ATLANTA – The Trinity women's basketball team (13-10, 9-3 SAA) fell to Oglethorpe University (14-8, 6-5 SAA) tonight, 70-85.

It was a struggle across the board for the Tigers, who suffered the first double-digit loss of their conference campaign. They shot 35% from the field and 30% from three and turned the ball over 17 times. Oglethorpe had their best shooting night in six outings, making 48% of their shots from the field and 46% from three. The Stormy Petrels also struggled holding onto the ball, with 20 turnovers, but they were able to capitalize on giveaways in a way Trinity could not. They turned Tiger mistakes into 26 points on the other end, while Trinity scored just 11 points off turnovers. The rebounding edge was also a big factor tonight, as Oglethorpe grabbed 46 rebounds while the Tigers grabbed just 34. 

Ivory Scott (Waco, Texas / Waco) led the way tonight with 21 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals on 60% (6-10) shooting from the field and 75% (3-4) shooting from three. This is Scott's second 20+ point performance in three games. Kylie Minter (League City, Texas / Clear Springs) contributed 16 points, 3 assists, 1 block and 2 steals. Livy Sauvageau (Houston, Texas / Second Baptist) recorded 10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal on 40% (2-5) shooting from three. Emma Winans (Austin, Texas / Vandegrift) came off the bench with 10 points, 2 rebounds and 1 block on 100% (5-5) shooting.

The Rundown
A back-and-forth first quarter saw Trinity build up some early momentum but fail to create any significant separation. There were five lead changes and four ties in the first period as both teams struggled to get much going offensively. The Tigers hit 38% of their shots, while Oglethorpe made just 25% of their field goals in the period. The largest lead of the quarter came when Allison Even (Tucson, Ariz. / Salpointe Catholic) put Trinity up 15-11 with 39 seconds to go, but two late Oglethorpe free throws whittled the game back down to one possession, 15-13 heading into the seconds.

The Stormy Petrels took the lead early in the second and never gave it back. Opening the quarter on an 8-2 run over the first three minutes, Oglethorpe took a 21-17 lead with 7:01 to play. Sauvageau responded quickly with a three pointer to cut the deficit to one, but it was Oglethorpe who came right back with another 8-2 run, creating a 29-22 gap with 4:29 to play. Threatened with an extending lead, Scott scored the final 5 points of the half, and the deficit remained a manageable 32-35 at halftime.

The Tigers looked to regain the lead in the third quarter, but it was not to be. They tied the game up twice in the first four minutes of the period but could not close things out as Oglethorpe began to pull away. After exchanging blows, a Minter jumper brought the lead down to 50-47 with 3:09 to go, but it was the Stormy Petrels who got the last laugh. Over the final three minutes of the quarter, they scored 8 unanswered points to take their first double-digit lead of the game, 58-47 heading into the fourth. The Tigers were unable to cash in on their last seven field goals of the period.

The Stormy Petrels opened up the fourth with a 10-2 run over the first two minutes, and the Tigers were never able to fight back into the game. With 7:56 to play, Oglethorpe led 68-49. Despite some mid-quarter runs by Trinity, the lead never again dipped below 13. At the final buzzer, the Stormy Petrels came away with an 85-70 win.

Coach Speak
"The Perfect Storm is a true story," said Head Coach Cameron Hill. "But if we could have rewritten the ending, perhaps they might not have put "setting the market" over living to fish another day.  Without getting into specifics, there were several variables in this game tonight that contributed to this particular PERFECT STORM.  The good news for us is, we saw the writing on the wall, we accepted the reality of the game, WE TOOK THE LOSS and we live to play another day."

Looking Ahead
Trinity will take on Berry College (14-8, 8-3 SAA) on Feb. 15. If the Tigers can take care of the Vikings and Southwestern University the following weekend, they'll lock up a top-two spot in the SAA and a first-round bye in the conference tournament. A loss to Berry would open up the possibility of Centre or Millsaps to take the second spot, while a loss to Southwestern would likely keep their position in the top two. A loss to both would make it even more likely for Centre or Millsaps to steal a bye.