COLUMBUS, Ohio – Twenty-four hours after Sydney Moss was named NCAA Division III Player of the Year for the third time, the Thomas More College sensation showed why.
Moss scored 39 points, pouring it on in the second half when the game was still in doubt, to lead the top-ranked Saints over fourth-ranked Amherst College, 74-65, in the women's semifinal Saturday evening at Capital University Arena.
The Saints (32-0) will go after their second straight national title against seventh-ranked Tufts University (28-3) on Monday, April 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Division III national championship game is being played as a part of a larger 35th anniversary NCAA women's basketball championship celebration. It will be the first time all three NCAA women's divisional championships will be decided in the same city and venue.
Thomas More beat Tufts, 62-52, in last year's semifinals. Tufts earned a 63-50 win over Wartburg College (23-8) in Saturday's other semi
Moss, a senior guard/forward, scored 27 second-half points. The Saints, who normally win going away, clung to a 27-20 lead over the Purple & White at halftime and led by just three (47-44) after three quarters. Moss also had 11 rebounds.
Sophomore forward Nikki Kiernan (Newport Central Catholic) had 13 points and seven rebounds while sophomore guard Abby Owings (Simon Kenton) and freshman guard Madison Temple (Anderson) each finished with nine points.
