ADRIAN, MICH. -- The Trine University men's basketball team forced 15 turnovers and converted them into 21 points as the Thunder defeated Adrian (Mich.) College, 83-56, in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association game in Adrian, Mich.
As a team, Trine shot 52.3 percent (34-of-65) for the game, including 41.2 percent (seven-of-17) from three-point range, and held Adrian to just 28.6 percent (18-of-63) shooting overall and 33.3 percent (seven-of-21) from long range.
The Thunder had three players score in double figures, led by senior Myles Copeland (Perrysburg, Ohio/Toledo St. John's) who scored a game-high 19 points on seven-of-13 shooting (53.8 percent). Junior Langston Johnson (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Central) was second with 16 points and fellow junior Maurice Hunter (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) rounded out the high scorers with 10 points. In addition, Hunter led the team in rebounding with nine boards.
Trine had a 28-10 margin in the assist total for the game with junior Marcus Winters (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) having a game and career-high eight helpers. Senior Pete Smith (Bristol, Ind./Northridge) was second with six assists and Johnson added five assists.
The two teams swapped leads in the first half of the opening period with neither team leading by more than four points which was an 8-4 margin for Trine (9-5, 2-1 MIAA) following a jumper by Hunter at the 13:04 mark. With the score tied at 14-14, the Thunder went on a 9-0 scoring run that was capped by a bucket by Copeland and gave Trine a 23-14 margin with 7:40 to go before halftime.
Adrian (3-11, 0-3 MIAA) came right back with a pair of triples to cut the deficit to three points and later equaled the deficit at the 5:30 mark with a score of 25-22. But Trine then ended the half by outscoring Adrian, 16-7, to end up with a double-digit lead when the clock expired to end the first half with a score of 41-29.
Trine maintained a double-figure lead throughout the second half and recorded its first 20-point advantage with just under 15 minutes to go when Johnson capitalized on a three-point attempt to make it a 60-39 ball game.
Late in the period, the Thunder posted its largest lead of the game of 29 points after a triple by freshman Aiden Warzecha (Milford, Mich./Milford) with 1:43 remaining in the contest. Trine's final points of the night came of the fingertips of freshman Trey Helinski (Adrian, Mich./Lenawee Christian) on a layup with 39 seconds left en route to the Thunder coming away with a 83-56 victory.
Trine will return to the MTI Center to take on Calvin (Mich.) College in a MIAA game on Saturday, Jan. 12. The two teams are set to tip-off at 3 p.m.