NEW YORK, NY – Junior Samantha Slofkiss made a crucial put-back with just three seconds left to lift the Bantams to a 58-56 lead over the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs in the first round of the 2025 NCAA DIII Women's Basketball Tournament. Sophomore Kiki Fossbender sealed the victory by hitting a free throw with one second remaining, extending the Bantams' lead to 59-56.
Fossbender led Trinity with a game-high 18 points, adding three rebounds, two steals, and one assist. Junior Lucy Dorion contributed 14 points, including three three-pointers, along with four steals and three assists. Sophomore Avery Marzo scored 10 points, grabbed two boards, recorded two assists, and added one steal and one block. Sophomore Maddi Forman was dominant in the paint, securing a game-high 10 rebounds and blocking three shots.
The Corsairs were led by Teja Andrews and Amaris Mills, who both scored 14 points. Andrews also recorded 7 rebounds and 5 assists, while Mills grabbed 6 boards. Kaylin Zalewski added 11 points and three assists.
The Bantams faced an uphill battle after the first quarter, trailing by 10 points, 23-13. UMass Dartmouth shot a blistering 61.5% from the field, compared to Trinity's 37.5%. The Corsairs also made 6 of their 7 three-point attempts to extend their early lead.
Both teams struggled offensively in the second quarter, scoring only nine points each. Trinity's points came from Fossbender, Dorion, Marzo, and Slofkiss.
The Bantams surged in the third quarter, scoring 24 points to UMass Dartmouth's 13. Trinity took a one-point lead, 46-45, heading into the final frame. Dorion led the charge with two three-pointers and a free throw for 7 points, while Marzo contributed six points on three layups.
In the fourth quarter, Trinity held a two-possession lead for most of the period. With under two minutes remaining, UMass' Carly Whiteside made a layup to put the Corsairs ahead, 55-54. On the following possession, Fossbender answered with a layup at the 1:24 mark, giving the Bantams a 56-55 edge. With 26 seconds left, UMass Dartmouth tied the game at 56-56 with a free throw by Zalewski after missing her first attempt.
Following a Bantams timeout, Slofkiss entered the game fresh and tipped in a missed jumper from Fossbender to give Trinity a 58-56 lead with 3 seconds remaining. A quick turnover by the Corsairs gave the Bantams possession, and Fossbender was fouled on a fast-break attempt. She hit the first of two free throws to extend the lead to 59-56. After missing her second free throw attempt, Slofkiss grabbed the rebound to secure the Bantams' victory.
Both teams finished with 44 rebounds, but Trinity held a slight advantage in points in the paint, 30-24. The Bantams' bench outscored UMass Dartmouth's reserves, 24-9. Trinity shot 24-of-66 (36.4%) from the field, 4-of-18 (22.2%) from three-point range, and 7-of-15 from the free-throw line. UMass Dartmouth made 20-of-56 (35.7%) from the field, 8-of-21 (38.1%) from beyond the arc, and 8-of-18 (44.4%) from the foul line.
Trinity advances to the 7:30 PM game tomorrow against host school #1 New York University to continue their first-round campaign in the 2025 NCAA DIII Women's Basketball Tournament in New York City.
TRINITY ATHLETICS
