ABILENE, Texas
Trinity advanced to the Final Four with a sound defeat of No. 4 Washington University on Saturday night in front of 671 fans at the Mabee Complex.
After a tough defensive battle in the first half, Trinity pulled away in the second with a 24-6 run to start the second half. Tournament MVP Megan Selmon led the charge with 11 points in the run. Selmon finished the night with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
“We just made a few adjustments (at halftime) and put more defensive pressure on some of their better players,” said Selmon. “We got some open looks and got some confidence and it feels great to be going to the Final Four.”
"I thought Trinity played well tonight," said head coach Nancy Fahey. "You have to give Trinity credit. Their kids played great defense and hit the shots when they are supposed to hit them."
Freshman Kelly Manning hit the Bears’ first shot beyond the 3-point arc after missing their first five as Washington U. took the 13-10 lead with 11:18 left. Senior Laura Crowley nailed her first three of the game to tie the score at 24-24 and then Hallie Hutchens retied it at 26-26 with a layup. Christie Gladchuk hit a 3-pointer for Trinity with 41 seconds left in the half to take the 29-26 lead, but senior Diana Hill hit a 15-foot jumper with four seconds remaining as Washington U. trailed for the first time all-season at half, 29-28.
Washington U. struggled shooting in the first half as they shot 37.1% (13-for-35) from the field and 22.2% (2-for-9) from three-point range. Hutchens led the Bears with 10 points in the first half while Hill added eight.
The Bears remained cold from the field as Washington U managed just one field goal in the first 8:23 of the second half. Tara Rohde scored seven straight points for Trinity moved ahead 50-32 with 10:48 l left in the second half. The Tigers took their largest lead of the game on a 3-pointer by Claire Allan as Trinity moved ahead 61-41 with 6:35 remaining.
Hutchens led the Bears with 16 points and seven rebounds on 8-for-16 shooting. Hill added a career-high 14 points and seven rebounds in the loss. Washington U. was outrebounded 45-43 and committed 18 turnovers in the loss. The Bears shot a season-low .343 (23-for-67) from the field, including four of 23 (.174) from 3-point range.
"They had a great inside game," said senior Jennifer Rudis. "We never really seemed to get into a decent defensive flow. They kept hitting the high-low looks and we knew that was coming."
With the loss, six seniors played their final game for Washington University. The group compiled an overall record of 109-5 in four years, including four University Athletic Association titles, four NCAA Tournament appearances and back-to-back National Championships in 2000 and 2001.
Washington ended its season with a 26-2 record and Trinity advanced to the Final Four with a 26-5 record. It is Trinity’s first trip to the Final Four.
All-Tournament Team Megan Selmon (MVP) Jenna Smith, Trinity Hallie Hutchens, Washington Abbey Johnson, St. Norbert Hardin-Simmons, Kendra Anderson