BLOOMINGTON, ILL. – The Trinity women's basketball team fell to 0-3 today with a 54-61 loss to Millikin University (2-1) in the second day of the Champions Classic. Shooting woes and a rebounding gap plagued the Tigers early, creating a gap they couldn't close despite playing close to the Big Blue for the final three quarters.

The usual suspects had big scoring nights for the Tigers, led by Kyle Minter's (League City, Texas / Clear Springs) 25 points on 50% shooting (8-16) to go with her 5 rebounds. Lily Sauvageau (Houston, Texas / Second Baptist) had 16 on 47% shooting (7-15). The duo was a bright spot offensively among a Trinity team that struggled from the field. They accounted for three-quarters of the team's points on solid efficiency, while the other Tigers shot a collective 15% (4-27). The Big Blue, on the other hand, were able to capitalize on significant help from their bench, who outscored Trinity's 29 to 7.

The rebounding edge was also crucial for Millikin to secure the win. Rebounding has been a weakness for the Tigers so far this season, as they currently average 14 fewer boards per game than their opponents. Today's game repeated that trend, as the Big Blue grabbed 41 rebounds to Trinity's 25.

One bright spot for the Tigers was their defensive effort, forcing Millikin to give up 32 turnovers while losing the ball 21 times themselves. Trinity was able to capitalize on the defensive effort with 27 points off turnovers to Millikin's 15. Despite the big gap in turnovers, the Big Blue's lead remained steady as they found success from the field, shooting 57% (19-32) through the first three quarters of play.

The Rundown
It looked as though the season's tides were shifting early on, as the Tigers took a 10-2 lead just four minutes in, thanks to Minter's 6 early points. Millikin began to claw their way back, though, and the shots stopped falling for Trinity. In the last 4:30 of the first quarter, the Tigers went scoreless, missing six shots and all four of their free throws. The Big Blue, who struggled with turnovers in the first few minutes, found their rhythm while Trinity struggled. In that same time period, they went on a 10-0 run and were perfect from the field, closing out the quarter with a seven-point lead, 18-11.

Things threatened to get ugly in the second as Millikin's shots continued to fall and Trinity's continued not to. The Big Blue had just two empty possessions in the first 3:30 of the quarter, thanks to their efficient scoring and rebounding as they stretched their lead to 14. And yet, their turnover troubles kept them from putting the game out of reach, allowing the Tigers, despite their offensive struggles, to bring the game back within single digits before the halftime buzzer. Minter and Skye O'Rourke, who had 5 points each in the quarter, kept Trinity within striking distance as the half ended 23-32.

The late-quarter Trinity momentum continued after play returned. Millikin had its best shooting quarter of the day, shooting 70% (7-10), but the turnovers continued to haunt them, and the Tigers were able to make things exciting once again. Minter and Sauvageau got hot early, combining for all 13 of the team's points in the first four minutes of the quarter. Still with more than half of the period to play, the Tigers took their first lead since 2:11 in the first quarter. They were never able to extend it past two points, however, as much of the remaining quarter was spent with the two teams trading buckets. The momentum remained with the Tiger side that had clawed its way back into the game until the last two minutes of the period, when turnovers began to haunt them instead. The Big Blue were able to close out the quarter with seven unanswered points, regaining their lead for the last time, 52-44.

In the fourth, the Tigers came out swinging once again. They opened the first four minutes on an 8-1 run, bringing the Millikin lead to just one point. Their misfortunes from the field would return, however, as they would only score one more bucket in the quarter. Neither team was elite on the scoreboard in the final period, but the Big Blue were able to do just enough to put the game back out of reach. The final buzzer sounded with a 61-54 Millkin win.

Looking Ahead
The Tigers will return to Texas next Friday, Nov. 21, to take on Hardin-Simmons University. The Cowgirls have enjoyed a 3-1 start to their season and are currently outscoring their opponents by an average of 21 points per game. The next day, Trinity will take on McMurry University, a familiar foe the Tigers bested last year in a down-to-the-wire 65-64 win to advance to the SCAC Championship. The Warhawks are currently 1-0.