Despite a successful first half, two quarters of single-digit scoring made for a bitter end for the Tigers in their season opener on Nov. 9. Women’s basketball lost to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (UMHB) 58-45.
The game was a physical and defensive battle, with both teams struggling mightily to score throughout. During the game, Trinity University shot 24.6% (14 for 57), with UMHB not doing much better at 32.3% (21 for 65).
With that said, UMHB’s shooting was a consistent level of bad throughout the night. Trinity, on the other hand, went from shooting 10 for 27 in the first half to shooting four for 30 in the second half. Nonetheless, Trinity generated solid opportunities through their ball movement, as Jailyn Martin, junior guard who had two points and four rebounds, pointed out.
“Good offense, just shots weren’t falling,” Martin said. “I believe we went one for 16 in the fourth which is very rare for us. I think all of us were having fun throughout the entire game, then we just started to get frustrated, but all in all, it was a good game. It was something we needed, first game-wise.”
The Tigers had opportunities throughout the night, aided by their passing. Despite this, the shots simply would not fall, with Trinity going four for 38 on threes throughout the game, which Skye O’Rourke, junior guard who scored seven points and grabbed eight rebounds, emphasized was highly irregular.
“We are a great shooting team. It was just very unfortunate that our shots were not falling,” O’Rourke said. “I’d say a lot of us, our specialty is shooting corner threes. So although all of them did not go in, I just know that not every game will be that way.”
The score was extremely tight for most of the game, with UMHB’s lead not increasing to double digits until late into Trinity’s abysmal fourth quarter. According to O’Rourke, UMHB’s size and athleticism made a major difference late in the game.
“They were very athletic. I’ll say they are very quick, jumping to the ball, so they were able to steal a few passes,” O’Rourke said. “They also closed up the passing lanes, so we didn’t get to make as simple and as easy passes as we do to get those wide-open shots.”
Cameron Hill, head coach of women’s basketball in his 13th season this year, concurred with this assessment. He had high praise for UMHB’s athleticism, halftime adjustments and recruiting, but maintained that this was a winnable game for the Tigers.
“I don’t know that we’ll play any other team that’s as athletic as them. But then again, athleticism only gets you so far,” Hill said. “We will play teams that maybe execute better than them. But that’s the cool part about what we do, every single game we play is a new opportunity to solve the riddle for that day. And honestly, we solved the riddle, we just didn’t make the shots.”
The prevailing attitude among the team seems to be optimistic. Hill emphasized the importance of the Tigers being tested against a team of this caliber so early in the season.
“Mary Hardin Baylor is the type of opponent that we really need to play,” Hill said. “I’m very close with their coach, she does a really good job. They played the second half like what I think is the perfect version of basketball for their team. 1-3-1 zone, long and athletic, they were aggressive in transition on offense.”
For some, this loss may have come as a surprise, as Trinity defeated UMHB twice last season, once in the season opener and once in the first round of the NCAA tournament. However, according to Natalie Greenwood, redshirt junior center who had four points and four rebounds alongside a steal and a block, UMHB underwent major roster changes this season.
“They’re a completely new team,” Greenwood said. “We returned a lot of our same players, so they might have been able to scout us a little bit better and be a little bit more prepared whereas we kind of had to adjust on the fly. I think in the future, when we face them again in a couple of weeks, we’ll know what to expect and I can say with a lot of confidence that the outcome is gonna be different.”
Greenwood also concurred with the optimism of her coach and teammates. She called the shooting performance a fluke and voiced excitement and anticipation about her team’s potential.
“The biggest thing about our team is that we’re so deep. We have a lot of talent, a lot of depth. I think anybody can step up on any given night and be the spark that we need to win,” Greenwood said.
“We’re a close group of girls, we’ve got each other’s backs no matter what. Our chemistry is there, our talent is there, our depth is there. Those are really important to have a really good team. I’ll be excited to see what we can do this season.”
