All their lives, people have struggled to tell them apart. On the basketball court, they wear different numbers but their statistics and style of play are almost similar as their physical appearance.

Psychology sophomores Trenese and Trenell Smith are identical twins, and for the last three years, they have been the driving force behind the Loyola’s women’s basketball team.

“Our aunt used to paint our fingernails different colors so they could tell us apart. It didn’t work because they would forget wh

The twins began playing for the “Force,” a youth organization in LaPlace, when they were 6 years old. They have never competed against each other. “I usually played point and Trenese played on the wing or forward, or wherever they needed her,” Trenell explained.

They attended Glade Junior High in LaPlace where they played competitively before transferring to Reserve Christian in Reserve, La., after seventh grade.

While at Reserve Christian they won three consecutive district titles, and as seniors, lost to Westin High of Jonesboro, La., by one point in the quarterfinals of the state championship playoffs.

When asked who was the better player, they both acknowledged that they had different strengths.

“Trenese is good at posting up and is good from the deep corner,” Trenell said.

Trenese said, “Trenell has great ball handling skills and has a high percentage from the top of the key. In a good game of 21, we battle till the very end.”

When asked about childhood, they weren’t so complimentary.

“Trenese used to cry a lot. She would cry for food even when she just finished eating,” Trenell said. “She even chewed up our aunt’s wedding band.”

“In seventh grade, we swapped class. Trenese went to my science class, and I went to her art class. All our friends knew, but the teacher didn’t have a clue,” Trenell said. They even extended their tomfoolery to the rest of the family.

“When we were about eight, we used to go to our room and switch outfits to confuse our aunts and uncles,” Trenese said. They would also answer for each other whenever their grandmother called from the kitchen.

Their grandmother comes to see them play when she can, and they still try to trick her from time to time. Trenell said when her grandmother comes in the room and talks to her, she doesn’t respond to make her think she is talking to the wrong twin, but her grandmother said, “You hear me talking to you, I know who you are.”

Loyola’s women’s basketball team is 3-2 in regular season play. In the game against Oklahoma Baptist University, Trenell said she “should have took more of a leadership role as point guard. We played more intensely against St. Gregory (University).”

Poor shooting and lack of defense made for a 25-point deficit in the loss to Oklahoma Baptist. Trenese improved her shooting in the win against St. Gregory.

Trenell said, “We missed opportunities, both teams were beatable, our shots weren’t falling and we didn’t make the stops we needed.”

Trenell is working on improving her lauded ball handling, protecting the ball and being more consistent with assists. Trenese is in no way content with last year’s conference regular season and tournament titles and is focusing on her shot selection.

Don Weaver can be reached at [email protected].