MINNEAPOLIS -- The Trine women's basketball team is ranked No. 22 in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll.
The Thunder received votes totaling 114 points in the poll to climb a spot from last week's No. 23 national ranking. The team saw its vote total increase by 18 points in this week's poll. The national ranking is the highest Trine has achieved as a member of NCAA Division III. The Thunder own a 20-2 overall record after earning MIAA victories over Adrian and Kalamazoo last week. The 20 wins represent the team's best effort as a Division III member (2004-present) and is the team's highest win-total since 2000-01.
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In addition to the D3hoops.com national ranking, the Thunder made its debut in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Top 25 last week. Trine was ranked 25th in last week's poll.
Trine enters the week with a chance to win the team's first MIAA regular-season title. The team can clinch at least a share of the championship with a victory over Hope Saturday regardless of the outcome of Wednesday night's contest at Alma. If the Thunder defeat the Flying Dutch and the two teams finish in a tie atop the league standings, Trine would own the tiebreak for hosting the MIAA Tournament by virtue of its sweep of Albion. The Thunder can win the title outright by winning both of its games this week.
Trine was ranked sixth in the Great Lakes Region in the first official NCAA rankings released last Thursday. The regional rankings are used to help determine at-large seeding in the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA field is made up of 43 conference champions, one selection from a group of independents and conferences that do not earn an automatic-qualifier, and 20 at-large teams.
An efficient scoring offense and stout defense have allowed the Thunder to produce the third-best scoring margin in the nation at plus-24 points per game. Trine is shooting 46.2 percent from the field, which ranks fifth in the nation. The team has shot 50 percent or better from the field in five of its last six games. The Thunder hold opponents to 48.5 points per game, giving Trine the eighth-best scoring defense in the nation.
Leading the efficient scoring attack is Brandi Dawson (Garrett, Ind. / Garrett). Dawson is shooting 55 percent from the field to rank 33rd in the nation and second in the MIAA. She averages a team-best 15.6 points per game. Hayley Martin (Auburn, Ind. / DeKalb) adds 14.5 points on 49.8 percent shooting to go along with 6.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game (45th in Division III).
Trine carries a six game winning-streak into Wednesday night's trip to Alma. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. The Thunder took the first meeting between the two teams this season with a 75-48 victory in Hershey Hall.