Posted: Mar 21, 2021
SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Trinity University defeated Colorado College, 73-63, in Sunday afternoon’s championship game of the 2021 SCAC Women’s Basketball Tournament at Calgaard Gymnasium. Official Tournament Website | Post-game interview w/ Trinity head coach Cameron Hill | Post-game interview w/ Tournament MVP Jordan Rudd | Photos
Playing in their ninth-consecutive SCAC women’s tournament final, the TU Tigers led by as many as 15 midway through the third quarter and held off a furious Colorado College rally to earn the program's seventh conference championship - the most in league history.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Bolstiered by its full court pressure defense that forced eight Colorado College turnovers, Trinity took a 19-11 lead after the first period.
- Trinity forced six more CC turnovers in the period and extended its lead to as much as 13 before settling for an 11-point halftime lead at 39-28.
- CC's Audrey Bayston, the SCAC Co-Newcomer-of-the-Year, had 14 of her game-high 25 in the third quarter to bring the Colorado Tigers back to within six at the end of the period (54-48).
- A three-pointer by CC's Talia Cloud cut the lead to 56-53 with 8:01 remaining but that is as close as the visiting Tigers would come.
- Trinity's Jordan Rudd had nine of her team-high 22 points in the final quarter to seal the victory for the TU Tigers.
- Points off turnovers was the key stat of the game as Trinity turned 22 Colorado College turnovers into 20 points. CC managed just three points off the TU Tigers five turnovers.
- Colorado College shot better from the floor (47.8 percent to 35.3 percent) but Trinity took 22 more shots.
- The team's combined to make 15 of 44 three-point attempts with CC hitting on 7 of 19 (36.8 percent) and Trinity making 8 of 25 (32.0 percent). Trinity made 17 of 26 free throws (65.4 percent); Colorado College sank 12 of 20 (60.0 percent from the charity stripe.
- The CC bench outscored Trinity's 27-8.
TRINITY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Jordan Rudd: 22 points, six rebounds, two assists
- Ashlyn Milton: 19 points, four rebounds
- Hailey Coleman: 10 points eight rebounds, two steals
- Emily Daniel: 8 points, two rebounds, two steals
COLORADO COLLEGE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Audrey Bayston: 25 points, six rebounds
- Anna Fanelli: 14 points, seven rebounds, seven assists
- Rosie Braley: 8 points, six rebounds
- McKenzee Gertz: 11 points, eight rebounds
NOTABLES
- Trinity's Jordan Rudd, the SCAC Defensive Player-of-the-Year, was named the Tournament's Most Valuable Player. Joining Rudd on the All-Tournament Team was Trinity's Ashlyn Milton and Hailey Coleman, Colorado College's Audrey Bayston and Anna Fanelli and Austin College's Reagan Chiaverini.
- Trinity now has seven SCAC women's basketball titles; the most of any program in league history. The Tigers had been tied with DePauw University for most women's basketball championships at six.
- The victory avenged Trinity's only two losses this season as CC posted back-to-back road wins over the Texas Tigers the second weekend of the abbreviated 2021 season. Colorado College defeated Trinity 57-55 on Jan. 22 and 64-61 in overtime the following day.
- The championship is the fourth in the last six years for Trinity, who made its ninth straight appearance in the tournament final. The TU Tigers are now 5-4 over that stretch of title game appearances.
- This marked the third time a team has played for the conference championship on its home floor. Teams are now 2-1 in those appearances: Trinity was defeated on its home floor in the 2014 championshp game and Texas Lutheran won the title on its home floor in 2019.
- Trinity ends its season with a 10-2 mark; Colorado College finishes at 7-3 with the loss.
