'Roo Women Drop Heartbreaker to Trinity

SHERMAN, Texas – The Austin College women's basketball team led No. 25-ranked Trinity for most of the game, but a late surge put the Tigers ahead and the 'Roos would fall 57-53 on Saturday night in Hughey Gym. The 'Roos are now 11-6 overall and 5-2 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play.

Both teams got out to a slow start offensively, combining to hit just 4-of-25 shots to start the game and make it 7-7 with 1:03 left in the opening quarter. However, the 'Roos got hot in the final 60 seconds, with Olivia Bailey swishing a three and Olivia Cicci following with a triple of her own with six seconds left in the first to make it a 13-7 game after one.

Katie Gowdy continued the hot shooting with a three of her own to open the second and make it 16-10, and a three point play by Kendall Heitmeier made it 21-14 in favor of the 'Roos with 5:02 left in the half. The Tigers started to battle back and cut it to a 21-19 game before Heitmeier hit a three, and after Trinity squared things at 24, Heitmeier buried another triple to make it 27-24 with 1:54 left.

Trinity answered with a three on the other end, but Bailey swished her second trey of the first half to send Austin College into the locker room leading 30-27. Both teams went 4-of-6 from long distance in the second quarter.

Bryce Frank scored six points midway through the third to put Austin College ahead 42-35, and the 'Roos would take a 43-38 lead into the fourth quarter. The Tigers turned up the pressure defensively in the fourth, forcing nine Austin College turnovers, but Heitmeier kept the 'Roos ahead with a baseline jumper and another three to make it a 50-45 game with 4:05 to play.

The Tigers responded with a 9-0 run, capped off by a trey from the corner by Catilin Barrett to make it 54-50 with 1:23 left. Austin College got some chances down the stretch, but the 'Roos hit just 1-of-6 free throws in the final minute of the game to enable the Tigers to hold on for the win.

Heitmeier finished with a season-high 19 points for the 'Roos as the lone Austin College player to reach double figures. Frank finished with nine points and eight rebounds, and Chrissy Ray chipped in seven points and five boards. Austin College turned it over 24 times in the game.

Barrett hit 5-of-9 threes on her way to 17 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and four steals, and Bryony Harris chipped in 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Tigers.

Austin College athletic teams participate as a member of the NCAA Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.