SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Top-seed and host Trinity University advanced to its 11th straight SCAC title game with a 77-62 win over Texas Lutheran University in the day's first semifinal of the 2023 SCAC Women's Basketball Tournament. Official Tournament Website | Photo Gallery | Postgame Interview | Women's Tournament Stats
Playing on its home floor, Trinity jumped out to a 23-13 lead after after the first quarter and never trailed as the Tigers led by as many as 25 (50-25) in advancing to the conference championship game. The Bulldogs cut the lead to 15 on multiple occasions in the fourth quarter but could not get any closer.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Trinity shot 43.6 percent for the game, compared to Texas Luthern shooting 39.6 percent in the game. The Tiger defense clamped down on along the perimeter as they held the Bulldogs to just 2-of-20 (10.0 percent) from beyond the arc.
- The Tiger defense forced 26 Bulldog turnovers and translated those turnovers into a 39-15 edge in points off turnovers.
- Texas Lutheran's bench outscored Trinity's bench by a commanding 44-12 margin.
- The Bulldogs narrowly outrebounded the Tigers by a 36-32 count.
TRINITY UNIVERSITY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Ashlyn Milton: 20 points, 7-of-13 FG, 6-of-10 3pt FG, four rebounds, three assists
- Maggie Shipley: 14 points, three rebounds, three assists
- Maggie Robbins: 12 points, six rebounds, four assists, eight steals
- Addison Putnam: 11 points, eight rebounds, one assist
TEXAS LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Tanyse Moehrig: 19 points, 11 rebounds,
- Lauren Sansano: 13 points, five rebounds, 6-of-14 FG, two assists, one steal
- Brianna Wilson: 6 points, three rebounds
NOTABLES
- Maggie Robbins' eight steals tie a single-game SCAC tournament record. Ashleigh Whitworth of Sewanee also had eight in a 2/27/2004 first-round game against Southwestern.
- Ashlyn Milton's six three-pointers in the game were just one off the all-time conference tournament record of seven, established by Oglethorpe's Anna Findley against Southwestern at the 2007 championship. It was a semifinal repeat performance for Milton as she had six against Austin College in last year's semifinal round.
- Saturday's semifinal matchup between Trinity and Texas Lutheran was the seventh SCAC tournament matchup between the two. Trinity now holds a 5-2 edge in the seven all-time meetings, including today's win. Trinity is 5-0 against TLU in the semifinal round; TLU's two wins came in championship games in 2014 and 2019.
- Trinity will be making its 11th straight and 16th overall appearance in the SCAC title game. Both of those marks are program records for the SCAC tournament modern era. Trinity is 7-7 all-time in SCAC champinship games.
- Texas Lutheran ends its season with a 14-12 record.
UP NEXT
Trinity (25-1) advances to take on either No. 2 Colorado College or No. 3 Schreiner University in Sunday's championship game. Tip-off is scheduled for 12 pm CT.
