NORTH MANCHESTER, IND.-- Trine wrapped up a perfect 3-0 week with a 78-68 victory over Manchester in the HCAC/MIAA Challenge Sunday afternoon at Stauffer-Wolfe Arena.
Will Dixon (Indianapolis, Ind./Zionsville) tied a career-high with 32 points to lead the Thunder to their third-consecutive victory. The sophomore guard hit 11-of-21 from the field, including 4-of-7 from three-point range. Dixon also hit 6-of-7 free throw attempts, grabbed five rebounds and dished out an assist. The effort marked the second time he has topped 30 points in a game in his Trine career. Matt Brown scored 29 points on 8-of-17 shooting to pace Manchester. He hit 5-of-10 from long range and added eight rebounds. The Thunder improved to 3-2 on the season. Manchester fell to 1-4.
Tyler Good (Swanton, Ohio/Evergreen) continued his offensive tear, scoring 21 points on 6-of-12 shooting. Good has averaged 22.7 points per contest during Trine's winning-streak. He has shot 59.5 percent from the field during that stretch.
Jared Holmquist (Reed City, Mich./Reed City) added 11 points and eight rebounds. Ben Syroka (Toledo, Ohio/Whitmer) reached double-figures for the first time at Trine, scoring 10 points and knocking down 3-of-5 three-point attempts. The Thunder shot 48 percent overall (24-of-50), including a season-best 50 percent (10-of-20) effort from long-distance. The effort from three-point range proved key in defeating Manchester's zone defense.
The Thunder committed just three turnovers, a season-low. Trine has averaged just five turnovers per game during their current winning-streak. The Thunder led by as much as 17 in the contest.
Blake Brouwer scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting for Manchester. Brady Dolezal added 11 points. The Spartans shot 47 percent (22-of-47) from the field, but were able to connect on just 9-of-23 from long-distance (39 percent).
Dixon played a very efficient second half in helping the Thunder lead by as much as 17. He knocked down 6-of-8 shots and scored 19 of his points after the break. The sophomore showcased an array of moves off the dribble in addition to his sharpshooting from beyond the arc.
Trine returns to action next Saturday, Dec. 6 when they host Illinois Tech at 3 p.m. in Hershey Hall.