St. Thomas women’s hoops looking for best season yet from Jade Hill, Amber Scalia

Jade Hill had been the main focus of every opponent since her freshman year with St. Thomas women’s basketball.

The playmaking 5-7 Minneapolis native handled so much responsibility her first two years that St. Thomas coach Ruth Sinn felt bad at times she lacked enough support.

“We’ve not been very nice to Jade in that we asked a lot of her, but she responded incredibly,” Sinn said.

Last season, St. Thomas had its best season in Division I because another big threat emerged alongside Hill.

The Tommies, who open the season vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Monday, seemed to go as far as Amber Scalia’s shooting could take them. Hill didn’t have to carry the perimeter load anymore.

“It was something we needed,” the senior point guard said. “Someone else who poses a real threat.”

Hill and Scalia playing their best together in the backcourt gives the Tommies the firepower they need to battle again for a spot in the upper half of the Summit League.

St. Thomas finished 15-16 overall last season, including 7-9 in conference play. A fifth-place finish was a big jump from the 7-21 season in 2021-22.

“Jade and I have been talking a lot recently,” Scalia said. “This is kind of our year. We’ve built so much over the last four years. I think we’re super excited to show it.”

A 5-9 junior from Stillwater, Scalia raised her scoring average during her breakout season from 4.7 to 16.8 points per game. She also led St. Thomas in field goals (163), free throws (133) and threes (61).

“She shoots, she drives and does everything,” Hill said of Scalia. “It really opens things up for other players on the court. It’s such a huge thing for our team. And it’s always fun playing with her because you can count on her to go hard, give it her all and do the little things.”

Scalia’s confidence showed up from the start of her sophomore year in 2023-24. She scored in double figures in 24 of her first 25 games. That included eight games with 20 points or more.

Hill talked even more to Scalia on bus rides to games about building the connection between them on the court. Scalia knew her point guard had her back – and vice versa.

“She was a big factor in my success last year,” Scalia said. “She can kind of do it all. It’s fun to see her make reads and find people on the floor. I admire that about her.”

Hill was dishing and Scalia sinking shots during a three-game win streak that put St. Thomas at 6-3 in the Summit. Highlighting that stretch were Scalia’s back-to-back 30-point performances, but the Tommies struggled when their backcourt eventually fell into a slump.

St. Thomas dropped six consecutive games in February to see its conference title hopes fade, but other players picked up their play at season’s end, including center Jo Langbehn and guard Sammy Opichka.

Opichka, a senior guard, had a season-high 24 points in the final regular-season game vs. Denver. After leading the nation in field-goal percentage, the 6-2 Langbehn returned for her senior year, a huge boost in the post.

The Tommies will keep relying heavily on Hill and Scalia, but this season will also have to be about the backcourt’s supporting cast lifting the team as well.

“We all know they will not be able to qualify for postseason play,” Sinn said. “It’s not about that. It’s about creating something special.”