No. 10/10 Tiger Women's Basketball is set for their first round of conference play this season as they host the University of Dallas and Austin College this weekend.
In their most recent game, the Tigers (6-1, 2-0 SCAC) started conference play undefeated as they picked up wins over Southwestern and Texas Lutheran. Sophomore Natalie Anderson (San Jose, California / Archbishop Mitty) put in two fantastic games. Anderson would put in 44 total points and 19 rebounds. However, both wins were a team effort. In both games, the Tigers had at least four players in double figures. Josie Napoli (Beaverton, Oregon / Valley Catholic) put in a 21-point performance against Southwestern, and Maggie Robbins (Plano, Texas / Plano) dropped 15 points in the overtime win against Texas Lutheran.
WBCA Polls
The Women's Basketball Coaches Association has ranked the Tigers in the tenth spot nationally. Transylvania and NYU occupy the top two spots. Region rival Hardin-Simmons jumps to the 12th spot and Mary Hardin-Baylor cracks the rankings at 25.
SCAC Player of the Week & USBWA Division III National Player of the Week - Natalie Anderson
Through her impressive performances, sophomore Natalie Anderson has been selected as the SCAC Player of the Week for the second time this season. Anderson was also selected as the Division III National Player of the Week by the USBWA.
From the USBWA Press Release:
Anderson, a 6-0 sophomore guard from San Jose, Calif., led No. 8/14 (WBCA, D3hoops.com) Trinity to a pair of road victories last week. On Friday, she scored 17 points (7-of-13 FG, 3-of-4 FT), grabbed seven rebounds and dished out an assist in the Tigers' 88-59 win over Southwestern. Then, Anderson tied a career high with 27 points (9-of-16 FG, 9-of-11 FT) and hit a buzzer-beating layup at the end of regulation in Trinity's 86-76 overtime victory at Texas Lutheran on Saturday. She added a career-high 12 rebounds in the contest. For the week, Anderson averaged 22.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists while shooting 55.1 percent (26-of-29) from the field, and 80 percent (12-of-15) from the foul line. For her efforts, Anderson was also selected the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Player of the Week.
Preview - Conference Home Opener
The Tigers will play against Austin College on Friday, December 15th at 7:30 PM. Then, the Tigers will take on the University of Dallas on December 16th at 6:00 PM.
On the Austin College Roos: So far this season, the Roos are 2-6 (1-1 SCAC). The Roos have picked up wins against Lyon College and Centenary College. In their most recent game, the Roos took a loss against St. Thomas by a score of 54-62. The Roos are led by freshman guard Lexi Smith. Smith is averaging 13.1 points per game this season while shooting 33 percent from the field. Alongside Smith is senior forward Lauren Traylor. Traylor is averaging 8 points and 8 rebounds this season but has had three double-digit games in a row, including a double-double against Centenary. All time, the Tigers are 31-18 against the Roos since their first matchup in 1991 and have taken the last seven matchups.
On the Dallas Crusaders: The Crusaders have had a solid season so far, posting a 7-3 record (2-0 SCAC). The Crusaders have had two blowouts in conference play, beating St. Thomas by 20 and Centenar by 18. The Crusaders are led by a duo of sophomores Tessa Hastings and Caroline Croft. Hastings is averaging 11.5 points per game while Croft is averaging 9.1. The Crusaders have struggled, however, from the free throw line. The Crusaders are only averaging 66 percent from the line this season. Also, look for the Tigers to make the Crusaders shoot from deep as they are only shooting 25 percent from three-point land. All time, the Tigers are 45-4 against the Crusaders and are on a 23-game winning streak.
Key To The Game
Shooting Behind The Arc: In the first conference games this season, the Tigers shot a combined 14-51 (27%) from three-point. If they were to shoot their season percentage, the Tigers could have tacked 15 more points to their total scoring. If the Tigers can get hot from deep, they are scary offensively.
Looking Ahead - Traveling to Tacoma
The Tigers will hit the road and travel to Tacoma, Washington to take on Willamette and Puget Sound on December 19th and 20th.
