SAN ANTONIO – The Trinity University women's basketball team opened its Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference weekend at home with a 65-57 loss to McMurry University (TX) on Friday night.

The Tigers fell to 6-6 overall this season and are 2-1 in league play after suffering their first conference loss of the year. The War Hawks improved to 8-2 overall and today marked the team's SCAC opener for the 2024-25 season. Trinity still leads the series between the two teams, holding a slim 8-7 advantage, but this marks the first meeting in the SCAC.

Josie Napoli (Beaverton, Ore. / Valley Catholic) was Trinity's only player to reach double figures, scoring 18 points on 4-of-7 shooting from three-point range. She also led the team with three steals and four assists, while also collecting four rebounds. Kylie Minter (League City, Texas / Clear Springs) finished with nine points and was one of six players to grab a team-best six rebounds. Skye O'Rourke (Austin, Texas / Vandegrift) and Elaine King (Cedar Park, Texas / Cedar Park) were the others and King also contributed three blocks. Ivory Scott (Waco, Texas / Waco) led the Tiger bench with eight points in 18 minutes, hitting 3-of-5 from the field.

The Rundown
Both teams struggled to score early, and the game was tied 7-7 over five minutes into the opening period of play. Trinity broke the tie with a pair of buckets to take a 12-7 lead – the biggest for either team in the quarter. The Tigers were still in the lead after a basket from O'Rourke near the three-minute mark, but Trinity was held to just one more point in the quarter. McMurry took a brief lead in the final minute, but Trinity tied the game 15-15 with a free throw in the final half-minute.

The second quarter started with five lead changes in the first five minutes and the teams were still tied 24-24 with under five to play in the opening half. After McMurry hit a three to break the tie, Timmons and Napoli both scored to put the Tigers back in front 28-27 with three-plus minutes to go. The War Hawks closed the half with a 7-2 run, though, and took a 34-30 lead into the break.

Napoli opened the third quarter with a three-pointer to close to within one, then answered a pair of McMurry free throws with another basket to make it 36-35. The Tigers struggled to score after that, adding just two more points over the final 7:55 of the quarter. Trinity's defense kept them in it for most of the quarter and Scott's layup with 2:50 left cut the margin to 42-37. McMurry finished with seven straight points after that and took a 49-37 lead heading into the final 10 minutes.

Trinity came out strong to start the fourth quarter and scored eight straight of its own to make it a 49-45 game. Napoli nailed a three-pointer for the first basket of the run, then Timmons and Jivana Caceres (Kyle, Texas / Hays) both dropped in layups and there were still seven minutes left in the game. The Tigers missed their next two shots, though, and McMurry made consecutive three-pointers to take the lead back to double figures (55-45) with under six to go. Minter hit a three-pointer with just over three minutes left to cut the lead to seven, but that was the closest Trinity was able to get the rest of the way.

Coach Speak
"The Perfect Storm," began Head Coach Cameron Hill. "A meteorologist's dream. A sword boat captain's worst nightmare. We have all the tools to head to the Flemish Cam, catch the fish, and set the market. But the storm we have to go through is of our own design. Good thing my favorite character of all time is Lieutenant Dan. ONWARD."

Up Next
Trinity will finish off the weekend by hosting Concordia University (TX) on Sunday, January 12, at 12:00 p.m.