SHERMAN, Texas – The Tiger women's basketball team opened up Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play with a 70-58 road win over Austin College on Friday night.

Trinity improves to 5-2 overall with the win, while Austin dropped to 1-6 in what was the conference opener for both teams. The Tigers will head to Shreveport, Louisiana, on Sunday to finish off the opening weekend of SCAC play, taking on Centenary College.

Ashlyn Milton (Amarillo, Texas / Amarillo) finished with 21 points to lead all scorers, hitting 5-of-9 from three-point range and going 8-for-16 overall from the field. Carly Leong (Palo Alto, Calif. / Palo Alto) finished just behind her teammate with 20 points in the game, which is her best since joining the Tigers last year.

The Rundown

The Tigers took an early 5-2 lead with back-to-back baskets, but Austin grabbed the lead for good in the quarter with a 5-0 run that made it at 10-7 game. Milton led the way with six points in the quarter, while Kelly Simmons (Washington, D.C. / Antonian College Prep) finished with four points and four rebounds. Austin College shot nearly 54% from the field in the quarter, while Trinity came in at just over 42% shooting.

Trinity turned up the intensity in the second quarter, holding Austin to just nine points over the 10-minute stretch. The hometown 'Roos were scoreless over the final 3:56 of the period, and the Tigers closed the first half action with an 8-0 run that gave them a 34-31 lead at the break. Leong scored 10 points in the second quarter – including the final six points of the period. Simmons added four more rebounds in the quarter and led the team with eight boards in the first half.

The start of the third quarter saw Trinity continue its scoring streak, extending its run to 14 unanswered points for a 40-31 advantage. The Tigers scored 12 of the first 16 points of the quarter to push the lead to double figures, and Leong buried a pair of three-pointers to account for half of the total. The lead was still 12 at the midway point of the quarter when Austin made its move with a 7-0 run to draw within five points with 2:40 to go. Milton scored Trinity's final four points to slow down Austin and the Tigers led 58-50 going into the final quarter.

A couple of turnovers and missed shots derailed Austin early on the fourth, though Trinity only picked up points on a pair of free throws to edge back in front by 10 points. Austin cut that advantage in half with five quick points, but Milton knocked down a pair of three-pointers to start a 10-0 run that made it a 15-point game with 4:29 remaining. Trinity didn't score again, but the Tigers also held Austin without a field goal until the final seconds to seal the win with defense.

Numbers to Note

Milton tied her career-high with five three-pointers made, reaching the 20-point barrier for the second time in the last three games. She has connected on 14-of-26 (53.8%) from beyond the arc over those three games.

Leong scored in double figures for the sixth straight game this season, reaching 20 points for the first time since the 2019-20 season while at Pomona-Pitzer College (Calif.). She also topped her previous best as a Tiger by dishing out four assists in tonight's game.

Simmons finished the game with a career-high 12 rebounds and tied her season-best with three blocks as well.

Maggie Robbins (Plano, Texas / Plano) pulled down a career-high nine rebounds to go with a team-leading six assists.

Maggie Shipley (Arlington, Va. / Yorktown) joined Milton and Leong as the only Tigers in double figures, scoring 15 points to go with seven boards. Hailey Coleman (Kansas City, Mo. / St. Teresa's Academy) chipped in with six points and six rebounds.

Coach Speak

"Like the Grand Banks in October, finals at Trinity are no joke," said Head Coach Cameron Hill. "We understand how much our players care about their academics so its always worth it to allow them time to focus on those. Having said that, what a great job taking our time and working our way into this game. Austin is way better than their record and they helped us by playing a very good game tonight. We are excited to play again on Sunday in Shreveport!!!"

Up Next

Trinity continues its SCAC weekend on the road by facing off against Centenary College (La.) on Sunday, December 19, at 3:00 p.m.