CHICAGO, ILL. -- The Trine University women's basketball team wrapped up the two-day University of Chicago Tournament with a 59-40 win against Kenyon (Ohio) College in Chicago, Ill.
After scoring a career-high 15 points in yesterday's game, sophomore Kelsy Taylor (Louisville, Ky./New Albany) followed it up with a team-high 14 points in the matchup against Kenyon while shooting six-of-11 (54.5 percent) from the floor in addition to grabbing a team-best seven rebounds.
Two other Thunder players scored in double figures in senior Katy Steers (Portage, Ind./Portage) and freshman Sophie Sloneker (Monroe, Ohio/Monroe). Steers was second in scoring with 11 points and Sophie Sloneker added 10 points.
Trine (3-2) scored the first four points of the first quarter en route to building a six-point advantage, 8-2, with just over six minutes to go. Following a three-pointer by Kenyon (3-2) that cut the Trine lead in half, the Thunder answered with back-to-back triples by sophomores Kayla Wildman (Rockford, Mich./Rockford) and Sophia Kreag (Westfield, Ind./Westfield) to extend the lead to nine points, 14-5, at the 2:41 mark. Trine led by as many as 13 points in the period, but despite a triple by Kenyon that ended the scoring, the Thunder still lead by double digits heading into the second quarter, 19-9.
In the early minutes of quarter number two, the Ladies narrowed the gap to seven points, 21-14, before an 8-0 scoring run by Trine that ended in a layup by freshman Sam Underhill (Grand Rapids, Mich./Northview), put the Thunder out in front by 15 points, 29-14, with 3:12 left to go in the half. The final points of the quarter were scored on a layup by Kenyon at the 2:26 mark that made the score 29-16 at halftime.
Trine led by double figures throughout the third quarter with a large lead of 19 points that came at the 2:11 mark when Sophie Sloneker scored on a layup to make it a 41-22 ball game. Two straight baskets by Kenyon made it a 15-point contest until an Underhill jumper capped the scoring and extended the Trine lead to 17 points heading into the final period, 43-26.
The Thunder recorded their first 20-point lead early in the fourth quarter, 48-28, with just over eight minutes to go. Kenyon looked to make a rally by scoring nine unanswered points to get to within 11 points, 48-37, with 5:11 left. An ensuing layup by Taylor then sparked a 9-0 run for Trine to equal its largest lead of the game at 57-37 at the 3:13 mark. The Trine lead was never threatened the rest of the way as the Thunder cruised to the 59-40 final.
Trine will open Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association play when it travels to Notre Dame, Ind. to take on St. Mary's College on Saturday, Dec. 7. The game is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.