CINCINNATI, OHIO -- Junior Nick Bowman (Angola, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) scored a game and career-high 17 points as the Trine University men's basketball team won big against Mount St. Joseph University, 81-45, in non-conference action in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Thunder shot 55.9 percent (33-of-59) as a team and held the Lions to just 22.6 percent (12-of-53) shooting. Bowman scored his 17 points on seven-of-10 (70.0 percent) shooting and was a perfect three-of-three from three-point range. Junior Mitchell Geller (Huntington, Ind./Huntington North) was second in scoring with 13 points and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds. The duo of junior Aiden Warzecha (Milford, Mich./Milford) and freshman Mason Loeffler (Swanton, Ohio/Evergreen) both scored 11 points. Freshman Emmanuel Mengnanglo (Cotonou, Benin/Amelia Academy) rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points.
The first half saw Trine (2-0) outscore Mount St. Joseph (0-1), 45-22, and began with back-to-back baskets for Bowman and Warzecha for an early four-point advantage. Leading by two points, 11-9, the Thunder began to separate themselves from the Lions with a 22-5 scoring run that ended in a three-point play by Warzecha at the 5:41 mark and made it a 33-14 ball game.
MSJ gained a bit of ground back with five straight points to narrow the gap to 14 points, 33-19, but Trine answered with 12 consecutive points of its own as part of a larger 12-3 scoring streak to end the first half for a 45-22 margin at the break.
Trine continued to add to its lead to start the second half and built a 30-point margin for the first time in the game with 17:28 remaining following a layup by Warzecha. The Thunder continued to pull away and reached a high mark of 38 points with a little under 13 minutes to go when Mengnanglo connected on a jumper for a score of 68-30.
The Trine lead dropped below the 30-point plateau on only one occasion the remainder of the game as the road team cruised to the final of 81-45.
Trine is scheduled to return home to face Indiana University South Bend in an exhibition game tomorrow (Saturday, Nov. 14) at the MTI Center. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.