ADRIAN, MICH. -- The Trine University women's basketball team held Adrian (Mich.) College to under 10 points in all four quarters, including just a combined 12 points in the entire second half, to post a convincing 65-29 win against the Bulldogs in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association play in Adrian, Mich.
Senior Hayley Martin (Auburn, Ind./DeKalb) led all scorers with a game-high 14 points while shooting 62.5 percent from the field (five-of-eight) and grabbed a team-tying high six rebounds. Junior Brandi Dawson (Garrett, Ind./Garrett) also scored in double figures and finished with 10 points. She also tied Hayley Martin with a team-leading six boards.
The Trine defense held Adrian to just 24.4 percent shooting (11-of-45), including just 15.8 percent (three-of-19) from three-point range, and held all Bulldog players to single digits in scoring. The Thunder also forced 18 turnovers which they turned into 26 points.
Trine (13-2, 5-1 MIAA) never trailed in the game, but the two teams battled to an 8-8 tie at the 4:21 mark of the first quarter when the Thunder scored seven straight points, with five points scored by junior Montana Martin (Columbia City, Ind./Churubusco), to take a 15-8 advantage. Adrian (4-10, 2-5 MIAA) scored the final point of the frame on a free-throw to make the score 15-9 in favor of Trine after the first quarter of play.
Leading by two points early in the second period, Trine began to take control and outscored Adrian, 13-4, the rest of the quarter to post its largest lead of the half of 11 points, following a jumper by junior Shaely Duff (Greenfield, Ind./Mount Vernon), with a halftime score of 28-17.
The Trine offense continued to pull away in the second half and began the third quarter with nine straight points to continue its overall run and jump out to a commanding 20-point margin, 37-17, at the 5:13 mark. The Thunder later went on to post their largest lead of the game so far of 25 points with 45 seconds to go in the period thanks to a pair of free-throws by senior Kayla Freeman (Battle Creek, Mich./Battle Creek Central) making the score, 46-21. Trine equaled its 25-point margin with the final points of the quarter which came on a layup by Montana Martin to send the Thunder into the fourth quarter leading, 48-23.
The fourth quarter saw Trine add 11 consecutive points to open the scoring and extend the lead to 36 points, 59-23, with 5:52 to play in the game. Trine matched its 36-point margin several times before the final buzzer sounded, including posting a final score of 65-29.
Trine will return home to take on Saint Mary's (Ind.) College in a MIAA game on Saturday, Jan. 13 at the MTI Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.