Sparked by forward Elaine Warner’s game-high 21 points, the No. 4-ranked St. Thomas women’s basketball team overcame a slow start to rout St. Olaf 75-37 Wednesday at Schoenecker Arena.

Warner entered the game as a substitute just over five minutes into the game with the score tied 5-5. The Tommies (16-0 overall, 9-0 MIAC) scored the next 7 points in the game and dominated the Oles throughout the game from that point forward. Warner said she entered the game just trying to play to her strengths and encourage her teammates to play together.

“I just came in trying to get easy shots, good baskets and play good defense,” Warner said. “This is a really fun team because we have a ton of assists a game because we play together really well.”

Four players came into Wednesday’s matchup averaging over 7 points-per-game on the year, and St. Thomas displayed its characteristic depth once again. Warner wasn’t the only Tommie to fill the scoresheet against the Oles; 10 different players scored points for St. Thomas. Guard Katie Stone continued her stellar play this season and showcased her deadly shooting touch, hitting two key 3-pointers, while centers Maggie Weiers and Kaitlin Langer combined for 20 points and 15 rebounds.

Jenna Dockter, the Tommies’ leading scorer this season, struggled offensively by her standards. She came into the game averaging 12.8 points-per-game on the season but was held to just 7 points on 3 for 11 shooting. Dockter said she doesn’t need to get buckets to help lead her team to victory though.

“I think I just try to do whatever the team needs. If there’s a certain night I need to score or play defense, I’m always just trying to do what’s needed of me,” Dockter said. “We have a ton of talented returners, so I think we all just try to do our part.”

Despite the impressive offense, the hallmark of coach Ruth Sinn’s teams throughout her 10 years roaming the St. Thomas sideline has been defense, and Wednesday was no exception.

Wednesday’s game marked the second time this season the Tommies held an opponent to under 40 points – the other coming in a 69-30 drubbing of Macalester. St. Thomas has kept opponents to 50 points or fewer in each of its last nine contests and entered the game with a plus 11.7 rebound margin. The Tommies dominated the glass again and out-rebounded the Oles 37-30 in the game.

“St. Olaf is a great rebounding team. They’re a team that plays zone all the time, and so a lot of the time it’s a slow-paced game,” Sinn said. “It was a great opportunity for us to go against a really good rebounding team and a team that’s going to really try to make sure that we play slow … It was a great opportunity for us to really work.”

St. Thomas will continue a 15-game stretch against MIAC opponents when it hits the court Saturday against St. Benedict in Collegeville, Minnesota. The Tommies beat the rival Blazers in both games last season.

“We try to go game-by-game, and in the MIAC there’s a bunch of talented teams, and we get everybody’s shot every night,” Dockter said.

Tom Pitzen can be reached at pitz2014@stthomas.edu.