ANGOLA, Ind.-- Trine was defeated by no. 11 Hope, 68-58 in the season-finale for the Thunder Saturday afternoon in Hershey Hall.
The Flying Dutch used a lockdown defensive effort to hold Trine to a 27 percent (18-of-67) effort from the floor. Maura McAfee scored 14 points and grabbed 20 rebounds to notch a double-double to lead Hope. Rebekah Llorens scored a team-high 20 points and notched nine rebounds. Kayla Dunn (Columbia City, Ind./Columbia City) led the Thunder with 16 points and six rebounds in the final game of her Trine career. The Thunder concluded the season 15-10 overall and finished in a tie for fourth in the MIAA with a 9-7 league mark. Hope improved to 22-3 overall, 14-2 in the conference play.
Trine's 15 wins are the most the team has earned in a season since joining NCAA Division III in 2004-05. The nine-win improvement from last-season's record is the best one-year improvement for the Thunder in 20 years.
Brittany Berry notched 16 points for Hope. Whitney Shaffer (Tipton, Ind./Tri-Central) added 14 points for Trine. All of Shaffer's points came in the second half.
McAfee and Llorens paced a hot start for Hope, as the duo combined for 15 points and 16 rebounds in the first 20 minutes. The duo swatted three shots and altered numerous others. The Dutch held Trine to an 18 percent shooting cluip (6-of-33) in the first half. Hope pushed its lead as high as 25 in the second half.
Trine honored seniors Dunn, Katelyn Sager (Kell, Ill./Salem Community), Nikky Moan (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove) and Kelsey Henselmeier (Martinsville, Ind./Martinsville) prior to the game. Each senior started the game.