ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University men's basketball team forced 24 turnovers and recorded 19 steals to defeat Albion College by a total of 65-41. 19 total steals is tied for the fourth-most in a game in program history. The win makes the Thunder 18-2 overall on the season and 8-1 in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play. The Britons sit at 6-14 and 3-6.
"Defensively, we did well all the way around," Head Coach Brooks Miller beamed after the game, "Emmanuel Megnanglo had the blocks, but he also had three steals, Ryan Preston did an incredible job staying on the top shoulder, we kept guys out of the middle and Grant Pahl gave us a huge boost off the bench."
Albion threw the first punch of the game by getting ahead 10-4, but a pair of baskets by Brent Cox cut into the Briton lead. A pair of dunks by Cox and Megnanglo around the halfway mark in the first period got the game to within one possession at 15-14.
Coming out of a timeout with seven minutes remaining in the first, Pahl buried a three-point field goal to knot the game up at 17. He would sink a mid-range jump shot on the next possession to give the Thunder the lead. Those baskets fueled an 11-0 run that was capped off by an Aidan Smylie basket in transition. A Nate Carbaugh free throw put Trine up nine at 28-19 at the end of the first half.
Through the first 20 minutes, Pahl had already accumulated seven points on 3-of-4 shooting and had a team-high plus-minus of 11. "In practice, the coaches have given us the confidence to get to our spots and shoot the shots we take," Pahl mentioned. "Smylie, Preston, we're all shooting the ball better."
A 7-0 scoring run early in the second half worked to bury the visiting team at 35-21 through four minutes of action. The Britons would get to down nine at 37-28, but coming out of a timeout, Carbaugh worked hard in the paint to collect a key offensive rebound and went to the line for two shots. He did the same thing a few possessions later and knocked down a three-point attempt to give Trine a 46-30 advantage with 10 minutes to go.
Cox sucked all the life out of the opponents with a made dunk and two three-point shots to balloon the lead to 25 at 61-36. Cameron Awls put the finishing touches on the 65-41 victory with a few makes from the free throw line and a mid-range jumper.
Trine outscored Albion 27-5 off of turnovers and 10-5 on second chances to pull away to a sizable win. The Britons were empty from beyond the arc at 0-for-5. Cox scored 22 points to lead the way on offense with Pahl chipping in at 12 points. Smylie and Connor Jones had four assists apiece.
This weekend, the Thunder will host Alma College beginning at 3 p.m. immediately following the conclusion of the women's basketball game against the Scots.