SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. — The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College men's basketball team secured a dominant 93-57 victory over visiting Brescia (Ky.) in the River States Conference Semifinal at the Knoerle Center on Saturday afternoon (March 1).
With the victory, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College advances to the River States Conference Championship Game on Tuesday, March 4, at 6 p.m. ET. They will face the winner of today's other semifinal between IU Southeast and IU Kokomo.
The Pomeroys (25-5) put on an offensive clinic, shooting 50% from the field (32-of-64) and 48% from beyond the arc (12-of-25). After a strong first half where they led 47-35, SMWC extended their lead in the second, outscoring Brescia 46-22 to seal the win.
Leading the charge for the Pomeroys was
DaMeriz Merriweather, who posted an impressive 28 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 6-of-8 from three-point range.
Shon Tupuola also had a standout performance with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while
Greg Johnson added 12 points and 7 assists. SMWC's depth was on full display, as their bench contributed 47 points, including
Malik Tansmore's perfect 3-for-3 shooting off the bench for 7 points.
The Pomeroys wasted no time establishing control, as
Greg Johnson connected for a three-pointer just 37 seconds into the game to put SMWC ahead, 5-2. The team's offense was firing on all cylinders early, with
Shon Tupuola scoring a layup in transition to give the Pomeroys a 9-7 lead at the 17:01 mark.
Brescia briefly tied things at 9-9 on a layup from Nikola Ticic, but SMWC surged ahead once again, propelled by the scoring of Tupuola and
DaMeriz Merriweather. Merriweather, who finished with a team-high 28 points, helped stretch the lead to 15 at 43-28 with a three-pointer at the 4:13 mark.
Despite a late flurry of baskets from Brescia, including a three-pointer from Damian Garcia to trim the deficit to 43-33 with 3:25 remaining, SMWC answered with a layup from Tupuola and solid defensive efforts to close the half. Tupuola's basket with two seconds left gave SMWC a 47-35 advantage heading into the break.
The second half opened with a quick layup by
Greg Jenkins, extending the lead to 49-35. SMWC quickly established their offensive rhythm with back-to-back baskets from
Shon Tupuola and Dameriz Merriweather, pushing the lead to 53-35 by the 18:13 mark. Brescia struggled to respond, with several missed shots and turnovers.
Brescia's best response came midway through the half when they cut the deficit to 75-41 after a three-pointer from Louis Penn. However, the home team could not make a significant dent as SMWC continued their assault, with Tupuola adding a dunk and Merriweather knocking down a three-pointer to push the lead to 87-50 with just over two minutes remaining.
The Pomeroys controlled the boards, with Johnson collecting multiple rebounds and contributing offensively, including a three-pointer to give SMWC a 75-41 advantage. Brescia's defense couldn't keep pace, and turnovers continued to plague the team in the second half.
Late-game substitutions allowed for fresh legs, and even with some missed opportunities from both sides, St. Mary-of-the-Woods maintained their dominant position, finishing with a 93-57 victory. Notable performances came from Tupuola, Merriweather, and Johnson, who each contributed heavily both offensively and defensively.
On the other side, Damian Garcia led Brescia (9-17) with 21 points, but the Bearcats struggled offensively, shooting just 37.5% from the field (21-of-56) and 28% from three-point range (7-of-25). SMWC's defense kept Brescia out of rhythm, limiting them to just two fast-break points and only 6 points off turnovers.
