ANGOLA, IND. -- Senior Maurice Hunter (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds in an 88-82 loss against Albion (Mich.) College in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association game at the MTI Center in Angola, Ind.
Hunter shot 50.0 percent (six-of-12) overall for the game and added two free-throws (two-of-five) for his 14 points. He was one of five players to score in double figures for Trine. Sophomore Bryce Williams (Archbold, Ohio/Archbold) led the team in scoring with 18 points on five-of-eight shooting (62.5 percent) with all five of his made field goals coming from three-point range.
The duo of senior Langston Johnson (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Central) and junior Jake Daniels (Grand Blanc, Mich./Holly) both scored 12 points and freshman Brent Cox (Kendallville, Ind./East Noble) rounded out the high scorers with 10 points in addition to grabbing seven rebounds.
Langston Johnson and fellow senior Marcus Winters (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) both tallied a game-high six assists.
Trine (11-6, 5-1 MIAA) led for the entire first half and jumped out to an early lead after scoring the first six points. Albion (15-2, 6-0 MIAA) came right back with a layup and three-pointer to cut the Thunder lead to one point and eventually evened the game at 8-8 at the 15:46 mark of the period.
The Thunder then outscored the Britons, 15-4, over the next 6:43 to go up by 11 points, their largest lead of the game, following a triple by Daniels with just over nine minutes remaining before halftime. Albion rallied again and chipped away at the deficit to pull to within three points, 29-26, with under four minutes to go.
Back-to-back three-pointers by Trine's Williams and Langston Johnson pushed the lead to nine points, 35-26, which was cut to seven points at the break with a halftime score of 38-31.
Coming out of the locker room, Trine started off the second half with a three-pointer by Cox that made it a 10-point game, 41-31. After an Albion jumper, Hunter scored on a layup on Trine's next offensive possession to regain a 10-point advantage, 43-33. The Britons then went on a 12-2 scoring run to pull even with the Thunder on the scoreboard, 45-45, with 16:04 to play.
As the game approached the midway point, Albion grabbed its first lead at 57-56, but the lead didn't last long as a jumper by sophomore Brandan Johnson (Fort Wayne, Ind./North Side) started a 7-2 run for Trine to swing momentum to the Thunder with a six-point margin, 65-59, at the 7:45 mark.
Trine led by five points on multiple occasions during the next 4:35, including a 79-74 advantage with 3:35 to play. Albion then scored 12 straight points to regain the lead by seven points, 86-79, with 16 seconds left. A triple by Daniels made it a four-point game, but the Britons sealed the victory at the free-throw line as a pair of freebies would be enough to secure the 88-82 victory for Albion.
Trine will begin a three-game road trip on Wednesday, Jan. 29 with a stop in Holland, Mich. to take on Hope (Mich.) College in a MIAA matchup. Tip-off for the game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.