Record Performance by Catherine Thomas leads Crusaders to Semifinal Birth

Petersburg, VA – The #7 ranked Christendom Crusaders (25-5) took down the #2 ranked Penn State Beaver Nittany Lions (23-7) on Monday, 3/11, to advance to the National Tournament Semifinals.

The Crusaders started the game on fire offensively as they jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter. Not only were they clicking offensively they also played stellar defense and after the first quarter they had captured a 22-10 lead. They kept rolling through the second and again showed dominant defense as they held the Lions to only 9-points in the quarter, making the score 37-19 at the half.

The second half brought more of the same for the Crusaders, as Catherine Thomas (Junior/ Portland, TX) nailed a 3-point shot on the team's first possession. Thomas led the offensive charge in the third as she scored 16-points in the quarter alone. In the final frame Christendom tightened up defensively, only allowing 7-points total in the fourth. The strong defense and outstanding offense on the day lead to the Crusaders winning by a large margin, with a 71-38 final score.

The Crusaders dominant performance was highlighted by three key players. Thomas finished the game seven of nine from three and totaled 46-points on the day. Her 7 threes set the all-time single game three-point tournament record and her 46-points also set an all-time single game scoring record. Mary Pennefather (Freshman/ Manassas, VA) had another strong game as she finished one point shy of a triple-double, 9-points, 15-rebounds and 11-assists. Miranda Keller (Junior/ Harrisburg, PA) played well, cleaning up the boards with 9-rebounds and 11-points in the game.

Up Next: The team has a quick turn around taking on Central Maine Community College (28-1) on Tuesday, 3/12 at 8pm in the Semifinal game.