Mount Berry, GEORGIA – The Trinity women's basketball team is heading to the SAA Championship game against Millsaps College after throttling Berry College, 73-49, in the semifinals. The Tigers put on a clinic to take a double-digit lead after the first quarter and never looked back to take a commanding win over the Vikings.
The Tigers shot 46% from the field and were on point from three, hitting 44% of their shots from deep. Defensively, they held the Vikings to 36% shooting from the field and 30% from three, and forced 17 turnovers on 10 steals, while giving the ball up just 10 times. Trinity also held a big advantage on the glass, grabbing 37 rebounds to Berry's 29.
Kylie Minter came up huge in the win, posting a career-high 29 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals on 60% (9-15) shooting from the field and a red-hot 70% (7-10) from three. Livy Sauvageau netted 13 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists and a career-high 4 steals. Skye O'Rourke contributed 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal on 55% (6-11) shooting,
The Rundown
First Quarter
Berry struck first, but Trinity quickly found its rhythm and seized control midway through the period. After falling behind 9–6, the Tigers responded with a dominant 11-0 run over the next few minutes. At the 4:39 mark, Skye O'Rourke knocked down a jumper to spark the surge, and a few possessions later Natalie Greenwood calmly sank two free throws. Livy Sauvageau then converted a layup at 3:57, followed by a momentum-shifting three-pointer from Kylie Minter at 3:15 off a kick-out from Ivory Scott. Moments later, at 2:35, Sauvageau capped the run with another jumper. Score update: Trinity flipped a 9–6 deficit into a 17–9 lead.
Later in the quarter, Trinity continued to execute on both ends, stretching the advantage to 22–11 by the end of the period.
Second Quarter
Berry opened the second quarter with urgency, using a quick 5-0 push over the first two minutes to trim the margin to 22–16. Trinity weathered the run and responded with steady offense and defensive stops. A few minutes later, Sauvageau and Greenwood combined to stabilize the scoring, while Trinity's defense limited Berry to one-and-done possessions.
Later in the quarter, the Tigers began to rebuild their cushion with efficient half-court execution, carrying a 30–22 lead into halftime.
Third Quarter
Coming out of the break, Berry made another brief push, but Trinity answered and maintained control throughout the quarter. Midway through the period, with the Tigers holding a 40–33 advantage, Trinity delivered another key stretch. At 3:03, Emma Winans knocked down two free throws to begin a 7-0 run, and moments later, at 2:30, Minter buried a three-pointer to energize the offense. At the 1:45 mark, Sauvageau added two more free throws to cap the run. Score update: Trinity extended the lead to 47–33.
Later in the quarter, Trinity continued to dictate the tempo and carried a 51–38 lead into the final period.
Fourth Quarter
Berry attempted one last push to start the fourth, scoring five straight points in the opening two minutes to cut the deficit to 51–40. Trinity quickly answered. At the 6:08 mark, Elaine King finished through contact for a layup, and a few possessions later, at 5:15, Minter drilled another three-pointer off an assist from Scott. Shortly after, at 4:30, O'Rourke added a putback to complete a decisive 7-0 response. Score update: Trinity pushed the lead to 64–46.
Later in the quarter, the Tigers continued to build on their advantage with balanced scoring and strong defensive possessions, pulling away down the stretch.
Final Score: Trinity 73, Berry 49
Coach Speak
"MJ was always a superior basketball player to everyone, said Head Coach Cameron Hill. "I think he learned early on, he never needed to raise his basketball level to improve - basketball is the easy part. But when Mike started to elevate his level of focus, competitive energy, intensity, and maturity, the gap between him and anyone else in history became insurmountable. That is what I saw from The TOGETHERS today, they leveled up in a big way and the basketball took care of itself. ONWARD."
Up Next
The Tigers will play Millsaps College tomorrow at 3:00 PM (ET) in search of their first SAA Championship.
