Junior Forward Lauren Fischer pushes the ball up the court in transition. Fischer had 23 points against UW-Superior on Friday night. (Madison Ordner/TommieMedia)
Senior Captain Kaitlin Langer pushes through the defense to score for the Tommies. Langer had 13 points on Friday night. (Madison Ordner/TommieMedia)
Sophomore Lucia Renikoff shoots against UW-Superior defense. Renikoff scored 11 points for St. Thomas on Friday night. (Madison Ordner/TommieMedia)
First-year Janelle Alba-Garner soars through the lane to score for the Tommies. Alba-Garner had 4 points toward a St. Thomas win against UW-Superior. (Madison Ordner/TommieMedia)
Senior Guard Paige Gernes sets the pace on a fast-break. Gernes had 5 points for the Tommies on Friday night. (Madison Ordner/TommieMedia)
Sophomore Kaylie Brazil sets the play for the Tommies. Brazil had 3 assists in the win against UW-Superior on Friday. (Madison Ordner/TommieMedia)
Senior Paige Gernes and Junior Maddie Wolkow rattle the UW-Superior offense on Friday night. St. Thomas had 11 steals in the win against UW-Superior. (Madison Ordner/TommieMedia)
Sophomore Hannah Spaulding shoots a jump-hook over the defense in the game in Friday night. Spaulding had 11 points toward St. Thomas’s win. (Madison Ordner/TommieMedia)
Junior Lauren Fischer fakes a shot against the Superior defense. Fischer finished the night with 3 rebounds. (Madison Ordner/TommieMedia)
Lauren Fischer scored 23 points and set a new school record with seven three-pointers in one game as the No. 2-ranked St. Thomas defeat unranked UW-Superior, 98-56, in the first round of NCAA Division III women’s tournament play Friday night at Schoenecker Arena.
Coach Ruth Sinn said Fischer is a reliable player and is a pillar that supports the foundation of the team.
“She is one of those calm players that will always make the right play and do the right thing, and she’s a beautiful shooter,” coach Sinn said. “But she is so smart, so her being out on the floor really helps us on the defensive end and the offensive end because she’s just a very steady player.”
St. Thomas (28-0) will play the University of Chicago, 67-63 winners of Friday’s other first-round game over Wartburg (Iowa), on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Coach Sinn said Chicago is a great team and the Tommies look forward to a good game tomorrow.
“Chicago is a very athletic team. They like to put a lot of pressure on defensively,” Sinn said.
UW-Superior (23-5) scored the first basket of the game but that was its only lead. The Tommies were cruising by the end of the first quarter and led 50-13 at halftime. Emily Carpenter’s three-point basket stopped a 22-0 St. Thomas run and were the only points for the visitors in the quarter.
“Defensively we sped them up. We made them play a little bit fast than they were use to playing. Offensively we really moved the ball well. Great outside shots,” Sinn said. “They were very much focused on denying Kaitlin in the middle, and if they are going to do that to our post, then we are going to have three shooters, and I think Lauren continued to be one of the recipients.”
Fischer dominated the perimeter, hitting seven of nine three-point shots.The Tommies had five players in double digits as Coach Ruth Sinn went deep into her bench in the second half.
“My teammates do a good job of finding me when I’m open and I definitely wouldn’t get all the shots without them,” Fischer said.
Center Kaitlin Langer said the team formulates their offense around the opponent’s defense.
“The tournament time is survive and advance. We don’t really care how we are getting our baskets,” Langer said. “We are obviously going to have a gameplan, but we are going to see what the defense gives us and we are going to take advantage of it.”
Hannah Norlin led the Yellowjackets with 18 points.
Carolyn Meyer can be reached cameyer@stthomas.edu.