San Antonio - The 17th-ranked Trinity women's basketball team opened up its season wtih a 79-69 win over No. 24 Hardin-Simmons University on Friday evening.

Tiger sophomore guard Ali Marzella of Katy, Texas (Taylor), scored 26 points, three shy of her career high of 29. Marzella, who scored 19 of her points in the first half, shot 8-17 from the field, 5-10 beyond the arc, and sank 5-6 free throws. She also registered a game-leading seven steals, along with three assists.

Junior guard Danielle Hubenak of San Antonio (Churchill), produced a triple-double, of 18 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. Hubenak hit 6-12 from the field, 2-4 in 3-point range, and was 4-6 at the free throw line.

Sophomore forward Abby Dietert of nearby Cibolo, Texas (Steele), rounded out the double-figure scorers with 17 points. Dietert also blocked three shots and made two steals.

Hardin-Simmons, which also made its season debut, was paced by senior forward Becky Taylor's double-double, with 26 points and 15 rebounds. Junior center Lindsey Newcombe had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Bo Warm added 15 points.

The Tigers, who led 40-31 at halftime, came back from a five-point deficit with 13 minutes left in the half. Trinity took the lead for good in the first half, at 11:35, and led by as much as 17 points. The Tigers shot 47 percent in the first half, to 31 percent for Hardin-Simmons.

In the second half, the Cowgirls tied the score at 42-42, with 15:39 on the clock, and then took a one-point lead. Trinity outscored Hardin-Simmons 16-9, and led 58-51 at 10:53. Hardin-Simmons was not about to give up, as the Cowgirls pulled within one point, 66-65, at 5:21. But the Tigers, who shot 54 percent in the second half (to Hardin-Simmons' 50 percent), went on a 13-4 run and captured the opening game of the season.

Trinity hit 50 percent for the game, and limited Hardin-Simmons to 40 percent. The Tigers also shot 50 percent from the 3-point line, while the Cowgirls made 23 percent of the shots. Hardin-Simmons led 45-28 in rebounds, but had 19 turnovers, to 12 for Trinity.

The Tigers take on McMurry at 7 p.m. Saturday.