KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Trine University women's basketball team continued their winning ways on Wednesday night and extended their streak without a loss to 11 straight games in an 80-35 stomping of Kalamazoo College. The Trine victory keeps them atop the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) standings.
The Thunder (19-2, 12-1 MIAA) imposed their will inside and outrebounded the Hornets (3-18, 1-11 MIAA) 43-28 while scoring 34 more points in the paint.
Kelsy Taylor [Louisville, Ky. / New Albany] began the game with a putback lay-up that transitioned into points on the first three possessions of the game. Kayla Wildman [Rockford, Mich. / Rockford] hit a shot from deep and Sam Underhill [Grand Rapids, Mich. / Northview] scored a basket plus the foul to make it 8-2 within two minutes of action.
The Thunder made it six makes out of seven trips down the floor that was achieved via a Makayla Ardis [Lake City, Mich. / Lake City] three and back-to-back makes by Taylor. That made it 15-6 through four minutes.
Kalamazoo scored six points in a row late in the first quarter to cut it to a one-possession game, but Trine was able to net the final five points of a 22-14 first quarter.
The first score of the second quarter would come on a Hornet lay-up at the 6:46 mark, but the final 5:46 of the frame would be all Thunder. Trine rattled off 22 in a row to suck the life completely out of their opponents and go into the half leading 44-16.
Of the final 11 offensive possessions, the Thunder scored on 10 of them, with Brooke Brauher [Big Rapids, Mich. / Morley Stanwood] and the returning Kaylee Argyle [Freeland, Mich. / Freeland] scoring five points each.
The hot shooting streak carried into the third quarter as Trine scored on the first four possessions of that one as well. Tara Bieniewicz [Chesterfield, Mich. / Dakota] capped that off with five of the nine points. The Thunder got help from Brauher, Kaylee Argyle and Rachel Stewart [Pekin, Ind. / Eastern] off the bench near the end of the third to go up 62-29.
Sophie Sloneker [Monroe, Ohio / Monroe] had a pair of scores in the fourth quarter as well as makes by freshmen Sidney Wagner [Warsaw, Ind. / Tippecanoe Valley] and Kearston Stout [Wabash, Ind. / Northfield] in the midst of the 80-35 win.
Taylor was the team leader with 13 points while Stewart ripped down eight boards to lead Trine on the glass. A team-high four assists were attributed to Alyssa Argyle [Freeland, Mich. / Freeland].
The Thunder return home for their next game on Saturday, February 12 for Senior Day and Community Day versus Calvin University. Tip-off at MTI Center is at 1 pm, while the men's game follows at 3 pm.