Thunder Beat Big Red

Thunder Beat Big Red

GRANVILLE, OHIO  -- Junior forward Brandi Dawson (Garrett, Ind./Garrett) scored a game-high 17 points to lead the Trine University women's basketball team to a 58-41 win against Dension University in the Denison Classic in Granville, Ohio.

Dawson was the lone Trine player to score in double digits with her 17 points on six-of-nine shooting (66.7 percent), including five-of-six at the free-throw line (83.3 percent).  Freshman guard Camille Lira (Murrieta, Calif./Rosary Academy) was the second-leading scorer for the Thunder with nine points.

Denison (2-1) took the early advantage in the game and led by as many as six points in the first quarter.  The Big Red led, 15-9, when a three-pointer by Trine junior guard Montana Martin (Columbia City, Ind./Churubusco) cut the deficit in half, 15-12, for the final points of the quarter.

The home team continued to lead in the early minutes of the second quarter and maintained a slight edge, 20-18, with 5:28 left to go in the half until six straight points by Trine put the Thunder ahead by four points, 24-20, with 3:12 to play.  Still leading by four points, thanks to a layup by senior Kayla Freeman (Battle Creek, Mich./Battle Creek Central), Denison tallied the final points of the half on a triple to cut the margin to 26-25 at intermission.

In the second half, the Trine defense began to take over as the Thunder held Dension to just 16 points in the final 20 minutes, including just six points in the third quarter alone, and forced 11 turnovers.  The two teams traded leads to begin the third period, but a 10-1 scoring run by Trine that ended in one-of-two free-throws by Montana Martin, gave the visitors the lead, 38-29, with 1:36 to play and never trailed again.

Trine went into the final quarter leading, 38-31, and continued to pull away with an early, 8-2, run that was capped by a pair of Dawson free-throws to make the score 46-33 at the 7:10 mark.  Trine recorded its largest lead of the game of 20 points, 58-38, with just under a minute-and-a-half remaining on a layup by Lira en route to the 58-41 final.

As a team, Trine shot 42.3 percent (22-of-52) overall and converted 75.0 percent (12-of-16) of its free-throws.  Denison was held to just 31.4 percent (16-of-51) shooting, including 17.6 percent (three-of-17) from the three-point line.

Following the conclusion of the game, Dawson and junior Cassidy Williams (Archbold, Ohio/Archbold) were both selected to the All-Tournament Team.

Trine will host Oberlin (Ohio) College on Wednesday, Nov. 22 as part of a basketball doubleheader with the Thunder men's team.  The men will tip-off against Manchester (Ind.) University at 6 p.m., followed by the women against Oberlin at 8 p.m. at Hershey Hall.