LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – After winning its first women’s basketball title since 2005, Trinity University will attempt to defend that crown on its home floor as the Tigers welcome the league to San Antonio for the 12th annual Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference women’s basketball tournament. Official Tournament Website | Hoops Weekly - Tournament Edition

If Trinity is to repeat it will have to do so as the No. 2 seed as first-year conference member Texas Lutheran University (12 -2 SCAC / 20-5 overall) earned the top seed for this year’s event.

The 2013-14 season has been a historic one for the Bulldogs. Texas Lutheran’s 20-5 overall record and its 12-2 conference mark are both DIII program-highs and the current 11-game winning streak is also a school record. Junior guard Karisa Cantu is the team’s leading scorer (12.9 ppg) and is currently second in the SCAC in three-point field goal percentage (42.0%). She posted the only triple-double of the season with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against Schreiner on January 4. Sophomore guard Taylor Dydalewicz (11.0 ppg) and first-year guard/forward Kristen Lye (10.4 ppg) also score in double-figures for a Bulldog team that is as balanced on offense as it is stingy on defense. TLU leads the SCAC in both scoring defense (60.3 ppg allowed) and opponent’s field goal percentage (33.6%) – with the latter statistic bordering on historically good as only one women’s team in SCAC history has held opponents below 34.0 percent shooting for a season.

Trinity University (10-4 SCAC / 18-7 overall) has three of the top six scorers in the conference – led by reigning SCAC Newcomer-of-the-Year sophomore forward Anecia Richardson. Richardson is second in the SCAC in scoring (16.8 ppg) and leads the league in blocks (53) and field goal percentage (63.3%). Junior guard Hannah Coley is fourth in the league in scoring (15.1 ppg), sixth in steals (1.6 spg) and seventh in assists (3.3 apg), and senior guard Murphy Burns, the reigning SCAC Co-Player-of-the-Year, is sixth in scoring (14.9 ppg) and third in steals (2.0 spg). Senior forward Libby Kruse, who was last year’s Defensive Co-Player-of-the-Year and MVP of the SCAC Tournament, is third in the conference in rebounds (9.5 rpg) and fifth in assists (4.0 apg).

The third seed, Southwestern University (9-5 SCAC / 13-12 overall), is the only current SCAC team that has won a first-round tournament game each the last three seasons, including last year’s run to Sunday’s championship game. To get back to the title game, the Pirates will rely on its own “big three” of senior guard Chelsea Leeder and junior forwards Jordan Owens and Annie Bourne. Leeder, the eigning SCAC Co-Player-of-the-Year, leads Southwestern with 15.5 points (third in the SCAC) and 7.2 rebounds per game (fifth in the SCAC). Owens averages 14.4 points per game (eighth in the SCAC) and Bourne chips in with 9.8 points and a league-high 10.9 rebounds per contest.

Austin College (9-5 SCAC / 14-10 overall) is the fourth seed and will count on production from senior guard/forward Erin Riley and junior guard Christina Kime to advance in the tournament. Riley is averaging 14.5 points per game (seventh in the SCAC) and Kime is just behind at 14.3 points per game (ninth in the SCAC). Riley leads the SCAC in three-point field goals made (66) and is sixth in the SCAC in rebounding (7.1 rpg) while Kime leads the league in free throws made (117) and free throw percentage (88.0%). Sophomore forward Brittany Stepanski gives the ‘Roos three players that average in double figures as she chips in with 10.4 points per game.

Schreiner University (9-5 SCAC / 14-11 overall) enters its inaugural SCAC tournament riding the inside/outside game of junior forward Lindsey Peterson and sophomore guard Kelsie Jackson. Peterson tops the SCAC with a 17.1 points per game average and is also seventh in rebounding (6.9 rpg) and third in blocks (1.6 bpg). Jackson is averaging 15.1 points per game (fifth in the SCAC) and is also second in three-point field goals made (53) and eighth in steals (1.5 spg). With 14 wins this season, the fifth-seeded Mountaineer squad is the winningest basketball team (men's or women's - NCAA era) in school history.

The sixth seed belongs to the University of Dallas (5-9 SCAC / 13-12 overall). The Crusaders, who won three of their last four games, have one of the better post players in the league in Christy Allen. The senior averages 12.5 points (12th in the SCAC) and 9.5 rebounds (second in the SCAC) per game and has posted a league-leading 12 double-doubles this season. She is also second in the league in field goal percentage (49.8%). Junior guard Marleyna Bustamante chips in with 11.2 points per game and leads the league in steals with 76 – the most steals posted in a single SCAC season since 2007-08.

Colorado College (2-12 SCAC / 2-23 overall) has three players that average double-figure scoring – sophomore forward Danielle Davis (12.8 ppg), junior guard Courtney Tyus (12.2 ppg) and freshman forward Korbyn Ukasick (12.0 ppg). Tyus in particular has been a stat-sheet stuffer for the Tigers this season. She leads the SCAC in assists (4.7 apg), is second in steals (2.2 spg) and is ninth in rebounding (6.2 rpg). Her current total of 118 assists ranks fifth on the program's single-season list.

Eighth-seeded Centenary College (0-14 SCAC / 0-23 overall) would love to get its first win of the season at the SCAC Tournament and for that to happen, the team will need a productive night out of sophomore forward Briana Edwards. Edwards leads the team in scoring (10.5 ppg), rebounding (10.2 rpg – second in the SCAC) and blocks (1.4 bpg), despite missing three games this season. Sophomore guard Ronda Martin chips in with 9.0 points per game and first year guard DeiAnna Hall adds 8.8 points and 3.9 assists per game.

Tournament action gets underway on Friday beginning at 2 p.m. CT. The entire tournament schedule is listed below.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28
SCAC Women’s Basketball Tournament - hosted by Trinity University
Game 1 - No. 1 Texas Lutheran University vs. No. 8 Centenary College - 2 p.m.
Game 2 - No. 4 Austin College vs. No. 5 Schreiner University - 4 p.m.
Game 3 - No. 2 Trinity University vs. No. 7 Colorado College – 6 p.m.
Game 4 - No. 3 Southwestern University vs. No. 6 University of Dallas - 8 p.m.

SATURDAY, MARCH 1
SCAC Women’s Basketball Tournament - hosted by Trinity University
Game 5 - Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner - 5 p.m.
Game 6 - Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner -7 p.m.

SUNDAY, MARCH 2
SCAC Women’s Basketball Tournament - hosted by Trinity University
Game 7 - Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner – 2 p.m.

PAST SCAC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS

*The SCAC did not conduct a postseason basketball tournament prior to the 2002-2003 season; the league champion was determined by regular season finish.