Posted: Feb 28, 2025
IRVING, Texas -- The Trinity University duo of Kylie Minter and Josie Napoli combined for 44 points as they led the Gold Division third-seeded Tigers to a 79-73 victory over the Blue Division second-seeded University of St. Thomas Celts in quarterfinal round action of the 2025 SCAC Women's Basketball Tournament on Friday afternoon on the campus of the University of Dallas. Official Tournament Website | Photo Gallery | Postgame Interview | Women's Tournament Stats
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Trinity knocked down its first three-pointer of the game for a brief lead in the opening minutes of the first quarter, but the Tigers missed their next 11 shots from beyond the arc, and St. Thomas took advantage to lead by as many as 10 points (15-5) in the period.
- The second quarter was a much different story for Trinity, which scored 12 of the first 16 points of the period and used a 7-0 flurry at the end to tie the game 19-19 with less than seven minutes left in the half.
- The Celts went back in front with a three-pointer on their next possession and had the lead at 25-21 past the midway part of the second quarter.
- After back-to-back layups from Natalie Greenwood and Skye O'Rourke to ease the Tigers back in front with under three minutes to play, and St. Thomas' Macey Whitfield got the final score of the half to make it a 31-29 at the break.
- The third quarter started with three quick buckets from Bailey Timmons, Kylie Minter, and Livy Sauvageau for the Tigers to take an eight-point lead and force a timeout less than two minutes into the period. Trinity kept the pressure up after the timeout and had the lead up to 44-32 at the midway point after Josie Napoli buried a three-pointer. The lead was still 12 with just over two minutes left when St. Thomas closed with a 13-0 run, capped by a three-pointer from Amyia Bowie, that gave the Celts a 50-49 lead by the end of the quarter.
- Both teams produced their best quarter to close out the game, but Trinity's 30-point explosion earned them the win, sparked by Minter who scored 14 of her 16 points in the quarter in a stretch of less than six minutes, and 14 of the team's 21 points during a critical stretch that clinched the win. Her final shot put the finishing touches on the game, hitting a dagger three with under a minute to play, giving Trinity a 77-72 lead.
TRINITY UNIVERSITY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Kylie Minter: 28 points, 11-of-17 FGs, 6-for-10 3FGs, 9 rebounds, 3 assists
- Livy Sauvageau: 17 points, 3 assists, 3 steals
- Josie Napoli: 16 points, 12 assists
UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Amyia Bowie: 14 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals
- Ravyn Ellis: 16 points, 6 rebounds
- Audrey Hernanez: 16 points, 6-of-7 FGs
- Kenna Gibson: 14 points, 7 rebounds
NOTABLES
- The Tigers improved to 15-11 this season with the win, while the Celts (14-10) had their 11-game winning streak snapped with the loss.
- Trinity is in the SCAC Tournament Semifinals for the 13th straight season and has a 38-12 record in the tournament.
- This was the first meeting between Trinity and St. Thomas in tournament play and the Celts fall to 0-3 all-time in the conference event. The win for the Tigers also avenges a regular season loss to the Celts, evening the series between the two teams for the season.
- Minter poured in a career-high 28 points on 11-of-17 shooting that included a 6-for-10 performance from beyond the arc. The six three-pointers made ties Minter's career-high, which she set less than two weeks ago. She scored 16 of her 28 points in the fourth quarter, hitting all six of her field goals and connecting on four three-pointers to lead the Tigers to the win.
- Napoli's 12 assists ties for the most in a SCAC women's tournament game, equaling the mark set by former Trinity Tiger Lauren Andrews in a Feb. 27, 2007 game against Rhodes.
- St. Thomas' Bowie ended with 14 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists.
UP NEXT
Trinity will play McMurry University on Saturday, March 1, at 2:00 p.m. McMurry received a first-round bye after winning the SCAC Gold Division title. The winner will advance to the SCAC Championship game at Noon on Sunday, March 2.
