Box Score HOUSTON – The Trinity University women's basketball team fell to the University of St. Thomas (TX) 79-63 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference action on Friday night.

The Tigers dropped to 14-10 overall and 10-5 in SCAC play, while the Celts improved to 13-9 on the season and 11-4 in league play. This is Trinity's first loss against St Thomas since January 2020, with the all-time series record sitting at 10-2 in favor of the Tigers.

Trinity struggled offensively, shooting 35.4% from the field and just 19.2% from three-point range, while the Celts posted a 49.1% shooting performance, including 56.5% from beyond the arc. Trinity was outrebounded 36-31 and had 15 turnovers, leading to key transition opportunities for St. Thomas.

Josie Napoli (Beaverton, Ore. / Valley Catholic) paced the Tigers with 15 points on 4-of-7 shooting from three-point range while also leading the team with six assists. Bailey Timmons (Argyle, Texas / Argyle) finished with 12 points and added three rebounds. Kylie Minter (League City, Texas / Clear Springs) contributed five points, four rebounds, and three steals, while Skye O'Rourke (Austin, Texas / Vandegrift) chipped in five points, four rebounds, and two steals off the bench.

The Rundown
Trinity opened the game on a strong note, jumping out to an early 13-8 lead midway through the first quarter following a transition three from Livy Sauvageau (Houston, Texas / Second Baptist). St. Thomas battled back and briefly held the advantage before a late free throw gave the Tigers a 15-13 edge at the end of the period.

The second quarter saw the teams trade baskets early before the Celts caught fire from beyond the arc, knocking down seven three-pointers in the period. St. Thomas used a 7-0 run late in the quarter to take a 41-34 lead into halftime.

The Tigers fought to close the gap in the third quarter, with Napoli hitting a pair of three-pointers and Timmons adding back-to-back baskets to trim the deficit to 50-48 with just over five minutes remaining. However, St. Thomas responded with an 11-0 run at the end of the quarter to stretch its lead to double digits, eventually taking a 62-52 advantage into the final period.

Trinity struggled to find consistent offense in the fourth quarter, as St. Thomas continued to apply pressure and maintained control throughout. The Celts shot 66.7% from the field in the final frame and never allowed the Tigers to close the gap, securing the 79-63 win.

Coach Speak

"We watched Soul Surfer on the way to Houston," said coach Cameron Hill. "Great story. Great quote. "I don't need easy, I just need possible!" Well I can promise both to this group, it definitely won't be easy, but it is definitely possible! Is it ironic that the shark that bit her was a tiger shark, because that's the same shark that bit us tonight! Here's to healing up as well as Bethany did!!! ONWARD!!!"

Up Next

The Tigers round out the regular season with a trip to face Colorado College on Sunday at 12pm (MT).