ST PAUL, Minn. — It might not be quite as catchy as PJ Fleck’s “Row the Boat,” but the slogan this year for the St. Thomas women’s basketball team is as fitting as it is simple: “the pursuit of excellence.”
“It’s something you work on every single day,” St. Thomas women’s basketball coach Ruth Sinn said. “You invest in the process of getting better and being your best. Every day we do that.”
It all starts at practice for the Tommies, where you can tell just how seriously they take they’re unbelievable 64 game MIAC winning streak.
“We’re the hunted kind of,” senior guard Lucia Renikoff said. “It’s definitely a different mindset. You have to be prepared every single game that teams are going to give you their best shot.”
And that they have. The Tommies though are still on track for an eighth straight conference title and an eighth straight trip to the NCAA tournament.
Currently, St. Thomas is ranked #5 in the nation while boasting the second-best field goal percentage.
“This group has taken that as a challenge,” Sinn said. “How do they put their personality into our program? How do they put their dynamics and make this season special?”
Having a special player like Hannah Spaulding surely helps.
The Tommies All-American center is their driving force and has her sights set on capping her senior season off in style.
“(A national championship) is our ultimate goal,” Spaulding said. “We were close as sophomores.”
On the season, St. Thomas is 16-1 and undefeated at home.