CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Trinity University women's basketball team wrapped up a West Coast road trip with a convincing 82-61 victory over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (CA) on Sunday afternoon.
The Tigers won every quarter in the game, taking an eight-point lead after the first and never looking back. Trinity won all three games this week in California to improve to 3-1 this season, while Claremont fell to 2-3 on the year. After struggling from beyond the arc the first three games of the year, Trinity found its stroke today, hitting 10-for-22 (45.5%) from three-point range and hitting nearly 48% of its shots overall. The defense also held Claremont under 38% shooting that included 7-for-24 (29.2%) from distance.
Josie Napoli (Beaverton, Ore. / Valley Catholic) finished with a season-best 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting in the game, hitting 4-of-5 three-pointers, and finishing just two points shy of her career high. She also led the Tigers with five steals and five assists in the game.
Kylie Minter (League City, Texas / Clear Springs) was the only other Trinity player in double figures, picking up 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting, while also pulling in four rebounds and dishing out three assists.
Elaine King (Cedar Park, Texas / Cedar Park) recorded a career-high eight blocks in the game, finishing just one short of the Trinity single-game record that was set in 1999. She also had four assists and seven rebounds in the game.
Skye O'Rourke (Austin, Texas / Vandegrift) was just shy of a double-double in 14 minutes off the bench, finishing with seven points and a team-best nine rebounds.
Bailey Timmons (Argyle, Texas / Argyle) contributed seven points and four steals.
The Rundown
The start of the game saw the two teams trade leads for several minutes and Napoli had eight of Trinity's 12 points when the game was tied 12-12 with 4:14 left in the first quarter. The Tigers scored 10 of the final 12 points of the quarter, led by five in a row from
Jailyn Martin (Ashburn, Va. / Virginia Academy) in less than a minute's time, and Trinity led 22-14 after one.
Napoli hit back-to-back shots for the Tigers early in the second period to push the lead to nine points, but Claremont hung in close and were within three with 6:14 remaining in the half. Trinity answered with five quick points as Napoli got an and-one three-point play, then got a steal and an assist to Minter for a fastbreak layup to take the lead back to eight at 33-25 less than a minute later. The Athenas fought back to within three once again with 1:36 left, but
Maddie Mueller (Houston, Texas / Concordia Lutheran) doubled Trinity's lead with a three-pointer on the next possession. O'Rourke got her own and-one in the final minute and the Tigers took a 41-32 advantage into the break.
Claremont got the first bucket of the second half, but Trinity scored 10 of the next 12 to pull away to a 15-point lead at 51-36 midway through the quarter. Timmons and Napoli had five points each to account for all 10 points. Claremont got a pair of foul shots to slow the game down, but Minter scored six of Trinity's next eight points and the lead went to 59-39 with three minutes to play in the third. The teams traded baskets and free throws the rest of the way and Trinity led 64-46 heading into the final quarter.
The deficit dropped to 15 as Claremont made the first shot of the fourth period, but back-to-back triples from Napoli and Minter pushed the Tiger lead back over 20 points once again. After another three from Claremont, Trinity scored six unanswered points to take its largest lead of the game at 76-52 to effectively clinch the victory with just 5:51 to play at the time.
Coach Speak
"The TOGETHERS make moves in LA a lot like Axel Foley does in Beverly Hills," said Head Coach
Cameron Hill. "We might get arrested for disturbing the peace out at Whittier, and we may have wrecked the buffet at the Harrow club while in Redlands, and today we may have enjoyed a shot of espresso with a lemon twist over at CMS. But one thing is certain, this team isn't gonna fall for the banana in the tailpipe. Love California in the fall! ONWARD."
Up Next
After enjoying some time off for Thanksgiving, the Tigers return to action at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 4, against the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas.
