Thomas More stuns Jackets with 20-point defeat

By Lauren Vargas

On the chilly senior Saturday afternoon of February 7, the Cedarville men’s basketball team hosted the Thomas More Saints in a battle of rebounds. Unfortunately, the men, like the women’s team, suffered defeat to Thomas More 82-62.

Right off the bat, Saints’ Mitchell Rylee claimed a solid dunk on Cedarville’s net during the cusp of the first and followed it up with yet another impressive shot. The Jackets wouldn’t have it. In an effort to push Thomas More back on their heels, Cedarville turned up the heat.

Several fouls ensued in the first half. Cedarville’s top scorer, Sam Johnson, maintained smooth ball control despite the Saints’ excessive fouling and earned the Jackets 15 points in the first half. Combined with Will Gibson’s lead in steals and rebounds, the Jackets had a fighting chance.

Unfortunately, the chance at victory was short-lived. Several turnovers in the Saints’ favor proceeded to give them a 14-point leg up during the duration of the game. Despite the Jackets’ effort to receive most of their offensive rebounds, their defense was just shy of covering all their bases in the back, letting Thomas More sink several shots. 

The Saints also shot an impressive 72.2% from three, with anything they tossed up seeming to fall in. The Jackets, on the other hand, shot a dull 15%. 

Saints’ Kai Simpson, lead scorer for the opposing team, with 36 scored several times on account of the defense’s shortcomings. The Jackets had no stop for Simpson. But the Jackets weren’t ready to give in yet. 

Curtis Blair III also provided a spark off the bench with 10 points in 13 minutes and a couple of monstrous dunks.

The final minutes of the half were a make-it-or-break-it moment for Cedarville. Thomas More’s hustle and shooting percentage were finally met with a strong and equal force. The Jackets pulled off a few more shots, but it was too little too late. 

“We had no answers today,” head coach Rob Jones said. “They jumped on us from the start, and we really had very little in terms of response to be able to get back into the game. There were a couple of spurts here and there that were decent for us, but ultimately not enough to make that a close game.”

Despite the Jackets’ loss, one player in particular stood out during the game, whose skills and determination allowed him to rise to the challenge. Sam Johnson, ever the main presence on the court, met the challenge time after time, even when the team began to waver. 

Coach Jones applauded his efforts on the court, emphasizing his growth over the past year.

“Sam has really grown over the past year,” Jones said. “He had a really good freshman year, as our second main scorer and main rebounder. And so, coming into his sophomore year, we had challenged him to take some jumps, and I think he’s done a good job.”

The Jackets (9-13) will return this Thursday to compete against long-time competitor Ashland University Eagles. 

Lauren Vargas is a sophomore biology student with a minor in Spanish and a sports writer for Cedars. She’s an avid weightlifter and loves watching movies in her free time.