COLUMBUS, OH - The Ohio Dominican women's basketball team hosted their #Play4Kay game tonight at Alumni Hall, facing off against the Thomas More Saints in a crucial matchup for a spot in the G-MAC tournament. 

The Panthers showed dominance, securing an 80-65 victory over the Saints and improving their record to 12-13 (7-10 in G-MAC play). Senior Gabby Stare was a standout performer, racking up 27 points in 33 minutes of play, along with six rebounds and three assists. 

Brynn Mullet was exceptional from long range, scoring 18 points and hitting 5 of 9 from beyond the arc, while also contributing six assists. Sarah Ochs followed with 12 points, including a 2-4 performance from three-point range. 

To kick off the game, both teams came out with strong shooting, but Ohio Dominican finished the first quarter with better accuracy, making 9 of 17 field goals (52.9%) and shooting 66.67% from beyond the arc. Thomas More responded with 46.2% shooting from the field, hitting 6 of 13 attempts, though they struggled from three-point range, making just 1 of 3 shots. Ohio Dominican outscored the Saints 20-14, taking a solid lead into the second quarter. 

In the second quarter, the Panthers maintained their strong shooting, going 9 of 17 from the field. They were exceptional from beyond the arc, making 7 of 8 attempts, for an impressive 87.5%. Thomas More's shooting improved slightly, reaching 50% from the field, but they struggled from beyond the arc, making just 1 of 4 attempts (25%). Three-point shooting became crucial for Ohio Dominican in this period, as they extended their lead to 45-29, heading into halftime with a solid advantage. 

Coming out of halftime, Thomas More started strong, shooting 33.3% from the field and 75% from the free-throw line (6 of 8). Ohio Dominican, however, struggled with their lowest shooting performance of the game, making only 3 of 16 shots for 18.8% from the field. While their three-point shooting cooled off, they continued to perform well at the free-throw line, hitting 8 of 9 attempts to maintain their lead. Despite the drop in shooting efficiency, Ohio Dominican was still able to match Thomas More's 14 points in the quarter, keeping the game steady. As the game entered the final quarter, Ohio Dominican held a comfortable 59-43 lead. 

In the fourth and final quarter, Ohio Dominican regained their shooting rhythm, hitting 50% from the field and perfect from the free throw line. Thomas More kept it close, improving to 43.8% shooting from the field and making 7 of 10 from the free throw line. The Saints outscored the Panthers 22-21 in the final ten minutes and narrowed the gap to just nine points, but Ohio Dominican sealed the win, finishing with an 80-65 victory. 

This victory keeps the Panthers' hopes for a conference tournament spot alive, as they remain tied in 7th place with three games left in the season. They will head to Kentucky Wesleyan College on Saturday for a critical matchup against the Purple Panthers, scheduled for a 1 PM tip-off.