 10 turnovers in the second quarter alone, including multiple steals by Bryant, Gomez, and Jones. Despite a late layup by Koons with just two seconds remaining, SMWC maintained a commanding 37-14 lead at the break.
The Pomeroys maintained a comfortable lead throughout the final period, but Ohio Christian's persistence kept the game competitive. SMWC opened the quarter with a layup from
Irye Gomez, pushing the lead to 52-37 at the 9:42 mark. The Trailblazers responded with a layup from Emma Koons and free throws from Amiyah Tull, narrowing the deficit to 52-41 with 8:39 remaining.
OCU continued to battle, with Koons and Ashley Deweese chipping in points, cutting the deficit to 55-45 by the 6:28 mark. However, the Pomeroys responded with quick baskets of their own, including a three-pointer from
Abby Worley that extended the lead to 55-43. SMWC's
Diamond Bryant then added another layup to maintain the advantage at 57-45 with 5:50 left.
The Trailblazers showed signs of life with a 3-pointer from Koons at 3:00, bringing them within 12 points, but SMWC remained composed. Bryant scored again to make it 60-45 with just under five minutes remaining. The Pomeroys' defense continued to pressure OCU, forcing multiple turnovers and missed shots in the final minutes.
Ohio Christian did manage to string together a few late baskets, including a layup by Deweese and a three-pointer by Koons, but the Pomeroys' balanced offense and efficient free-throw shooting down the stretch sealed the victory.
Destiny Thomas hit a three-pointer with 37 seconds left to push the lead to 67-52, and after a few more exchanges, the Pomeroys finished strong, securing the 69-56 win.
The Pomeroys will now travel to
IU East for their next game in River States Conference action on
Saturday, February 8, 2025, at
3 p.m. ET.
