ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University women's basketball team put away Adrian College 80-52 in the opening game of Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play on Wednesday night.
The Thunder (6-1, 1-0 MIAA) held the Bulldogs (2-5, 0-1 MIAA) to 34.0% from the field for the game at 17-for-50 overall and forced 22 turnovers. 15 different Trine student-athletes got in the scoring column and the Thunder crashed the glass for a season-high 22 offensive rebounds.
On their first five trips down the floor, Adrian turned the ball over on every possession as Trine jumped out to a 9-0 advantage. Makayla Ardis [Lake City, Mich. / Lake City] connected on a pair of two-point jump shots during the scoring spurt.
Another 10-0 scoring run by the Thunder gave the home squad a 19-5 lead. Rachel Stewart [Pekin, Ind. / Eastern] buried a three and scored on a lay-up on two of her first three offensive possessions after entering the game at the 4:37 mark in the first quarter.
Alyssa Argyle [Freeland, Mich. / Freeland] hit back-to-back three-point attempts over the zone defense and assisted Sam Underhill [Grand Rapids, Mich. / Northview] on the final basket in a 26-10 first quarter.
The Bulldogs were able to keep it close in the second quarter, but the Trine post players Underhill and Kelsy Taylor [Louisville, Ky. / New Albany] each burned the Adrian defense for four points in the quarter. The half concluded with the score Thunder, 42 and the Bulldogs, 25.
It was an 11-2 run in the opening four minutes of the third quarter that extended the lead for Trine. Taylor had five points and Kayla Wildman [Rockford, Mich. / Rockford] chipped in with four points, including her second make from long range.
A steal by Underhill and lay-up by Alyssa Argyle off an assist from Sidney Wagner [Warsaw, Ind. / Tippecanoe Valley] at the third quarter buzzer resulted in a 32-point lead at 69-37.
Wagner, Sierra Hinds [Carmel, Ind. / University], Chelsi Giesige [Paulding, Ohio / Paulding], Brooke Brauher [Big Rapids, Mich. / Morley Stanwood] and Kearston Stout [Wabash, Ind. / Northfield] all scored in the fourth quarter for the Thunder in the 80-52 win.
Taylor and Stewart tied for the team lead in points with 11 each and Underhill had 10 points with a team-high six rebounds. Alyssa Argyle dished out five assists to lead Trine on the night and Wildman was a distributor on four made Trine baskets.
League play continues in the team's next game at Calvin University on Saturday, December 4 at 3 pm.