San Antonio, TEXAS – Trinity women's basketball fell at home in their season opener to Emory University, 58-85. The edge from three-point range and on the glass made the difference as the Eagles pulled away after the first quarter.
 
Trinity had almost an all-new starting five from last year's opener. Kylie Minter (League City, Texas / Clear Springs) was the lone returning starter for the Tigers. Jailyn Martin (Ashburn, Virginia / Virginia Academy), Ivory Scott (Waco, Texas / Waco), Livy Sauvageau (Houston, Texas / Second Baptist) and Skye O'Rourke (Austin, Texas / Vandergrift) rounded out the lineup to start the game.
 
The Rundown
 
The Eagles came out swinging from beyond the arc, hitting 4-7 to go up nine points late in the first quarter. Off five timely points by Minter and some staunch defense from the Tigers, the quarter ended with Emory up four, 22-18.
 
Emory started to break the game open in the second quarter, going on an 11-0 run midway through the period to go up by double digits, 36-25. Even with Sauvageau's eight points in the quarter, the lead only got bigger. The Eagles continued to cash in from deep, shooting 5-11 from three in the second period. The half ended with Emory firmly in the lead, 47-34.
 
Both teams shot the ball relatively evenly in the first half, as Emory shot 48.6% (17-35) and Trinity shot 46.7% (14-30). The Tigers were efficient from deep, shooting 44.4% (4-9), but the threes came in bunches for the Eagles, shooting 50% (9-18). The lead could be found in the rebound and assist tallies as well, as the Eagles grabbed 20 boards to the Tigers' 15, and recorded 15 assists to the Tigers' 5. Sauvageau and Minter led the first-half scoring column for Trinity, with 12 and 9 points, respectively.
 
Neither team could find the bottom of the net in the third, as both squads shot under 30% from the field. As Emory's lead on the glass increased, however, so did their lead on the scoreboard. The Eagles grabbed 18 third-quarter rebounds to the Tigers' 10. Going into the final frame of play, Emory led 66-44. 
 
Both teams' scoring woes continued into the fourth quarter, and neither side made much headway until midway through the period. In the last five minutes, the Eagles pulled away for the last time, closing the game out with a 13-5 run to put the Tigers away. Trinity made just one of their last seven shots, emblematic of a second half in which the ball just would not go in for the home team. The final gap was 27, as the Eagles left San Antonio with an 85-58 win.
 
The difference in points from three-point range made up for almost the whole lead, as Emory scored 36 of their points from deep, to Trinity's 15. Combined with their rebounding performance, grabbing 52 to the Tigers' 35, the Eagles made life tough for the home team on all three levels. 
 
Minter led the Tigers in points, rebounds and assists tonight, with 12, 5 and 3, respectively. Sauvageau also had a nice day on the stat sheet, recording 12 points and 4 rebounds. Scott set a new career-high with 10 points tonight on 4-7 shooting and 2-3 from three-point range.  

Coach Speak

"Bull riding is a sport that had to have been invented on a bet lost, " said Head Coach Cameron Hill. "And the confidence it takes to climb onto a bull that doesn't want you on him is a real thing. I'm no rodeo historian, but I'd guess the first several years of bull riding favored the bull. A basketball season is no different. It's November. We jumped on the bull and the bull won. But we survived. So we get to choose if we want to do it again, perhaps with a little more experience and a lot more humility. Kobe said if you see me in a fight with a bear, prey for the bear. We're not there yet, but check back in March. ONWARD!"

Looking Ahead
 
Next up, the Tigers will head to Illinois Wesleyan University for the Champions Classic from Nov. 15-16. Illinois Wesleyan will provide their first taste of nationally ranked competition, as the Titans currently sit at 10th. The two teams faced off last year in an exciting matchup that saw the Tigers fall in OT, 91-94. Trinity will close out the weekend against Millikin University. The Titans and the Big Blue are yet to play this season as of Nov. 8.