SAN ANTONIO – The Trinity University women's basketball team opened Southern Athletic Association play with a dominating 91-66 win over Southwestern University (TX) on Saturday evening.
The Tigers improved to 5-7 overall this season, while the Pirates dropped to 9-3 on the year with the loss. Trinity has now won 21 straight games in the series with Southwestern, dating back to the end of the 2014-15 season. Trinity never trailed in the game but it was a punishing 35-point third quarter that really put the game away, turning a 10-point halftime lead into a blowout. The Tigers shot nearly 57% from the field and hit 12-of-22 (54.5%) from three-point range, while holding Southwestern to 30.4% shooting and just 5-of-19 (26.3%) from distance.
Livy Sauvageau (Houston, Texas / Second Baptist) led three double-digit scorers for the Tigers with 20 points, hitting 7-of-10 from the field and an outstanding 6-for-6 from three-point range. She also added four points and four rebounds in just 21 minutes on the floor.
Kylie Minter (League City, Texas / Clear Springs) knocked down 4-for-7 from the field to finish with 14 points and a team-leading seven assists, while
Natalie Greenwood (Dallas, Texas / Byron Nelson) had 13 points to go with four assists and a team-best eight rebounds.
Skye O'Rourke (Austin, Texas / Vandegrift) chipped in with eight rebounds and three boards, with
Emma Winans (Austin, Texas / Vandegrift) scoring seven points to lead the Tiger reserves.
Ivory Scott (Waco, Texas / Waco) added six boards, three points, two steals, and two assists.
Maddie Mueller (Houston, Texas / Concordia Lutheran) scored five points and dished out four assists off the bench.
The Rundown
Trinity took control of the game from the start with an 8-0 run that included three-pointers from both Minter and Sauvageau. The lead got as high as 11 points ahead of the four-minute mark as Sauvageau nailed another from distance to make it a 15-4 lead for the Tigers. The Pirates made their first run of the game after that, scoring eight unanswered to trim the lead to just three points with 2:05 to go in the quarter. That was as close as the game got the rest of the way and the Tigers took a 19-14 lead at the end of the quarter.
Sauvageau started the second quarter with another three-pointer, but five quick points by Southwestern cut the lead to three once again at 22-19 with seven minutes left in the first half. Trinity's answer came by way of a 10-0 run that included five points from Minter and stretched the lead to 32-19 with under five minutes to go. Southwestern cut the lead to six points heading towards the final minute of the quarter, but
Jailyn Martin (Ashburn, Va. / Virginia Academy) hit back-to-back layups in the final 1:09 to make it a 38-28 game at the break.
The Tigers were methodical in the first two quarters, slowly building a 10-point halftime lead that left them in control even if the game was still within reach. But any thoughts of reeling in the lead were crushed in the opening 2:34 of the third quarter. Sauvageau started the 9-2 run with a three-pointer in the first nine seconds, Greenwood added two free throws in the next possession and then O'Rourke finished the run with back-to-back layups that made it a 47-30 game. Another Sauvageau triple started another Tiger run with less than six minutes to go in the period, which finished with 13 straight Trinity points and a 62-34 lead with 3:32 remaining. Minter scored the final five points of the run and Sauvageau had another three to account for six to give the duo 11 of the 13 scored. Mueller hit a three-pointer of her own with 1:12 left and then Winans had a three of her own in the final minute to make it a 33-point Tiger lead. Southwestern got the final four points, but it was still a 73-44 game heading into the fourth. Trinity outscored the Pirates 35-16 in the quarter, turning a 10-point game into a 29-point blowout.
Southwestern threatened to make the game respectable early in the fourth quarter, trimming the lead to 24 points less than three minutes in. The lead was still the same as the clock moved under six minutes, but Trinity scored eight unanswered points over the next two minutes to push the lead back over 30. The Pirates scored five points in the final minute to bring the lead back in the 20s by game's end.
Coach Speak
"There was a
Rocky marathon last night, which is a dream come true for Coach Cam," said Head Coach
Cameron Hill. "When I think about
Rocky 3, there were really two distinct versions of Rocky. The Rocky who defended his title against hand-picked opponents, and then the Rocky that fought Clubbe Lang for the second time. I feel like both of those Rockys were in the gym tonight. Southwestern has played a schedule that has enabled them to gain confidence and have success, while we have almost exclusively fought Clubber Langs. In the end, you do what's best for your group, but I sure am grateful for some of the beatings that we have been able to learn from. Either way, there will be a rematch so get your tickets before they sell out. ONWARD."
Up Next
Trinity will continue conference play at home next weekend, hosting Oglethorpe University (GA) on Friday, January 9, at 6:00 p.m., and then taking on Berry College (GA) on Sunday, January 11, at 12:00 p.m.
