TACOMA, Washington – This holiday season the No. 20/15 Puget Sound women's basketball team aims to leave lumps of coal in the Lone Star State. The Loggers are on the road to take on No. 15/12 Mary Hardin-Baylor Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 4 p.m. (PT). The following day, Puget Sound battles No. 4/4 Trinity (Tex.) at 1 p.m. (PT).
 
So feelin' it
Sophie Nilsson was named the Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week following the Loggers' wins over Redlands and Coast Guard (Dec. 16-17) during the Northwest Holiday Tournament hosted by Pacific Lutheran. She scored 17 points in both games, and shot a combined 13-for-29 (44.8-percent) from the floor that weekend. Nilsson is the second Logger this season to earn a weekly conference honor (Kennedy Brown, Dec. 5).
 
Don't be shy
Puget Sound averages 10.2 made 3-pointers per game, which is tied for the second-highest average in NCAA D-III. The Loggers' 3-point shooting has led to 80.1 points per game, which ranks seventh in the country.
 
Grand theft
The Loggers average 17.0 steals per game, which ranks seventh in the nation, while Puget Sound's +10.78 turnover margin ranks eighth. Katie Minnehan ranks fourth in the country with 4.67 steals per game.
 
The trio for triples
Kennedy Brown, Samantha Swartout, and Grace Pytynia-Hillier each ranked top five in the NWC for 3-point percentage (min. 10 makes). Brown ranks second (43.9-percent), Swartout ranks third (40.6-percent), and Pytynia-Hillier ranks fourth (40.5-percent). Brown has the most 3-point makes in the conference (25).
 
Scouting No. 15/12 Mary Hardin-Baylor (7-1)
Like the Loggers, the Cru is nationally-ranked by D3hoops.com and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). UMHB averages 71.6 points per game, and it is limiting opponents to 55.6 points per game. The Cru's one loss this season is against East Texas Baptist, 66-59 (Dec. 10). Arieona Rosborough is the only player averaging double digits in scoring (13.9), while Ashley Faux leads the team in rebounding (5.9). The Cru is shooting 39.1-percent from the floor and 29.6-percent from 3-point range.
 
Scouting No. 4/4 Trinity (Tex.) (9-0)
The Tigers are a unanimous top-five team in the country. Nationally, Trinity ranks fourth in scoring offense (90.6), fourth in steals (20.0), and 10^th in 3-pointers made per game (9.4). Four players average double digits in scoring, led by Ashlyn Milton (14.2), and followed by Maggie Robbins (11.0), Josie Napoli (10.8), and Addie Putnam (10.7). As a team, Trinity shoots 30.1-percent from distance, and 41.7-percent from the floor. The Tigers are prone to miscues, averaging 18.3 turnovers per game.