Mixed emotions highlighted the weekend for both Trinity men’s and women’s basketball, as they each split their final two home games in Calgaard Gymnasium on Feb. 6 and Feb. 8. The women’s team defeated Rhodes College 88-74, but then lost to Millsaps College 73-72. The men fell to Rhodes 76-75 on a three-point shot in the final minute, and then responded with a 79-64 win versus Millsaps.
Women’s basketball vs. Rhodes College
The Tigers entered the game in first place in the Southern Athletic Association (SAA), while Rhodes only won six games all year. However, the Lynx took the early 17-point lead in the first half and were poised for the upset.
“When you’re building a team to compete for a championship, you have to have a full appreciation for how badly other teams want to interrupt that,” head women’s basketball coach, Cameron Hill, said. “They want a signature win.”
After cutting the halftime deficit to five, Trinity came alive in the third quarter and outscored Rhodes 28-12. Senior guard Kylie Minter led the team in scoring with 25 points and was a part of the offensive onslaught that eventually carried the day.
“It was my turn to step up,” Minter said. “We have a team where lots of people are capable of that, but it was my turn.”
Senior guard Ivory Scott also provided an offensive jolt, as she scored a career-high 23 points. All together it was too much for Rhodes, who watched the Tigers’ lead balloon to 14 points and an 88-74 final score.
Men’s basketball vs. Rhodes College
The men’s team hosted Rhodes in a game vying for first place in the SAA with two weeks remaining in the regular season. However, the game’s magnitude in the standings was accompanied by the effects of Braxton Barry’s memorial service just hours before tip off. Players wore shoes with Barry’s favorite color, pink, while every shirt and jersey worn by players and staff had a patch with his number, zero, on it. Senior guard Zach Fenn, who was teammates with Barry, had just spoken at the service.
“Everything we do now is for him,” Fenn said to the Trinitonian. “It’s definitely a very hard situation and something you don’t want to go through.”
Trinity’s only SAA loss of the year was against Rhodes. Unlike in that game where the Tigers trailed 42-28, they were able to weather multiple Rhodes scoring runs and keep it close. Despite not having the lead the entire half, they were only down by six.
100 pizzas purchased by Tigers’ head men’s basketball coach Marwan Elrakabawy fueled the student section that backed the Tigers, whofound their first lead of the game in the second half. It was thanks to a 9-1 run sparked by sophomore forward Will Bronson, who finished the game with 22 points and 15 rebounds.
The game then metamorphosed into a back-and-forth contest where neither side could secure a double-digit lead. With 3:34 left to play in the second half, Rhodes took a 73-68 lead. However, Trinity had one final answer in them, and went on a 7-0 run to take a 1-point lead with two minutes remaining.
“There was some solid offensive play and great shot making,” Elrakabawy said. “Doing a better job guarding as the game went along and finishing possessions helped us get to the point where we had a lead.”
The lead would not last, as the Lynx converted a 3-pointer with 32 seconds left in the game. That shot ended up being the difference in the game and Rhodes’ 76-75 win.
“We’ll see them again,” Fenn said. “It’s hard to beat a team three times, so we’ll be ready for them.”
Women’s basketball vs. Millsaps College
Trinity honored six seniors when the Tigers took the floor against Millsaps, and those same seniors helped the Tigers to an early lead. Senior forward Natalie Greenwood earned a double-double and Trinity took a 9-point lead into halftime.
However, Millsaps went into the locker room and grabbed their chisels for the second half. If Trinity’s lead was a rock, the Majors chipped away at it bit by bit until it eventually broke down. By the fourth quarter, the Majors came all the way back to take the lead for themselves.
The teams traded the lead in the fourth quarter. In the final minute, with the score tied at 72, the Majors had the ball with the shot clock off. As the clock ticked down to three seconds, senior forward Elaine King blocked the go-ahead shot but was called for a foul. Millsaps converted on the one free throw they needed and won the game 73-72.
“These teams understand that as long as they can get themselves into the SAA tournament, they can make the tournament,” Hill said. “They have that energy, while we’re having to learn how to be the hunted again when we haven’t been all year.”
Men’s basketball vs. Millsaps College
The men’s team honored three seniors on Senior Day, all of whom were put in the starting lineup and made an impact all over the court. Forward Joshua Chesney led the team in scoring with 15 points and Fenn got his 85th steal of the year.
“Credit to our seniors,” Elrakabawy said. “Zach Austin gave us a spark early, Josh Chesney was particularly impactful that game and Zach [Fenn] is always a constant factor.”
Neither offense could find rhythm for most of the game, as both teams finished with 17 turnovers. However, Trinity was able to take command in the second half, with their largest lead of the game being by 20. They closed out the game 79-64.
Both teams will be on the road for the rest of the season. They will head to Georgia next weekend for a two-game road trip against Oglethorpe University and Berry College, and will close out the regular season against Southwestern University on Feb. 21. Then it’s on to the SAA Tournament. Both the men and women are in a position to clinch a first-round bye in the tournament and remain alive for the regular season SAA title.
Updated Feb. 11*
