ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University women's basketball team goes into Christmas break with a victory over Baldwin Wallace University, 64-45 on Wednesday night.
The seventh-ranked Thunder (9-2) notched their sixth non-conference win of the 2021-22 season and first triumph over a ranked opponent in the #16 Yellow Jackets (7-2). Trine forced 16 Baldwin Wallace turnovers, 11 of them coming with steals, compared to just seven miscues on the home side. The Thunder defense held the Yellow Jackets to 34.1% (15-for-44) from the field.
Kayla Wildman [Rockford, Mich. / Rockford] was Trine's leading scorer for the second game in a row with 13 points, but credited her teammates in a fairly shorthanded effort at the guard position with three players unavailable. "I'm very proud of the girls for stepping up and performing in their roles tonight. Overall, very proud of my teammates."
In the first quarter, the Thunder kept Baldwin Wallace off the board for the first seven minutes of play and scored the game's first eight points. Freshman guard Sidney Wagner [Warsaw, Ind. / Tippecanoe Valley] made her first career start and scored the game's first points. Alyssa Argyle [Freeland, Mich. / Freeland] and Wildman each chipped in with a three-point field goal during the run.
Sophie Sloneker [Monroe, Ohio / Monroe] and Kelsy Taylor [Louisville, Ky. / New Albany] contributed in the first quarter with made baskets off assists by Rachel Stewart [Pekin, Ind. / Eastern] in a 12-7 first period of action.
The second quarter was the most lopsided of the four, with Trine winning 24-8 to go into the locker room with a 36-15 advantage. Following a Yellow Jacket three to start the second, Trine scored the next seven, including a three from Tara Bieniewicz [Chesterfield, Mich. / Dakota]. Overall, a 19-2 run spanning from the 9:29 mark to the 1:11 mark was highlighted by an and-one from Stewart on a spin move in the paint with 2:24 remaining until halftime.
The offense hit a stumbling block to start the third, with Wildman being the only offense in the first five minutes with a pair of free throws and a three-point field goal. The defense did enough to keep the lead safe for the time being, as Stewart knocked down 4-of-4 free throws and Wildman connected on a three from Alyssa Argyle with a few ticks left. Trine took a 20-point lead into the final quarter, 50-30.
Baldwin Wallace cut into the lead slightly at 52-36 with just over six minutes remaining, but once again the Thunder defense made it difficult for the Yellow Jackets to crawl out of the hole they found themselves in. Sam Underhill [Grand Rapids, Mich. / Northview] and Katie Sloneker [Monroe, Ohio / Monroe] were key as the time expired both offensively and defensively.
All told, Trine upended their fellow ranked opponents 64-45 in wire-to-wire fashion, the sixth such victory of the campaign.
Along with Wildman's 13 points, Stewart and Alyssa Argyle each netted 10 points, with Stewart hitting 6-of-7 free throws and Argyle dishing out a team-high four assists. Katie Sloneker retrieved a career-high eight boards (three offensive) and Underhill tied her career-best with four steals.
After the holiday, Trine travels to Nashville, Tennessee to compete in the Basketball Destinations Post-Christmas Classic at Trevecca Nazarene University. Their first game will be on Wednesday, December 29 against Penn State-Behrend. Tip-off is slated for 6 pm.