St. Thomas More’s Reese Ross rises to any challenge. 

Whether it’s scoring, defending or leading by example, Ross is steering her team toward another state championship run in March. Ross was instrumental in last season’s Class A state championship, St. Thomas More’s seventh title since 2012. 

She logged 18.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, earning Class A all-state and all-tournament honors. It’s more of the same this season from Ross, a 6-foot-1 do-it-all senior forward that quietly goes about her business. 

“She’s just extremely athletic and to me it’s a lot of quiet points,” St. Thomas More coach Brandon Kandolin said. “It doesn’t seem like she’s flashy, but she just does good work around the basket and then has the ability to knock down outside shots. To me she just does a lot of things quietly and then all of a sudden she’s got 20 points. That’s how she’s been.”

Ross, who recently scored her 1,000th career point, logged 23 points and 11 rebounds in St. Thomas More’s 54-34 win over Flandreau at the Hanson Classic. She shot 4 of 9 from the 3-point line and sparked a first-half offensive onslaught for the Cavaliers. 

The offensive production was the fruits of her labor as she’s always striving to improve her game.

“I have so much potential and I am always wanting to get better and pushing myself,” Ross said. “I think that’s something that I have been continuing to do, like working on my outside game. I wasn't there as much last year. So being able to come out and have that confidence to shoot some of those shots right away, it’s a lot of fun.”

St. Thomas More's Reese Ross, center, grabs a rebound against Flandreau's Lizzie Pavlis (30) and Claire Sheppard (32) at the Hanson Classic on Jan. 14. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

It was her defense that also shined against the Fliers. Flandreau all-state forward Claire Sheppard, a South Dakota State University commit, finished with three points on 1 of 10 shooting from the field and 0 of 4 from the 3-point line. 

“That’s all Reese,” Kandolin said. “She said she wanted the matchup and it’s important for Reese to challenge herself.”

Ross prides herself on playing defense and limiting the 6-foot-1 Sheppard was her top goal against Flandreau. It’s also nothing new facing top-notch talent. 

“I’ve played against some of the best competition in the country with my AAU team (North Tartan) and I am used to this,” Ross said. “I am used to this intensity and I pride myself on defense. I love playing defense and if that’s what I can do, and take their scorer out of the game, I am going to do it.” 

As one of five seniors, Ross is also leading the Cavaliers as a host of underclassmen are stepping into new roles this season. 

“Us seniors are trying our best to be as positive role models as we can possibly be,” Ross said. “It definitely feels good and it brings us together and it’s a unity that we haven’t had quite yet and this is a chance for us to finally peak and really prove what we are capable of doing.”

While Ross and the Cavaliers are gearing up for another title run, she’s also preparing for the next level. Ross has signed a national letter of intent to play at Pac-12 Conference member Utah.

Ross said she picked the Utes because of the team culture and it felt like home when she stepped onto campus. 

“I felt welcomed and it’s in the Pac-12, one of the best conferences in the country,” Ross said. “I think my style of play with that defensive intensity is going to transfer over well and those girls are amazing there and I felt like this is going to be an amazing home for me.”