ADRIAN, MICH. -- Junior Kelsy Taylor (Louisville, Ky./New Albany) recorded a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds as the Trine University women's basketball team beat Siena Heights (Mich.) University, 69-61, in non-conference action in Adrian, Mich.
The first points of the game came at the 6:57 mark of the opening quarter when junior Rachel Stewart (Pekin, Ind./Eastern) connected on a layup to give Trine (2-0) an early lead. Siena Heights (1-1) came right back to tie the game on its next offensive possession until an ensuing 9-2 scoring run by the Thunder opened up a seven-point margin, 11-4, with just under four minutes to go in the period. The Saints rallied again and went on an 8-0 run of their own to take a one-point edge, 12-11. The two teams swapped leads during the remaining minutes of the quarter which ended in a three-pointer by junior Kaylee Argyle (Freeland, Mich./Freeland) and gave Trine the lead after the first 10 minutes by a score of 16-14.
Trine outscored SHU, 21-13, in the second quarter and scored the first nine points of the period to complete a string of 12 straight points going back to Kaylee Argyle's triple to end the first quarter. The run resulted in the first double-digit lead of the contest for Trine of 11 points, 25-14, at the 7:52 mark following a layup by Taylor. The Saints narrowed the gap to six points, 25-19, with just under seven minutes to go in the half, but Trine was able to increase its lead back to double figures with a high mark of 15 points after a jumper by senior Sophia Kreag (Westfield, Ind./Westfield) with a little more than two minutes left in the half. SHU made it a nine-point game late in the quarter, but one-of-two free-throws by Kaylee Argyle ended the scoring for both teams and gave the Thunder a 37-27 advantage at the break.
The third quarter belonged to Siena Heights as the home team outscored Trine, 21-13, and worked their way to a one-point lead, 40-39, with 4:28 left in the frame. Trine answered with an 8-2 run to regain the lead by five points, 47-42, and maintained a four-point difference heading into the fourth quarter, 49-45.
Siena Heights began the fourth with a three-pointer to make it a one-point game, 49-48. Trine sophomore Alyssa Argyle (Freeland, Mich./Freeland) answered the Saint triple on the Thunder's next offensive trip down the floor and began a streak of 10 straight points to put the visitors up by a more comfortable 11-point margin, 59-48, with 5:58 to play. Trine went on to lead by as many as 13 points that included a 65-52 score thanks to a layup by junior Tara Bieniewicz (Chesterfield, Mich./Dakota) at the 2:49 mark. The Saints made a final rally in the final minutes and cut the Thunder lead to four points, 65-61, with 33 seconds on the clock. Four straight free-throws by Kaylee Argyle, including a blocked shot by sophomore Sam Underhill (Grand Rapids, Mich./Northview), down the stretch sealed the victory for Trine by the final of 69-61.
Taylor's double-double led Trine who shot six-of-10 from the field (60.0 percent) and also added three assists, two blocks and a pair of steals. Kaylee Argyle led the team in scoring with a career-best 19 points on six-of-eight shooting (75.0 percent), including a perfect two-of-two from three-point range and five-of-six at the free-throw line. Bieniewicz rounded out the high scorers with 12 points.
After posting a double-double in yesterday's win, Underhill led all players with a game and career-high 12 rebounds against the Saints.
Trine is scheduled to travel to Bluffton, Ohio to take on Bluffton University in a non-conference matchup on Thursday, Nov. 19. The game is slated to start at 6 p.m.