The Austin College women's basketball team completed a regular season sweep of Trinity University, handing the Tigers just their second Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference loss of the year with a 74-69 win on Saturday night. The 'Roos improve to 11-10 overall and 6-5 in conference play with the victory.
Austin College jumped out to a 10-2 lead after eight points from Erin Riley, including a pair of threes, and Riley added another three at the 14:57 mark to give Austin College a 13-7 lead. Christina Kime added a bucket and Riley scored again, giving her 13 points in the first seven minutes and making it 17-8 with 13 minutes before halftime.
The lead grew to 20-10 on a Kendall Heitmeier three pointer before Trinity used an 11-4 run to trim the margin to 24-21 with 4:05 left. After Heitmeier scored again, the Tigers scored the next six to take their first lead of the game at 27-26 with 2:22 left. The lead was short lived however as Briana Harvey answered with a three point play, and the 'Roos would take a 31-29 lead into the break.
The 'Roos took a 38-33 lead early in the second half on a basket by Brooke Melton, but Trinity battled back and squared things up at 44 apiece on a three by Randi Reinhardt with 12:31 left to play. Heitmeier answered with a three of her own, and after Trinity scored to make it 47-46 the 'Roos used a 13-2 run highlighted by three triples – two from Kime and one from Heitmeier – to grab a 60-48 lead with 7:14 left to play.
Trinity fought back over the next three minutes and pulled to within one at 64-63 after a Murphy Burns three and a free throw from Hannah Coley with 4:09 left, and after an Anecia Richardson basket kept the Tigers within a point at 66-65, Riley buried a corner three pointer to make it 69-65 with 1:36 left. The Tigers pulled to within two at 71-69 on a basket by Burns with 32 seconds to play, but Melton made a free throw and Kime knocked down two more with three seconds left to seal the win.
Kime hit 11-of-12 free throws and finished with a game-high 23 points, adding five assists and five rebounds to lead the 'Roos. Riley finished with 16 points, hitting 6-of-7 shots including 4-of-4 threes. Heitmeier finished with 13 points off the bench, hitting 5-of-9 shots and all three of her treys. Brittany Stepanski just missed out on a double-double, scoring 10 and grabbing nine rebounds, and Melton pulled down nine boards and added five points and three assists.
Richardson led Trinity with 21 points and Burns scored 15 for Trinity. Coley finished with 13 and four steals, and Libby Kruse pulled down a team-best nine rebounds for the Tigers.
Austin College athletic teams participate as a member of the NCAA Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.
About Austin College
Austin College is a leading national independent residential liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas. Founded in 1849, making it the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original charter and name, the college is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA). Recognized nationally for academic excellence in the areas of international education, pre-professional training, and leadership studies, Austin College is one of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope's influential book Colleges that Change Lives.