TO READ THE FULL PREVIEW, CLICK ON THE "TIGER WOMEN'S BASKETBALL AT NCAA TOURNAMENT" LINK.
 
Trinity University looks to make their mark on the year as they travel to Abilene, Texas to compete in the NCAA III Tournament.
 
The Tigers (22-5) earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning their fourth-consecutive SCAC Championship. The Tigers defeated Schreiner in the semi-finals and then won 63-57 against Colorado College in the championship game. Freshman Jamie Ruede (Pipe Creek, Texas / Boerne) was named tournament MVP with 28 total points across the two games. The Tiger defense was elite, forcing 33 total turnovers. Beating Colorado College was a tough and momentum-building victory heading into the tourney. 
 
Preview - UMHB Regional
 
The Tigers will play against the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor on Friday, March 1st at 5:30 PM. Along with Trinity and UMHB, Hardin-Simmons and Occidental are also in this pod of four. 
 
On the Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders: The Crusaders finished the season 21-6 and earned an at-large bid to the tournament after losing to Hardin-Simons in the ASC championship. The Cru will be taking on the Tigers for the second time this season. UMHB fell to Trinity in their first game of the season 84-74. Overall, the Crusaders are solid defensively as they only allow about 65 points per game this season. UMHB is led by junior guard Arieona Rosborough who is averaging 19.5 points per game this season. With the win, the Tigers are now 16-3 against UMHB all time. 
 
On the No. 10 Hardin-Simmons Cowgirls: The 2024 ASC champions finished the season 24-3. The Cowgirls dropped games to ETBU, Emory, and UMHB. TU and HSU have also played this year, with the Cowgirls coming out on top by four points in an overtime thriller. Hardin-Simmons finished the season on a 12-game winning streak so they come hot into the postseason. Guard Paris Kiser leads the Cowgirls with 19.4 points per game with a .454 shooting percentage. All time, the Tigers are 16-8 against Hardin-Simmons. 
 
On the Occidental Tigers: Occidental rounded out the season 22-5 and claimed a SCIAC championship. Oxy did play against fellow SCAC member in Austin College, who they beat 61-49 on December 19th. Occidental will rely heavily on senior guard Toni Thompson. Thompson is averaging 24.8 points per game and she does it by getting to the basket and having a soft touch near the rim. She is also a menace on the boards, averaging 11.4 rebounds per game this season. She will be a tough matchup for anyone she faces. This will be the first time that the two Tiger teams have played against each other since 2011. 
 
Key to the Game
 
Keep Shooting: In the championship game, the Tigers shot over 40% from three. With shooters like Ruede and Josie Napoli (Beaverton, Oregon / Valley Catholic), Trinity will want them to get their shots up so the offense can gain momentum. When they get hot, it opens up the paint of easier shots around the basket. 
 
Looking Ahead
 
If the Tigers prevail, they will play against the winner of Hardin-Simmons and Occidental on Saturday at 8:00 PM.