SAN ANTONIO – The fourth-ranked Trinity women's basketball team will close out its regular season schedule by hosting Texas Lutheran University and Southwestern University this weekend.
The Tigers are 22-1 overall this season and their 13-1 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference record has them in the lead by one game over Colorado College – the only team that Trinity has lost to this season. The Tigers control their own destiny heading into the final weekend and can clinch the top seed at the tournament with two wins.
Last weekend, Trinity responded to its only loss of the year by beating University of Dallas and Austin College by more than 100 combined points. Trinity scored 100+ points for the fourth time this season in the win over Dallas, while holding both opponents under 50 points over the weekend.
Senior Weekend!
Saturday will be the final regular season home game for Trinity and the team will celebrate the careers of six Tiger senior women's basketball players on Saturday:
Danielle Davalos (Austin, Texas / Westwood),
Claire Hale (San Antonio, Texas / Brandeis),
Ashlyn Milton (Amarillo, Texas / Amarillo),
Emily Nelson (Sugar Land, Texas / Saint Agnes Academy),
Addie Putnam (Scottsdale, Ariz. / Xavier College Prep), and
Maggie Shipley (Arlington, Va. / Yorktown).
SAAC "Change for the Better" and Morgan's Wonderland Sports STRAPS
The Tiger women's basketball team and the Trinity Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will be conducting the annual "Change for the Better" fundraiser over the weekend. Athletes from Morgan's Wonderland Sports STRAPS junior wheelchair basketball program will join the Trinity players during the starting lineup announcements on Friday, then will also showcase their talents during halftime.
STRAPS, or South Texas Regional Adaptive and Para Sports, mission is to organize, promote, administer and conduct a variety of adaptive and Para-style sports for wounded service members, veterans, as well as other adults and youth. STRAPS athletes strive to become role models and mentors to others with disabilities as they promote character development through sports. Donations made this weekend will directly benefit these athletes and their program so any amount helps support their very worthy cause. Donations can be made in person at the games, or through the SAAC and Women's Basketball social media pages on Friday.
NCAA III Rankings: D3hoops.com and WBCA
Trinity remains in the fourth position in both the D3hoops.com and Women's Basketball Coaches Association polls.
Awards and Honors: Putnam Wins Her Second SCAC Honor
Putnam was named the SCAC Player of the Week for the second time this season after leading the Tigers to a pair of conference wins last weekend. She finished with averages of 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game over lopsided wins against Dallas and Austin College, despite averaging just 22.0 minutes per contest. Putnam is the third Trinity player to win the award this season, but just the second to win it more than once.
Maggie Robbins (Plano, Texas / Plano) won back-to-back Player of the Week awards in November/December.
NCAA III Regional Rankings: Updated to Rank Order
Following last week's regionally-ranked list in alphabetical order, the NCAA revealed the regional rankings for all 10 regions, and the Trinity Tigers are atop the Region 10 list. Trinity is followed by Hardin-Simmons University and University of Puget Sound in second and third. East Texas Baptist University and University of Mary Hardin-Baylor are fourth and fifth to give the American Southwest Conference three teams on the list. Colorado College is sixth in this week's ranking, followed by University of California-Santa Cruz.
Milestones and Notes
Robbins has made her way into the top 10 at Trinity in single season assists and steals. Her 113 assists this year are tied for the seventh-most in school history, leaving her just 20 away from tying the Trinity record set by Danielle Hubenak during the 2008-09 season. Robbins is also two steals from becoming just the second player ever to reach 100 in a single season, joining Jenna Smith on that exclusive list. Smith broke the school record three times in her three seasons at Trinity, capped by her school-record 126 steals during the 2004-05 season.
Already the single season and career record-holder at Trinity for three-pointers,
Ashlyn Milton (Amarillo, Texas / Amarillo) is moving her way up the single season list once again in 2022-23. Milton is currently tied for the fifth-most three-pointers made in school history, needing 21 more to tie her own record of 78 set last year. Her shooting percentage from beyond the arc (43.2%) would be another school record for the senior sharpshooter.
Milton is 12th on the all-time scoring list at Trinity with 1,149 career points, averaging 12.5 points per game. Her Trinity record of 211 made three-pointers in a career is also ranked ninth on the SCAC's career list heading into this season, needing 10 more to tie for eighth.
Robbins is tied for 11th in career assists at Trinity, equaling the mark of 232 set by Lauren Andrews from 2004-07. Robbins can tie Amy Howe (2001-05) for the 10th spot with 20 more. With seven more steals, Robbins would also be the eighth player to record 200+ in a career. Smith holds the all-time record of 341 and is the only Tiger player with more than 280 in a career.
Preview: Texas Lutheran (2/17) and Southwestern (2/18)
This weekend will be the final regular season games of the year and Trinity will be aiming to remain unbeaten this season against both Texas Lutheran and Southwestern. The Tigers have won eight consecutive games against Texas Lutheran University (Friday's opponent), including a 76-65 win on the road earlier this year. Trinity defeated Southwestern 125-89 earlier this season for its 14th straight win in that series.
Trinity is the top-ranked team in NCAA III in assists per game (20.1) this season and is fourth in total points (1,993) and scoring offense (86.7) in 2022-23. The Tigers are also fourth in turnovers forced per game (31.6) and third in steals (19.0). The team's average margin of victory (27.0) this year is also sixth nationally.
Texas Lutheran is averaging 62.6 points per game this season, while Southwestern is scoring 56.5 points per game. Texas Lutheran leads the conference in scoring defense, allowing just 55.6 points per game and is just ahead of Trinity (59.6) in second. Southwestern is fourth at 64.6 points per game allowed, meaning that three of the top four scoring defenses in the SCAC will face off this weekend.
Southwestern enters the weekend with a 9-13 overall record and a 6-8 mark in the SCAC. The Pirates have lost four straight games after earning back-to-back overtime wins over Austin and Dallas. Texas Lutheran is 13-9 overall and 9-5 in league play – winning five of its last six games that includes a 54-48 win over Colorado College on Friday, February 10.
Looking Ahead: SCAC Tournament
Trinity and Colorado College are still battling it out for the SCAC Regular Season title, though both teams have already clinched a bye for next weekend's SCAC Tournament that will be hosted by Trinity. Schreiner University and Texas Lutheran have already wrapped up a spot in the tournament as well, while Southwestern, Dallas, and University of St. Thomas are battling to the bitter end for the final two entries.
The Tournament begins with the SCAC Quarterfinals at Noon and 2:00 p.m. on Friday, February 24. The winners advance to play Trinity and Colorado College in the SCAC Semifinals at Noon and 2:00 p.m. the next day, with the Saturday winners advancing to the SCAC Championship game at Noon on Sunday.
Trinity and Colorado College will be either the first or second seed, with Schreiner and Texas Lutheran occupying the third or fourth seed. Southwestern currently has a half-game lead over Dallas and St. Thomas for the fifth spot, but this weekend's results will determine the next two teams to qualify.
