No. 6/12 Tiger Women's Basketball gets set for their home opener of the 2023-24 season when they play against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Cal Lutheran in the Round Robin Classic.
The Tigers (2-0) started their season right, with wins over the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and East Texas Baptist. The Tigers defeated UMHB by a score of 84-74 where sophomore
Natalie Anderson (San Jose, California / Archbishop Mitty) exploded for a career-high 27 points on 12-of-15 shooting. As a team, the Tigers poured it on late with a 36-point fourth quarter. In their second game against ETBU, the Tigers claimed victory by a score of 80-71. The Tigers had another impressive individual performance as
Josie Napoli (Beaverton, Oregon / Valley Catholic) tied the Trinity school record with seven three-pointers and 27 points. All in all, the Tigers showed why they are a top-ranked team in the country.
SCAC Player of the Week and D3hoops.com Team of the Week - Natalie Anderson
Through her impressive weekend, sophomore
Natalie Anderson has been selected as the SCAC Player of the Week and selected to the D3hoops.com Team of the Week.
Anderson just missed two double-doubles to lead Trinity to a 2-0 start to the season. Anderson averaged 19.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game over the two victories, shooting 62.5 percent from the field. She opened the season with a career-high 27 points and 9 rebounds against UMHB. Anderson followed that up with 12 points and nine boards against ETBU.
Preview - Home Opener
The Tigers will start the home stand against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Friday, November 17th at 6:00 PM, and then play against Cal Lutheran on Saturday at 6:00 PM.
On the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athenas: The Athenas come into Calgaard Gym with a 0-1 record. The Athenas dropped their first game against Lincoln by a score of 75-68. However, do not let that fool you, the Athenas finished the 2022-23 season with a 16-8 record. In their game against Lincoln, the Athenas were led by junior guard Grace Florendo who scored 14 points. The Tigers are 2-2 all-time against the Athenas, with the first game being played during the 1991-92 season. In the most recent matchup in 2016, the Tigers defeated the Athenas 77-66.
On the Cal Lutheran Regals: The Round Robin Classic will be the first game of the season for the Regals. The Regals finished their 2022-23 season with a 15-10 record and a SCIAC tournament semi-final appearance. The Regals are bringing their leading scorer, Sara Mills, who averaged 12.7 points per game last season. This will be the first game between the Tigers and the Regals in Trinity's storied history.
Key To The Game
Turnover Machines: In the first game, the Athenas had 28 total turnovers. In their previous season, the Regals averaged 17.7 turnovers per game. The Tiger Press, along with elite defense, has allowed the Tigers to force 49 turnovers across their two games. Look for the Tigers to cause bad passes and pressure the ball to get quick points.
Looking Ahead - Cowgirl Round-Up
The Tigers will travel to Abilene to play against Hardin-Simmons on Saturday, November 25th.
