SAN ANTONIO – The Trinity University women's basketball team finished off a Southern Athletic Association weekend with a 72-54 win over Berry College (GA) on Sunday afternoon.
The Tigers evened their overall record to 7-7 this season and remained undefeated at 3-0 in conference play. The Vikings fell to 7-8 overall and 1-2 in the SAA on the year. Trinity blew the game open with a 19-4 advantage in the second quarter, leading to a 36-17 halftime lead. Berry rallied in the third quarter, but the Tigers never gave up the lead and then finished with a 27-point fourth quarter to close out the game. Trinity's defense held Berry to just 32.1% shooting overall and 22.7% from three-point range. The Tiger offense hit nearly 46% from the field overall (40% from distance) and hit 24-of-29 (82.8%) from the free throw line.
Allison Even (Tucson, Ariz. / Salpointe Catholic) led Trinity with 17 points in 19 minutes off the bench, hitting all five of her field goals, three three-pointers, and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the foul line. Even also pulled down four rebounds and tied for the team lead with three steals.
Kylie Minter (League City, Texas / Clear Springs) finished with 15 points and was one of three Tigers with three assists.
Livy Sauvageau (Houston, Texas / Second Baptist) had three assists to go with her 14 points scored, while also tying for the team lead in both rebounds and steals.
Natalie Greenwood (Dallas, Texas / Byron Nelson) had 12 points and five boards in her 21 minutes of action.
Ivie Mehary (Dallas, Texas / Parish Episcopal School) chipped in with six points and three rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench.
The Rundown
The first quarter was close the entire way as neither team led by more than three points until the final seconds when the Tigers hit a pair of free throws for a 17-13 lead. Trinity broke a 4-4 tie with a bucket at the six-minute mark, but Berry took the lead with five straight points and its biggest lead of the game at 9-6. After the Tigers tied the game 9-9 on layup by Mehary, then Even scored three straight to put Trinity in front. The Vikings reclaimed the lead with just under two minutes left, but Even nailed a three-pointer to put the Tigers ahead for good with a little over a minute left.
Trinity's run to end the opening period continued into the next as Berry was held scoreless for nearly five minutes to open the second quarter. By the time the Vikings finally scored, the Tigers had scored eight unanswered points to take a 25-13 lead. After Berry hit a shot to break up the run, Trinity immediately scored 11 straight to take a 36-15 lead in the final minute. The Vikings scored the final points of the quarter to make it a 36-17 game at the half.
Greenwood opened the third quarter with a basket to push the Trinity lead back over 20 points, but the Tiger offense went cold and Berry rallied with 18 unanswered points over the next six-plus minutes to make it a 38-35 game with just over two minutes left. Even finally ended the Tiger drought with a three-pointer to double the lead, then Minter scored to take the lead back to eight. Berry continued to put the pressure on, though, scoring six straight in the final seconds to pull within two at 43-41 with just seconds to play. Mehary hit the final shot of the quarter and made it a 45-41 lead heading into the final quarter.
The fourth quarter began with nine straight Trinity points, beginning with a layup by Minter. Sauvageau followed with a three-pointer and two free throws, then Greenwood added two more foul shots to make it a 54-41 lead with 6:22 remaining. Berry hit a three near the six-minute mark for its first points of the quarter, but Even answered with a three of her own and then a layup on the next possession to push the lead back to 15. Berry scored again to make it 59-46, but the Tigers then scored 12 of the next 14 points to put the game out of reach with under two minutes to go. Sauvageau started the run with a three-pointer and Minter scored the final seven points of that stretch to lead the way.
Coach Speak
"This is the truth," said Head Coach
Cameron Hill. "I got up this morning and Lionel Richie's Easy like Sunday morning was playing. Then I poured myself a bowl of CRUNCH BERRIES, a cup of coffee, and I wrote the game sheet. With the exception of the third quarter, I'd say it was all pretty accurate forecasting. Driving home now listening to On The Road again by Willie Nelson. Off we go! ONWARD!"
Up Next
Trinity will play its first SAA road games of the season next weekend, beginning with a matchup at Rhodes College (TN) on Friday, January 16, at 6:00 p.m. The weekend finishes at Millsaps College (MS) on Sunday, January 18, at 12:00 p.m.
