ANGOLA, Ind. -- The Trine women's basketball team is ranked in the final editions of both nationally recognized Division III polls.
The Thunder are ranked No. 17 in the final D3hoops.com poll, released this morning. The team is ranked No. 18 by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association in the organization's season-ending poll. This is the first time Trine has finished the season ranked in either poll. The Thunder was ranked as high as No. 15 in the nation by D3hoops.com during the regular season.
The rankings cap off a season that saw Trine win its first MIAA Championship and MIAA Tournament titles. The Thunder appeared in the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament for the first time in program history. The team defeated Illinois Wesleyan in the first round before being eliminated by eventual Elite Eight participant Ohio Northern.
Brandi Dawson (Garrett, Ind. / Garrett) became Trine's first player to ever earn All-America honors from D3hoops.com. Dawson was named a Third Team All-American by the organization. Dawson also became the first MIAA Most Valuable Player in team history. Dawson finished 33rd in the nation in field goal percentage with a 54.5 percent field goal shooting effort.
Hayley Martin (Auburn, Ind. / DeKalb) earned D3hoops.com Second Team All-Region honors for the first time in her career. The junior became the program's first MIAA Defensive Player of the Year on her way to All-MIAA honors. She finished 28th in the nation with a school record 64 blocked shots.
Trine finished fifth in the nation in field goal percentage, shooting at a 45.9 percent clip. The Thunder held opponents to 48.5 points per game, the eighth-best mark in the nation. The combination of scoring efficiency and the stingy defense produced the fourth-best scoring margin in the nation at plus-21.9 points per game.
Trine concluded the season 25-3 overall and earned a 15-1 mark in the MIAA.