(Story Courtesy of Trinity University Sports Information Department)
ABILENE, Texas – The Trinity University women's basketball team had its postseason run ended with an 84-62 loss in the Second Round of the NCAA Playoffs at Hardin-Simmons University on Saturday night.
The Tigers fell to 23-6 with the loss, which was the second time this season that Trinity has come up short at Hardin-Simmons (26-3). Trinity lost a 92-88 overtime game in Abilene in late November.
Kylie Minter led the team with 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting overall and went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. Josie Napoli added 13 points along with three rebounds and three assists, while Jamie Ruede came off the bench with 10 points and a team-best nine rebounds.
Senior Maggie Robbins finished her career with eight points, five rebounds, a team-leading five assists, and two blocks. Bailey Timmons chipped in with nine points and four rebounds, hitting 3-for-5 from three-point range.
Both teams shot nearly the same from the field, but Hardin-Simmons doubled up Trinity in three-point field goals, and took 20 more free throws (making 15 more).
The Rundown
Trinity got off to a quick start behind a pair of three-pointers from Minter, jumping out to a 12-4 lead just ahead of the four-minute mark in the first quarter. Hardin-Simmons closed the quarter with eight unanswered points, though, and the teams were tied 12-12 after one.
The run for the Cowgirls continued into the second quarter, beginning with six more unanswered and eventually growing to a run of 22-2 burst that made it a 26-14 game with six minutes left until the half. Trinity finished with just eight points in the quarter and Hardin-Simmons turned a tie game into a 19-point halftime advantage, capped by the home team scoring 11 of the final 13 points of the half.
After starting the third quarter with a three-pointer to take a 22-point lead, HSU saw the Tigers rattle off seven straight points from Minter, Timmons, and Robbins. With the lead at 15 past the midway point of the quarter, Napoli got going by scoring Trinity's next seven points and getting the lead down to just 11 with 3:34 to go in the period. Ruede and Napoli combined to keep the deficit stable for the next couple of minutes, but Hardin-Simmons had one final push to go back up by 18 with 70 seconds left. Minter's last-second three dropped it to a 61-46 game heading into the fourth.
Trinity wasn't able to get any momentum going in the fourth period as HSU held the Tigers to just 16 points over the final 10 minutes. The Tigers got no closer than 14 points the rest of the way, while Hardin-Simmons finished with its second-best scoring quarter of the night to close out the win.
Coach Speak
"As much as I would love an encore, I know what time it is," said Head Coach Cameron Hill. "So let me put a bow on this incredible season with a dedication to Maggie Robbins: DJ, please play...Rhinestone Cowboy! 'Cause there's been a lot of compromisin' on the road to her horizon, but she's gonna be where the lights are shining on her. No doubt about it. She wears #11 because she's 1 of 1. Cheers boss. I know you know. ONWARD."
