CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. – At the Connor Convocation Center, a strong start by the homestanding 22nd-ranked Saints was all the momentum they needed en route to a 72-64 decision over the Lindsey Wilson men's basketball team.

Faced with their first outing away from home in almost two weeks, the Blue Raiders struggled to overcome an early deficit set in place by the home team, despite outshooting the Saints by nearly 10 percent from behind the three-point line.

It did not take long off the opening tip for Thomas More to find the scoreboard, and from there the hosts built a secure 16-0 advantage to help their noses in front the rest of the way.

The locals did piece together a 10-0 run to quickly try and counter the Saints' initial surge. An Elijah Jordan jumper followed by a good lap-up by Veron Kalonji trimmed the score down to 16-4. Then, back-to-back three-pointers from Rodney Lewis less than a minute apart swiftly pulled the Blue Raiders within single digits of their opposition.

The six-point spread was the closest Lindsey Wilson could get until the closing moments of the game. Two more long-distance jump shots by Jamie Strong and Jamyus Jones cut the game down to 67-62 with 30 seconds on the clock, but the Saints' efficiency from the free throw line had the last word, effectively sealing the deal.

Jordan closed the night with a team-high 17 points, shooting 7-of-10 on field goals to move him up to 935 career points. Fellow upperclassman Payton Cundiff connected on three three-pointers as part of his 11 points off the bench, and Lucas Ribeiro continued his solid play since returning from injury with eight points and six rebounds.

As a team, Lindsey Wilson finished 41.7 percent from the floor, including 9-of-24 on three-pointers. Additionally, the Blue Raider bench ended up outpacing the Saints, 26-13.

The locals play their final home game of January on Saturday afternoon when Wilberforce University comes to town. The start time for that conference match-up is slated for 3 p.m. CST.