BELTON, Texas – The Trinity University women's basketball team had a three-game winning streak interrupted by the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor on Wednesday evening, as the Tigers were tripped up in an 80-65 road loss.

The Tigers (3-2) have now lost both meetings against the Crusaders in the early part of the season, following a season-opening defeat in San Antonio. Trinity has won 17 of the 22 meetings between the two teams and had won nine straight in the series coming into this season. Trinity was outrebounded 60-29 in the game and UMHB had 30 offensive rebounds that led to a decisive 31-6 margin in second chance points. The Tigers also were doubled up 40-20 on points in the paint and the Crusaders made more free throws (20) than Trinity had free throw attempts (18).

Josie Napoli (Beaverton, Ore. / Valley Catholic) led the way in scoring with 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting that included 4-for-5 from three-point range. Kylie Minter (League City, Texas / Clear Springs) added 18 points of her own, dishing out three assists and swiping a pair of steals. Bailey Timmons (Argyle, Texas / Argyle) finished with four rebounds and a team-best four assists but was limited to just 20 minutes on the floor due to foul trouble. Skye O'Rourke (Austin, Texas / Vandegrift) came off the bench and hit 2-for-3 from beyond the arc on her way to eight points.

The Rundown
Trinity trailed by just one point after the opening quarter, but a six-point second period left the Tigers facing a 30-22 halftime deficit. Both teams came out on fire in the second half with 55 combined points in the third quarter alone, but UMHB was able to hold on for the win with 50 total points in the second half.

After trading leads early in the first quarter, Mary Hardin-Baylor eased out to a 10-6 advantage with just over four minutes left in the period. Back-to-back three-pointers from Napoli and O'Rourke put Trinity in front, then Minter capped the 8-0 run with a bucket of her own and the Tigers had a 14-10 in just over a minute. The Crusaders scored seven of the final nine points of the period, though, and held a slight 17-16 edge after the first 10 minutes of play.

Including a late basket to end the first quarter, UMHB put together an 8-0 run of its own less than three minutes into the second to take a 23-16 lead. Trinity managed just one basket in the quarter, adding two free throws to manage six points. The Tiger defense kept the game within reach as UMHB only scored 13 points of its own in the quarter. Neither team scored a field goal over the final four minutes and the home team led by eight at the break.

The low-scoring second quarter was quickly erased to start the second half as both teams scored early and often. There were 15 combined points score in less than two minutes to start what would be the most prolific quarter for both teams offensively. The Tigers missed after connecting on five straight shots and UMHB capitalized with back-to-back three-pointers to take a 47-33 lead with under six minutes left in the quarter. The lead was still 13 points with under four to go when the Tigers strung together a run of their own. O'Rourke and Napoli once again hit consecutive three-pointers, preceded by a jumper from Minter, and the Tigers drew within five at 51-46. UMHB turned things around with six straight points, then Jivana Caceres (Kyle, Texas / Hays) closed the quarter with consecutive buckets to make it a 57-50 game heading into the fourth.

The Crusaders opened the fourth quarter with nine unanswered points to take the biggest lead of the game to that point (66-50). That margin remained at the midway point of the quarter when the Tigers made one final push that was capped by another three from Napoli, cutting the lead to 70-60 with 3:30 to play. UMHB stopped the run with a bucket of its own and then followed a Tiger miss with two free throws to take the lead back to 14 less than a minute later, effectively sealing the win.

Coach Speak
"Wolverine couldn't perform to his true potential until he survived the Adamantium Bonding Procedure," began Head Coach Cameron Hill. "While it nearly killed him, it also propelled him towards becoming the greatest version of himself. We lost, but if you look closely, you'll notice some pretty sharp claws emerging from the TOGETHERS fist. Nobody wins championships in December. ONWARD."

Up Next
Trinity will play its first Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference game of the season, traveling to Kerrville, Texas, to face off against Schreiner University. The Tigers and Mountaineers meet on Tuesday, December 10, at 5:00 p.m.