ANGOLA, Ind. -- Trine will face Illinois Wesleyan Friday in the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament.
The Thunder and Titans square off at 5:30 p.m. at ONU Sports Center on the campus of Ohio Northern University. Trine is making its first trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Thunder won the MIAA Tournament for the first time in program history to claim the league's automatic bid. The team won its first MIAA Championship during the regular season on its way to a 24-2 overall record. Illinois Wesleyan received an at-large bid with an 18-9 overall record. The Titans were defeated by Wheaton in the championship game of the CCIW Tournament. The winner of Friday's matchup advances to face Ohio Northern or Lakeland Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
The matchup will be the first all-time meeting between the two programs. Trine and IWU shared one common opponent this season. Wheaton dealt the Thunder one of its two losses, while Illinois Wesleyan faced Wheaton three teams. The Titans defeated Wheaton in the first meeting, but dropped the final two matchups.
Trine carried its stingy defensive play from the regular season into the MIAA Tournament, holding Albion and Calvin to season-lows in scoring. The Thunder allow 47.9 points per game, the eighth-best mark in the nation. The team has held opponents to 33.3 percent shooting, the 28th-lowest mark allowed in Division III. Hayley Martin (Auburn, Ind. / DeKalb) was named the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year after setting a school record in blocks. Cassidy Williams (Archbold, Ohio / Archbold) earned MIAA Player of the Week honors last week for helping hold two all-conference performers to a combined 8-of-29 field goal shooting.
IWU makes its living defensively with a press that produces 24 turnovers per game, the 14th-most in the nation. The Titans' defensive pressure has helped the team finish +8.7 in the turnover margin, the sixth-best mark in Division III. Illinois Wesleyan averages 11.5 steals per game, led by two-time All-CCIW guard Rebekah Ehresman's 2.4 steals per contest.
Both teams have filled up the score sheet offensively this season. Trine is shooting 46 percent from the field, the fifth-best mark in the country. The Thunder shoot 75.2 percent from the free throw line. IWU averages 77.7 points per game, the 13th-highest total in the nation. The Titans have topped the 80-point mark in a game 13 times this year, including a 118-point effort in a victory over North Central.
Martin and Brandi Dawson (Garrett, Ind. / Garrett) lead Trine's all-conference selections. Dawson was named the MIAA Most Valuable Player after leading the Thunder in scoring at 15.5 points per game. Dawson is shooting 54.7 percent from the field, which ranks 35th in the nation. Martin adds 15 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game.
Molly McGraw led the Titans' all-conference selections. The All-CCIW First Team honoree averaged a team-best 17.3 points per game, fourth in the league. Ehresman added 12.4 points and 3.4 assists per game. Center Maddie Merritt earned second team honors after averaging 12.1 points per contest.
Trine features a strong supporting cast, with eight other players who have scored in double-figures in a game this season. Nine players in the Thunder playing rotation shoot better than 40 percent from the field.
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