By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
NEWBERG, Ore. -- Trinity University, ranked #12 in the D3hoops.com Preseason Top 25 for NCAA Division III women's basketball, received a game-high 18 points from Abby Holland, plus 16 points from Micah Weaver, as the Tigers defeated Willamette University, 62-46, in the first round of the Bruin Invitational at George Fox University on Friday, Nov. 17. Trinity led just 29-27 at halftime, but outscored the Bearcats 18-8 in the third quarter to take control. It was the regular season opener for both teams.
Holland and Weaver were two of three players with double-digit scoring for the Tigers. Mollie Hughes added 15 points. The Tigers shot 38.8% for the game (26 of 67) and went 4 for 16 (25.0%) on 3-point shots. Holland also hauled down a team-high seven rebounds and created a team-high five steals.
Kylie Towry (Sr., G, Medford, OR/South Medford HS) led the Bearcats with 14 points and now has 978 points in her career. She was 5 of 12 from the field and topped WU with a trio of 3-point baskets. Britanny Kochenderfer (Jr., Klamath Falls, OR/Henley HS/Idaho State Univ.) scored seven points, and Ashley Evans (Sr., PG, Canby, OR/Canby HS) provided six points. Celine Gregoire (Sr./Jr., P, Woodburn, OR/Woodburn Academy) contributed 11 rebounds, while Kochenderfer grabbed nine boards, helping WU gain a 35-28 rebounding edge. Evans and Towry each earned three assists.
The Bearcats shot 34.7% on field goals (17 of 49) and made 7 of 27 three-point attempts (25.9%). Trinity forced the Bearcats into 26 turnovers, which led to 17 points for the Tigers. The Bearcats caused 10 turnovers by the Tigers, leading to 10 points for Willamette.
"We played some high level basketball tonight, but unfortunately our 26 turnovers were hard to overcome," Willamette Head Coach Peg Swadener said. "Trinity is a very good team and defensively they were able to give us some ball pressure we haven't seen yet this year (in Willamette's preseason games prior to Friday's opener)."
Willamette bolted out to an 8-2 lead. Evans opened the scoring with a 3-pointer. Elizabeth Logsdon (So. F, McMinnville, OR/McMinnville HS) added a layup before the Tigers got on the scoreboard with a layup by Weaver. Kochenderfer connected on a 3-pointer for Willamette with 6:23 left in the first quarter.
Trinity battled back and scored the next six points to tie the score at 8-8 on a jumper by Hollard with 4:03 on the clock. Kochenderfer gave Willamette a 10-8 lead on a jumper, but the Tigers answered with a 9-0 run that started with a 3-pointer by Rachel Chavez and ended with a layup by Weaver with 1:16 left in the quarter. WU pulled within 17-13 when Towry sank a 3-pointer with 43 seconds to go.
Towry's long-range shot began a 10-0 surge by the Bearcats that included the first seven points of the second quarter. Layups by Drew Farmer (So., PG, Brookings, OR/Brookings-Harbor HS) and Towry tied the game. A 3-pointer by Evans, scored at the 8:28 mark, gave Willamette a 20-17 lead. The teams exchanged baskets, and then Trinity went on a 6-0 run to take a 25-22 lead as the clock reached 2:47 remaining in the half.
With 1:00 left in the second quarter, Towry put through a 3-pointer to create a 27-27 tie. Weaver scored on a driving layup with 49 seconds left to give the Tigers a 29-27 halftime advantage.
Towry scored eight points during the half for Willamette. Weaver led Trinity with 10 points at the break, while Holland had eight points.
At the start of the second half, Trinity scored 10 consecutive points to take a 39-27 lead. Kochenderfer broke the scoring streak with a basket for Willamette on a turn in the lane with 4:37 left in the third quarter.
Hughes converted a traditional three-point play on a basket and a foul shot with 55 seconds to go in the quarter, as Trinity increased its margin to 47-32. Towry responded with a 3-point basket at the 31-second mark to pull WU within 12-points entering the final period.
A layup by Towry cut the Tigers' lead to 47-37 with 9:05 to go. Weaver followed with a basket and a foul shot for Trinity 13 seconds later, as the lead moved to 50-37. WU never got closer the rest of the way.
"It's nice to play a team this caliber so early to help us prepare for Northwest Conference play," Swadener said. "We are looking forward to making the adjustments needed and get back on the floor tomorrow against Southwestern."
In the other first round game in the Bruin Classic on Friday, George Fox defeates Southwestern University (Texas), 68-57. Willamette will take on Southwestern in the second round on Saturday, Nov. 18. Game time is set for 4 p.m. (PST). GFU will play Trinity at 6 p.m.
